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Medved: Call Off the "RINO Hunt" [Barf Alert]
townhall.com ^ | 01/07/2008 | Michael Medved

Posted on 01/07/2008 2:03:00 PM PST by jmc813

There’s an obnoxious and destructive term that’s begun to do real damage to the Republican Party. That term is “RINO,” or “R.I.N.O.” – an acronym for “Republican In Name Only.” Angry conservatives use the term to attack purported moderates in their own party. Recently, Mike Huckabee and John McCain have been attacked as “RINO’s” –Governor Schwarzenegger of California regularly draws that denunciation. Those who make war on RINO’s, however, ought to confront an obvious question: would you really prefer that such people drop the Republican designation? How does it help if politicians or office-holders with whom you disagree leave your party and join the opposition? When alleged “RINO” Jim Jeffords of Vermont left the GOP and joined the Democrats, it gave them control of the US Senate. When another RINO, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, lost his Senate seat in 2006, it also gave the Democrats control; if Chafee had won, we’d still have a Republican majority and GOP committee chairs. The truth is that no successful political party has ever been built on ideological purity. You can construct a majority coalition by bringing people into your party, not by driving them away. It’s childish and self-destructive to wage war based on some notion of “real conservatism” with those who want to align themselves with your side. Ronald Reagan himself used to say that “if somebody agrees with me 70% of the time, rather than 100%, that doesn’t make him my enemy.” Democrats understand this principle--- they never attack “DINO’s,” Democrats In Name Only. In fact, they understand the usefulness of such figures: they put forward several conservative Democrats in key Congressional districts in 2006, and those “DINO’s” helped them win a majority in the House. If Republicans continue to express contempt and hostility for those they consider “RINO’s,” they’ve got to get ready for “DIMO’s” – Democrats In the Majority Only.” It’s time, in other words, for sane GOP partisans to call off the silly and suicidal RINO hunt.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: medved; rino
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To: Ramius

“Medved is spot-on.”

Arlen Spectre has done more damage to the conservative cause as a GOP senator than a half dozen junior Dem senators could have.

McCain and his “Gang” have also done enormous damage.

Having an R beside their name does not make everything perfect.


101 posted on 01/07/2008 3:25:15 PM PST by FreeInWV
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To: Ramius
What's getting old is watching the GOP eat itself from the inside and hand over more and more to the dems without a fight.

While just about any of the Republicans can beat any of the Dems this time around, I suspect we're going to see a dem in the white house in 08 anyway. Republicans have too much self-hatred to get together and fight a common enemy.

Here on FR there's a contingent that *wants* the democrats in the white house mainly because no amount of damage to the country is too much if it means they think it will teach some kind of "lesson" to all the "other" Republicans they hate so much.

I've got no time for people who want to lose. Medved is spot-on.

BRAVO !

102 posted on 01/07/2008 3:28:03 PM PST by Irish Eyes
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To: jmc813
alleged “RINO” Jim Jeffords

Would Medved "allege" that Jeffords is a conservative? What a retard this guy is. Just like his liberal counterpart Frank Rich, he should have stuck with movie reviews.

103 posted on 01/07/2008 3:50:33 PM PST by montag813
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To: jmc813
Ronald Reagan himself used to say that “if somebody agrees with me 70% of the time, rather than 100%, that doesn’t make him my enemy.”

To say either Jeffords or Chafee agree with even 20% of the Republican platform would be a big stretch.

104 posted on 01/07/2008 3:53:59 PM PST by montag813
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To: Rummyfan

“I wouldn’t even call him a RINO, he needs a new defining acronym.”

Huck’s a member of the Christian Socialist party.


105 posted on 01/07/2008 3:57:37 PM PST by WOSG (Iowa gave us a CLUSTERHUCK)
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To: CAluvdubya

He is DU and hates Rush. Sent me a private mail saying Rush is a drug addict.

I am surprised the troll is still here.


106 posted on 01/07/2008 3:58:15 PM PST by dforest (Duncan Hunter is the best hope we have on both fronts.)
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To: jmc813

Can we all at least see the MSM and Faux GOP are pushing whatever candidates can divide the party.

They are pushing liberal RINOs, not a candidate that can unite this party.

The more left this party moves, the more inclined I am to stop voting.

Please, do not tell me to hold my nose. I have done it, and absolutley nothing changed. Y’all want a socialist? Have at it. Probably be best if you can pin the misery on a Democrat.


107 posted on 01/07/2008 4:03:36 PM PST by dforest (Duncan Hunter is the best hope we have on both fronts.)
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To: barryg
Not every RINO behaves the same, some are downright hostile, and have worked with the UnAmerican Democrat Party, to defeat our missions overseas, worked to smear the Pres, Rummy, VP Cheney, ect.

Obviously no one can agree completely on every issue, it just depends on how it is handled, what words and deeds are used, and what their ultimate goal may be.

108 posted on 01/07/2008 4:04:18 PM PST by roses of sharon
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To: jmc813

Medved is such a total jerk.


109 posted on 01/07/2008 4:05:01 PM PST by Brandie (Vote for a Conservative, Hunter or Thompson ....And NO Rino's!)
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To: roses of sharon

It’s funny, because most people don’t even know the history of the Republican Party. It was originally a very liberal party in the 19th Century, and only became “conservative” recently, with people like Herbert Hoover and Barry Goldwater.


110 posted on 01/07/2008 4:08:58 PM PST by barryg
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To: montag813

You are missing the point. If a Rino like Chafee had been reelected, the GOP would be running the Senate, not Harry Reid.

Who would you rather have running the Senate, Harry Reid or Mitch McConnell?

Score another one of Medved.


111 posted on 01/07/2008 4:11:45 PM PST by barryg
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To: Ramius; Thud; jmc813; x
There is a fundamental difference between 2 party system we have in America and multi-party system in Europe, Israel, elsewhere.

Multi-party system allows for more narrow defined political philosophies and cohesiveness of views. While nobody escapes factioning, smaller parties do provide a more uniform voice. During elections  people vote for their party, and coalition building starts later. It results sometimes with a smaller party having disproportional influence and sometimes no real voice at all. Coalition building produces a fun spectacle but results in some unstable governments (Italy and Israel, for example, rarely had a government surviving until the next scheduled election).

In US its another way around. Various factions of the major parties go through the bickering infighting process before elections, during the primaries, not after. And its not an orderly negotiation done by the parties' representatives (somewhere in an European smoke room), but looks more like an urban warfare in the heavy fog - sometimes its everybody against everybody.

Of course, its silly to expect a small-party unity on the scale of Republican or Democrat behemoths. I can make a claim that more than 2 parties of a significance are needed (badly!), but we have what we have. It might change eventually, but now we have to work within our reality, regardless that we hate it or not.

It means that a faction needs to build a support base within a larger party and put its people into the offices on different levels. Until you can replace chafees and jeffordses with your own people its better to have them as allies in the larger coalition, even as a shaky allies, than to have them in the opposing camp. If you want the whole coalition to be your own mirror, you have to work long and hard, and still maybe unable to have a half of the country to share on your views.

Like many here, I also have Hunter and Thompson representing my views the best way, and will vote in primaries accordingly, but in November will vote for whoever was left standing on our side.

 

112 posted on 01/07/2008 4:15:12 PM PST by Tolik
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To: CAluvdubya
Yeah, I screwed up royally! I was one of the "scared of Bustamente" voters. I would love to have my vote back...

So you actually wish that Bustamante had been elected? He may run again, perhaps you'll get your chance.

113 posted on 01/07/2008 4:16:59 PM PST by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
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To: wolfpat
"...they never attack “DINO’s,” Democrats In Name Only. LIEBERMAN"

It's possible that you're not very familiar with the full record of Mr. Lieberman.

114 posted on 01/07/2008 4:17:52 PM PST by Nova
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To: barryg
And thank God for Goldwater, every party must change with the times.

And our Federal Bureaucracies are a giant bulging nest of commie vampires, who suck the lifeblood out of this country.

They have made our fellow Americans wards of the state, literally and emotionally.

115 posted on 01/07/2008 4:19:48 PM PST by roses of sharon
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To: jmc813

Chafee and Leiberman voted virtually the same.


116 posted on 01/07/2008 4:21:53 PM PST by Jet Jaguar (Who would the terrorists vote for?)
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To: Tolik

You’re making an interesting and useful point.

I would submit that the multi-party alternative is more unstable— if not destructive— in the long run. One of the basic weaknesses of democracy in general: a lack of continuity, is exaggerated in its affect. Nobody is in power long enough to do anything for good or ill.


117 posted on 01/07/2008 4:26:15 PM PST by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
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To: barryg
You are missing the point. If a Rino like Chafee had been reelected, the GOP would be running the Senate, not Harry Reid.

What point? Chafee was soundly defeated with the full support of the GOP, including a grossly disproportionate tranche of resources provided by Liddy Dole, to the fatal exclusion of the Senate races in Virginia and Missouri.

118 posted on 01/07/2008 4:28:23 PM PST by montag813
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To: barryg; Darksheare

I have been following your posts.

You fit the bill.


119 posted on 01/07/2008 4:32:49 PM PST by Jet Jaguar (Who would the terrorists vote for?)
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To: All

I don’t care what Medved has to say about movies and I sure has hell don’t care what he has to say about us calling some republicans RINO’s!


120 posted on 01/07/2008 4:34:31 PM PST by pepperhead (Kennedy's float, Mary Jo's don't!)
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