I.D. of a GoP R.I.N.O.

8 RINO Rules

By the Conservative Review staff
February 24, 2015

It becomes clearer every day that there are not only two parties in Washington, D.C., but there are also two wings of the Republican Party. Conservatives who fight for limited government, fewer taxes, less regulation, more freedom, devolving federal power to the states, prudent immigration, and constitutional principles

The other wing?

Whether you call them RINOs (Republican In Name Only), liberal Republicans or the Establishment, for them, it’s all about retaining the power that comes from working their well-established connections around “town.”

Some have raised the question, ‘You don’t really think that these members want to help/support/defend Obama’s agenda and policies – do you?’ 

Hopefully not, but their actions seem to align a lot closer with liberals than conservatives on many issues, so it’s hard to say. 

So what guides these powerful liberal Republicans?

Here are the 8 RINO rules:

1. Bait and Switch

This can also be referred to as “politics over principle” or “don’t fight now, fight later”. Members that have roamed the halls of Congress for multiple years have made a lot of campaign promises along the way, and they have undoubtedly broken a few of them. Some even admit a broken promise. Just look at Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) admitting he lied when asked whether he would honor his term limits commitment. When it comes to the big promises, you’d think politicians would stick to them.

This is where bait-and-switch comes into play: find a reason and tell the press in spin-o-riffic fashion why a vote for or against that promise would ultimately be a wasted vote. To them, party comes first, the next election, or the next fight. This is the main reason that the proverbial can continually gets kicked down the road. That really core thing, like not raising taxes – that will be fought for next time.

Right now is about keeping power, gaining goodwill for self-advancement, or supposedly gaining leverage, ironically the leverage doesn’t actually get used.   

2. Show Me the Money

Votes win elections and money is used to get votes, therefore simple calculus tells a RINO that money is the most important thing ever. It just so happens that special interest has lots of money. So what if this vote will raise taxes? Don’t worry, the Establishment needs this vote to remain in power and appease the special interest. This rule usually coincides with adherence to #1 where special interest greases the skids for the passage of a 1000-page bill as long as there is something that tips the scales in their favor. Unfortunately, it is easier to lobby Congress for a handout than it is for special interests to innovate.

3. Fear

This one is simple – they instill fear in you the voter. You don’t want a Democrat in office – do you? Of course you don’t, so you must vote for the RINO. But don’t worry, all those things they do that seem morally repugnant, they are just pragmatic actions to remain in power. Again, you don’t want a Democrat in office – do you?

4. Governing

This word is politician-speak for capitulation. If they ever use this word, they are probably a RINO, because it means they are more concerned with keeping power, making friends, or raising money. So again, governing involves politics over principle, money, and then of course, fear.

5. Double Standards

RINOs love double standards. They moan and complain about conservative primary challenges, but two years away from their next election, they will spend millions bashing and hammering conservatives back home in an effort to soften the ground for their next race. They will taint every conservative candidate as an unwashed, unelectable, extremist wacko, but the minute their people are caught with baggage (Steve Scalise (R-LA) with David Duke and Thad Cochran (R-MS) with neo-confederate organizations) they circle the wagons. As long as you support amnesty and are a member of the governing elite in good standing you can do no wrong. Again, politics, money, and fear are major cornerstones of these members, and they work well when it comes to double standards. Plus, double standards help them explain away their sellout votes with ease. 

6. Me Too

Originating in the 1930's, a term that tells the listener the RINO in question agrees with Democrats on issues with only moderating differences. As in when a Democrat says, "I believe in federal funding and involvement in education" the RINO responds, "Me too. But there is another way to manage this better." The political intent is to show that the RINO is socially acceptable and not an extremist, in other words, not a conservative. Their argument is that they are better managers of government than liberals, but ultimately both end up at the same place. The “me too” RINO just takes longer to arrive at the liberal destination and doesn’t stop the damage to our economy, society, or nation from a bloated all-powerful central government. 

7. Pragmatic

Pragmatic in the world of both RINO's and leftists is a buzz word meaning “not conservative." The implication, sometimes stated outright, is that conservatism is “ideological” while “liberalism” is just plain reality. And therefore to deal with reality – to "get things done" – a RINO advocates being “pragmatic”. Which, in practice, means accepting the liberal world view on an issue. For example, we must have highways and bridges; therefore, the “pragmatic” thing to do is raise the gas tax. Thus, the “pragmatic” question is about “how much the federal gas tax should be raised – by five cents or ten cents?” The question can never be "should we place the states in charge of funding their own highways and abolish the federal gas tax?” thereby ending the federal addiction to this money pit for mass transit and payoffs to Big Labor.

 

8. Preemptive Surrender

RINOs love to announce their plans to surrender in advance. For example, after the 2014 midterms, liberal Republican Leadership in both the House and the Senate announced that no matter what Obama did or would do to bypass Congress, they wouldn’t use any must pass bill as a leverage point. For all practical purposes the Establishment surrendered before they even took the field. This was all part of “governing” and used the tried and true “bait and switch” to promise to fight later. And every time that the Establishment announces surrender and kicks the can down the road it only emboldens Obama and Democrats to hold firm and not negotiate. 

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