Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names shall never hurt me.
Every third-grader, ever.
Someone should remind certain members of the Republican party of this. Regrettably, members of the party resemble third-graders, or Porter from The Sandlot…
The chosen slur of the self-appointed party purists: RINO (gasp!) – Republican in Name Only. Dave Williams, Laurel Immer, and company have a super-secret (and poorly designed) website where they call Republicans who don’t meet their personal litmus test RINOs. When I was one of the first people to make said site, my wife gave me a tie for Christmas. I have matching socks, too.
Unlike many in the party, I’m an adult, and when called a name, I wear that sh!t. Well.
Me, upon receiving lovely neckwear
I have come to believe that when the self-appointed party puritans yell RINO, it is meant to have a similar effect as when the Dems scream “racist.” The allegation is meant to be so chilling to the recipient of said slur that all conversation/debate (and thinking, for that matter) is immediately halted and the alleged RINO should shut up, wither away, and be banished from the party without question. They’re guilty until proven innocent.
I had an interesting exchange at a party gathering recently with a member of “the grassroots.” Funny, I always thought I was “the grassroots.” I have been involved in the party as a leader, delegate, volunteer, caucus attendee, etc., for over three decades. But that’s no longer “grassroots.” That’s “establishment.” You guys gotta keep up because the rules change on a dime.
Anyway, back to the convo with said grassroots member. She informed me that the grassroots were, “not gunna put up with no RINOs.” Mmkay. “What’s a RINO,” I asked. “Don’t get smart with me,” she said as she shook her finger in my face (I’m not exaggerating), “You know. RINO! Republican in name only!” She looked at me like she landed a body blow in a prize fight.
I said, “I know what RINO stands for. Please tell me what makes someone a RINO.” She said, “If you have to ask, you must be one. Just so you know – I’m a RINO hunter.” And she walked away. I’m pretty sure I heard the theme from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and her spurs jangle, but it was probably just a figment of my imagination.
Look, if it somehow makes your inner third grader feel better to call me a name, then call me a name. I’m a big boy (too big – I’m a stress eater – go ahead, call me fatso) and I can handle it. Your words will never hurt me, but I would appreciate an explanation.
What is the metric? What is the objective measure by which someone becomes a RINO? Is there a checklist? A 12-point puritan test and, once you check off four (or five or six) boxes, you’re deemed a “RINO?” What are the objective criteria? My questions are not rhetorical, I really would like to know.
Here in about six weeks, I’ll celebrate 27 years of wedded bliss with Julie James. We agree on about 60% of the things. Yet I love her with all my heart and we have built a wonderful life together. Yet by party puritan standards, I should be calling her a WINO (wife in name only). She’s gonna love that.
To a certain extent, I believe that the “grassroots,” the “establishment,” and the RINO allegation all have a triangulation with Donald Trump. At least in the beginning. In the current tense, it has all warped into whether or not we are in lock-step agreement with the ideology of the one who levels the allegation. Rather than having a constructive conversation – a debate – even a spirited argument, after which we might build consensus and find common ground, we find it easier to hunker down in our digital silos and our social media tribes and lob word grenades at one another.
And “RINO” is somehow the silver word bullet – a sort of Republican kryptonite – used on one another much the same way Dems used to volley about the term “racist.” And the media laps it up – nothing beats a lot of “red on red” violence and infighting to take the attention off the complete failures of the Democrats. We should keep this infighting up. It’s really working out for us.
We need to stop the arguing and the infighting. We again need to recognize that any given Republican is better than any given Democrat in office. Just look at the state of our state and the state of the nation. This has been happening while we quibble over fewer and fewer party members and argue about who is most pure. Stop it. Reagan believed in a big tent and the 11th commandment. So do I. So should you.
Or like petulant third graders on a playground, we can keep calling one another names. If you make the list, I’ll send you socks. Wear that sh!t. Well.
It’s actually not complicated, and Americans aren’t going to trust them anymore.
In fact, this election boils down to a few very simple principles. To understand these principles, you don’t need an advanced degree in the latest trendy subject from an Ivy League school. You don’t need to get your opinions from the New York Times. You don’t need to be some policy wonk in Washington, and you don’t need to be a member of the intelligentsia.
You really just need two things to understand what this election is about: You need your God-given intelligence, and you need a deep and abiding love for this country.
I agree that the infighting must stop. I disagree the idea that any Republican in office is better than having a Democrat in office and offer you your own argument of “Just look at the state of our state and the state of the nation” as the reason why. Republicans are on the verge of handing over control of the House to the Democrats due to weak-kneed Republicans who would rather quit than fight for conservatives values. Saying that any Republican is better than any Democrat is the same argument the Democrats use when saying “Vote Blue, No Matter Who”.
The term RINO is used to point out Republicans who say all the right things to constituents and the public but act differently when it comes time to vote or stand up for conservative values. Are we not supposed to recognize that failure? Are we supposed to brush it under the rug like it doesn’t happen? Are we not supposed to try and do better moving forward? If those who claim to be Republicans don’t support conservative values when it really matters, how in the world do we come to a common understanding and unite as a party? For too long we have lived by the Reagan mantra of not criticizing another Republican but it has been our own detriment. That’s how we’ve end up with horribly bad representatives at both the state and national levels.
I find it ridiculous that certain Republicans want to live by the Reagan mantra but have no problem disparaging the 45th President and going so far as passing resolutions against him. The “do as I say, not as I do” phrase comes to mind here.
All that being said, it’s not appropriate to yell out the term RINO at any given moment. It’s also not wrong to call a spade a spade and a RINO a RINO.