pudge's Journal: RINO

So how is Romney, McCain, or Giuliani a "Republican In Name Only" compared to former Republican Presidents like Roosevelt, Coolidge, Hoover, Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, or either Bush?

Just wondering here, because I am not seeing it. All three men are at least as conservative than any of the above former Presidents, and probably moreso.

I do wish all three were even more conservative. But to say they are RINOs is nonsense. It's to take the word "Republican" and turn it into something it has never, in 150 years, actually meant: a "right-wing conservative."

agreed

[Bill Dog]

I hadn't heard them being called RINO's, but agree that it definitely doesn't fit, altho maybe not for the same reason you're referring to. I don't know about Romney, but Guiliani and McCain definitely have some glaring departures from their party's thinking. But no matter how glaring, they are still mostly conservative, percentage-wise when taking into account the whole body of issues. "RINO" should be reserved for those who are Republican politicians but otherwise mostly indistinguishable from a Democrat.

Re:

[pudge]

I hadn't heard them being called RINO's, but agree that it definitely doesn't fit, altho maybe not for the same reason you're referring to. I don't know about Romney, but Guiliani and McCain definitely have some glaring departures from their party's thinking. But no matter how glaring, they are still mostly conservative, percentage-wise when taking into account the whole body of issues.

Right. Same thing with Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Nixon and Dwight Eisenhower and our current President. Everything from social welfare to affirmative action to immigration reform to massive increases in federal spending on education ... Romney, Giuliani, and McCain are at worst traditional "mainstream" Republicans like those that have led this party for most of the last century, so calling them Republicans "in name only" is ludicrous. But I actually think they are more conservative than their forebear