Posted on 02/03/2008 12:28:15 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
A former Talk-Show host on this station once announced a "RINO Hunt" at election time. "Time to purge the party of anybody who isn't a lock-step conservative," he said. So this host went ‘a huntin’. And he laughed with glee every time a Republican moderate lost an election. "That'll teach 'em," he said.
Ok, if you say so. But I just checked: It’s been four years since his great "RINO Hunt," and each of those seats, where he was so gleeful to see the “Republican In Name Only” lose, is now occupied by a Democrat. Now, why was he so happy again?
RINOS get elected because they reflect the personality of the district or state they represent. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island was a big-time RINO. "Real" Republicans always went after him with fury. "Too damned liberal," they would say. Finally, they got him. His political career ended in November of 2006. That Senate seat is now held by a Democrat. And the Senate is controlled by the Democrats. By one seat. Well done, RINO hunters. Chafee was the only possible Republican who could win in Rhode Island, but because he could not pass your "purity" test, Harry Reid is Majority Leader. Remind me again why this makes sense?
I live in one of the most liberal Congressional Districts in the country. For 16 years we had a Republican Congresswoman. Connie Morella was to the Left of Jim Webb, but she felt at home in the big tent of the GOP, and Montgomery voters felt at ease with her. Eventually re-districting and RINO hunters bagged her, and now I am represented by a Congressman close in philosophy to Dennis Kucinich. Tell me again, angry conservatives, how this is better?
Northern Virginia – you are next. For the last six years you have been belly-aching about those awful RINOs John Warner and Tom Davis. Well, neither is running for re-election this year. But instead of getting your "True Reagan Conservative," you are going to end up with two Democrats who will hold that House seat and that Senate seat for decades, if they want to.
I guess that brings us to John McCain. Yes, he introduced McCain-Feingold, an imperfect solution to the problem we all acknowledge of money-controlling politicians. Yes, he introduced McCain-Kennedy, a very flawed bill trying to address, however awkwardly, the problem of illegal immigration. Heck, without McCain-Kennedy, I doubt immigration would even be a topic in the Republican debates this Fall.
And yes, he was a leader of the "Gang of 14" which got Justices Roberts and Alito confirmed by an ornery Senate. Which makes him a RINO. Which makes this “open season” on him. Please re-read the first four paragraphs of this opus, then close your eyes and imagine the House and Senate with huge Democratic majorities. Then ask yourself this: "Which would you rather see in the White House, a RINO or a Democrat?" If you say "Democrat," go get your RINO rifle out.
But don't say I didn't warn you.
Good point!
Same thing will happen with liberal Mitt.
There is a difference between someone who isn't "lock-step conservative" and a RINO. Simply put, a mushy conservative is someone who regards conservatives as friends, but feels limited in what he can do for them. A RINO is someone who sees conservatives as enemies.
I don't mind mushy conservatives--even very mushy conservatives--if they do what they think best for advancing the cause of conservatism (recognizing that to advance any conservative agenda they have to get re-elected). I despise RINOs. A good way, in many cases, to distinguish conservatives from RINOs is to compare them to their constituencies. Someone like Governor Mitt Romney was more conservative than his constituency. John McCain was more liberal than his.
‘Tis a work in progress.
Besides, I’d rather have a minority party that was right, than a majority party who governed in essentially the same manner as those who are wrong.
No, the same thing will not happen with Romney.
For one thing, say what you want about him, but he doesn’t appeal to “moderates”. Look at the exit polling. He appeals the conservatives. McCain appeals to moderates.
Check the opinion polling. Same thing.
McCain will actually bring out people who usually don’t vote.
People who will vote for him, and then proceed to vote for every Democrat down the rest of the ballot.
That is what I’m talking about.
No matter what, Romney won’t have that effect.
The best we can hope for is Romney vs. Hillary.
We may win, we may lose, but at least the bleeding in congress will be minimized.
Christine Todd Whitman”
Now that one was a puzzlement to me
She was dubbed as a conservative and the base got behind her
She got elected and went home that night and took off her conservative costume and burnt it..
Three questions oh eager one.
Have you ever seen a civil war from street level?
What makes you think that your "side", that is unable to convince people vote for you, will be able to convince people to die for you?
What makes you think that your side will win?
Like the liberals will ever let that happen. They know for certain in their tiny little bleeding hearts that we'd turn any country we controlled into a fascist police state where blacks are slaves again, and women are all barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen. Plus, hey, where would they get all the tax dollars that we so graciously hand over to them so they can pursue their utopian dreams ("If only I had another billion dollars to spend, we could save the children from the heart break of psoriasis").
Or as my buddy always says, with such great wit (and a slight Southern twang), "All them ticks and no dog? Ain't no way that's ever gonna happen".
I was working outside the polls at Carderock Springs Elementary School in 2000, the year that Terry Lierman was the 'Rat opponent of Morella. Morella stopped by to gladhand everybody and she saw me holding a Paul Rappaport (Senate candidate running against 'Rat Paul Sarbanes) sign. She must have missed the NRA sticker attached to the sign, so she approached me, smiling and asking if she could count on my support. I said, "No," and proceeded to explain why... abortion, gun control, gay rights, gov't funded contraceptives, needle exchanges; and I told her that she wasn't a Republican, but a liberal 'Rat.
She asked me, still smiling, "Well, my opponent isn't in favor of your issues either, so who will you vote for?" I told her, "Not you. You aren't true to your party, or your Catholic faith." She never stopped smiling.
She won that year, but eventually lost to the even more liberal 'Rat.
That was the day I met Wolfie Blitzer coming out of the school after having voted. I asked him if he would answer my exit poll. He laughed and said, "No, thanks."
He's a very short guy, BTW.
Obama has been slowly moving to center and Michelle Obama gave a Bill cosby, Thomas sowell, herman Cain, walter Williams speech this afternoon that would warm the hearts of conservatives
But before she had finished Fox cut away to a Romney rally and I was bathed in RINO cold water...
The folks with the real problem are the ones that argue who has a better shot at winning rather than who would be good for the country and represent conservative values.
“articles like this one and Fred Barnes’ piece telling flyover country to “get in line”.”
YEP......Would appreciate a link to the Barnes article if you have it available. Thx in advance.
Thanks... and the taxpaying grownups need to cut off these childish public servants’ ALLOWANCE!
I’m not saying I will not vote.
And why are you talking about the general election?
Who cares?
Let’s just assume the GOP is going to lose the White House.
Now the question is, how many seats are Republicans going to lose in the House and Senate?
A LOT if John McCain is the nominee.
Those moderates and independents that McCain (may) appeal to will vote for Democrats in down ballot races. Do you not understand this?
McCain will bring out more people who favor Democrats and less people who favor Republicans. Those are the indisputable facts. They do not bode well for the GOP’s chances of retaining enough votes to mount a filibuster, or keep the House close enough to keep the far left in check.
So you can have your President McCain, but he’ll be happily working with a Democrat super majority in the Senate and House. He’ll be an honorary Democrat, giving Democrats control of all of it. Any SCOTUS nominees McCain gets confirmed will sure to make Souter look very conservative by comparison.
There's a huge difference - as you are about to find out.
Hope you're happy.
Arlen Specter, who won a state that kicked Rick Santorum's ass out of the Senate, a state that went for Gore, and Kerry.
Arlen Specter, who voted for Roberts, and Alito, and more than that, assured their confirmation.
Arlen Specter, who was elected in a state where Toomey could not have gotten 40% of the vote.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?
The problem here with Senator McCain is his personal unsuitability to hold the office of the President of the United States. A lot too much arrogance and off the wall stuff. Of course, same goes for Hillary and Obama. A little like choosing between the witch, the evil wizard and the ogre.
McCain
Of those we have left,I think he would have been the best on the WOT
Except he’s unstable...
I dont fear him pushing a button at the wrong time so much as I am concerned he would get mad at his own and unreasonable turn to the Kennedys of both parties for advise in a crisis...
Iran gets aggressive and Sec of Defense Duncan Hunter wants to call out the military
But Mccain is not speaking to Duncan,,,
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