You got it Chuck.
The term RINO is used as a pejorative in simplistic saber-rattlings, not reasoned debate. Someone else kindly pointed this out to me last week and it took a bit to sink in.
Why should I take offense at being called a RINO? I am a RINO! I’m also a student of conservatism. The Republican party is the original “big tent” party. It is the mechanism for my participation in American politics. Like it or not, the current paradigm is a two party system. I certainly have NOTHING in common with the Dhimmis, so that leaves me the Republican party to further my aspirations. It is a grossly inexact system, but what are you gonna do?
The problem we face today is that some are saying that we must abandon our conservative principles and “go with the flow”. No thank you. “The Republican Party must reach out to the left if we are to pick up the votes we need in order to win”. Win what, exactly?!
What is the point of “winning” the battle and losing our souls?
That might make me a RINO, or paleo-whatever, but I have a thick skin (and a firm grip on my principles).
We need to educate at least half of the population to understand why liberal ideas are wrong, and don't work. We need to educate at least half of the population to understand that personal responsibility, strong national defense, and strong family moral values are the correct way for people to live. It is hard to change minds by screaming, it takes reasoned discussion.
We are not gaining any experience in such discussion on this thread unfortunately.
If we fail in this task to educate our fellow Americans, then the liberals take over and they have the power to instill enough power in the government to make it difficult for us to be able to organize against them in the future because they use their power to buy votes.
Actually, I'd call you a Republican. RINOs are Conservatives (such as the ones who frequent FR) that vote R when faced with the prospect of electing someone like Hillary!
The reason the Republican party is NOT the Conservative party, nor holds many conservative ideals, is that approximately 50% of registered Republicans are female.
When it comes to women, no matter how pro-life they are in philosophy, when push comes to shove, they are all pro-choice. I've seen high-level women in the Calif R party basically say that if the party moves any more rightward, they'll vote D.
It's no surprise some of the biggest Rudy supporters at FR (alive & banned) are women. The basic reality is that women are preventing the R party from moving anymore rightward.
Until Conservatives recognize that fact, they will either have to vote 3rd party, or once again become RINOs as they vote for whoever the GOP puts on the ticket.