The term "RINO" - Republican In Name Only - has been pasted on almost every Republican Presidential candidate. Oddly, the exceptions like Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul are out, formally or not. Is this term / accusation over-used, as Mitch Berg has noted, including this at Hot Air? I agree with him that "RINO" is devolving to mean merely "less conservative than me." As such, this isn't a workable label. We Conservatives risk losing the brand so to speak.
But first, may I ask: where are the DINO's - Democrats In Name Only?
Not surprisingly in the party of group-think, they are few in number, like, say, Minnesota Senator John Marty. The vast majority embrace their platform to the letter, from free abortion on demand to unlimited (and unaccountable) spending on cradle to grave education. There is little resembling intellectual dialog here. Policy discussions are confined to feedback-free institutions like universities, public media, and the many liberal think tanks. Their books sit idle in bookstores while conservative titles flow to the checkout.
No, the only real discussions worth having are on the Right, as we're now seeing in the Republican endorsement process. A big chunk of this is sound and fury signifying nothing - political rhetoric - but where else do you see a substantive dichotomy on foreign policy, for example? The old guard Democrats like Joe Lieberman are all but gone, leaving the anti-war, increasingly anti-Israel hard Left firmly in charge. Within the Republican tent, libertarians like Ron Paul and hawks like Newt Gingrich each make competent arguments for their views. Debate at this level no longer happens in the Democratic Party.
So let's continue to have the conversations as we head toward a decision this August, Ron Paul included. It's largely a healthy sign heralding the party that actually thinks about the issues. I'll take on perhaps the biggest flap - RomneyCare - later this weekend to further illustrate my point.
That all said, the RINO tag is still useful if used properly, for those Republicans who truly deserve it. I speak of people like U.S. Senator John McCain and our own former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. McCain is infamous for snatching defeat in "gang of x" deals lest we actually settle something on principle on the Senate Floor. Tim Pawlenty had his moments when the budgets were tight, but might have set the state record for unforced errors, like for "green" energy and commuter rail. Worst of all was his lying defense of the "health impact fee" including his lashing out at the Conservatives that helped get him elected. These are men the party is better off without, the real RINO's in our midst.
Cross-posted and comments welcome at Speed Gibson.
