RINO is being misused by the McCain crowd.
RINO is a charge of disloyalty to Republican principles, not to the Republican party. Its being warped by party-liners (and by those who pretend to be party-liners but would jump ship if a moderate Conservative were nominated).
Republican principles include things like:
1. Respect for Law and Order
2. National Security Strength
3. Pro-life
4. Defense of the Judeo-Christian nature of this land in a tolerant manner.
5. Fiscal responsibility.
6. Small gov’t.
7. Pro-free enterprise.
8. Deep, deep respect for the original meaning of the Constitution.
Thus being against Border Security violates #1 and #2. So if one were an Open Borders advocate, one would be RINO on that issue.
However, we do not deploy RINO for just one difference. We are not ideological purists.
After all Fred Thompson voted for McCain Feingold which violates #8 rather thoroughly. And most of us Conservatives would have been happy with him.
And Anchoress, although some of us are intemperate, may I suggest that the word you were really looking for is ‘effective’. As in, we told the Establishment not to do this, they rigged the game with liberal states up front, and we still are giving them the radioactive whipping they asked for. We are effective. Your side is justifiably fearful because your side started something they can’t finish.
I would suggest your side seek to compromise now, rather than later. Otherwise we’ll just have to keep being ‘intemperate’.
