Usually those who attack others as "RINOs" are the same people who threaten to stay home or vote third party if their candidate loses in the primary. Simple case of projection.
I've always voted Republican for President, Governor, Senator, or Representative. I worked on several campaigns when I was younger and had the time; I've supported candidates financially; I never voted third party or stayed home.
So I really don't care if someone wants to call me a "RINO" because I support a Republican candidate they don't like. I suspect in the end you don't care either. I was a Republican before Reagan was elected and I'll be one after Rudy leaves the scene one way or the other -- because the only alternative, the 'rat Party, has no business holding any office above that of dog catcher.
I believe that there are posters attacking Rudy who would rather have Hillary or Obama or some other 'rat in the Oval Office than suffer a loss of influence by losing a primary to someone who has higher priorities than social issues.
Clearly there is a great deal of fear that Rudy will win a fair primary battle. If he does win, there is no law that required primary losers or their supporters to support him. It's a free country. But if they do leave of their own free choice, to whine about being kicked out after losing a fair fight would just be pathetic.
While not challenging your main premise, I would like to point out that it would appear that it is going to shape up to be a battle between Giuliani, with the media, lying pollsters, mucho dinero, and many of the party's power brokers (who have set the accelerated primary schedule which is friendly to money and more liberal candidates) on his side, versus the conservative grassroots. Does that sound to you like a "fair fight," or one that forces the grassroots folks to start from the bottom of a deep hole?
Just a note: In my last post I said, "While not challenging your main premise." Don't want you to think I'm not challenging it because I agree with it. I don't by a long shot. Just don't care to deal with it right now.
I have been a Conservative AND a Republican long before many of the people vomiting the RINO as an pejorative, were born, were REGISTERED GOPers ( since some of them used to be REGISTERED Dem, went Libertarian, or were registered Libertarian, or just didn't give a dam about politics at all! ), or cast their first vote.
I have worked on many political campaigns; local, state, and national, with money, time, and in some cases great effort. I have ALWAYS voted a straight Republican ticket and no matter what the outcome of this primary, shall continue to do so.
I haven't missed a single election, for ANYTHING, since I reached voting age. Neither have I ever voted for some fringe party's candidate and shall NEVER do so.
They can call me RINO into eternity, but that won't make it a factual statement.
They can call me any name they care to; that will not make their specious calumnies true, either.
But I do tend to find it hilarious to have drunks, who drink beer and/or other alcoholic beverages, while posting, call me a "drunk"/imply that I'm drinking, when I'm about 98% teatotal. LOL