Jan Ireland
When RINOs attack
By Jan Ireland
There are Baby RINOs and Bold RINOs, and their bites range from nippy to gnarly. These Republicans in Name Only periodically attach themselves to groups within the Republican Party. The Baby RINO is weak inside, and is drawn to the strength of conservatism. The Bold RINO has a hidden agenda, and joins to find and peck at the party's strength. Baby or Bold, there's a mess when they're confronted. Either doe-eyed hurt or beady-eyed battle begins the retaliation.
Republicans tend to accept both Baby and Bold RINOs. They respond with a feeling of protection to the Baby RINO's inner weakness. They are willing to welcome the Bold RINOs at face value.
The initial conversion of Baby RINOs tends to be as far as they can progress. Their conversion is shallow, but they're happy with their new toy and plunge into the surface layer of party politics with fervor.
Bold RINOs know they aren't really members of the party, but don't care because there's something there that they want. Perhaps it's expedient. Perhaps the community leaders in their area are Republican. Perhaps a close friend or relative is a Democrat, and they need to reconnoiter. That their behavior is unethical never seems to cross their mind. They feel entitled to simply take what they think should belong to them.
Neither of these foundations equips RINOs for conservatism, because conservatism and weakness share no common paths. Moral centers aren't available for purchase at the mall. Conservatism takes thought and choices, and stands in the face of opposition. Most of all it takes the inner fortitude to say no to compromise, and neither Baby nor Bold RINOs possess that fortitude. As such, they can only dabble.
The Baby RINOs have been affected by the 'whatever YOU think' of relativism for too long. The BOLD have no inner ethical core and were lost to begin with. Both are steeped in political correctness; the Baby to be liked, the Bold to utilize. Both RINOs have an innate self-congratulatory mode. They are sure they understand how the party should be, and better know how it should operate in modern day. They see nothing wrong with remaking the Republican Party as they think it really ought to be, or with recasting the Constitution as a living and malleable document.
The Bold RINO, with no ethical bars to impede, has a boldness of speech that can take in even strong Republicans. Party unity is seen as necessary to win in '04, so judgment can be clouded and Republicans can be hoodwinked. The Bold RINOs learned well from the wagging finger muttering about no sexual relations a while ago. They perform their act flawlessly, continuing to redefine 'is' as they go along.
Whether RINOs join because they finally rejected the Clintons, because they really like George Bush, because they now see the folly of government dependence, or because they're secretly democrat and want to infiltrate — their coming is trouble. Conflicts invariably develop when real Republicans confront their actions. Baby and Bold join forces to attack, and the doe-eyed hurt and beady-eyed battle is heated.
They revert to every ploy in the democrat playbook. They demand free speech for themselves, while calling for the silencing of their opposition. They selectively present the facts, demanding immediate support for their side. They thank one and all for support, swear that they don't want to cause a problem, and throw in a 'what our brave men and women are fighting for' as their eyes brim.
However distasteful internal conflict may be, it is up to real Republicans to expose the doe-eyed hurt and beady-eyed battle for what it actually is — a quagmire RINOs like to wallow in.
© Jan Ireland
There are Baby RINOs and Bold RINOs, and their bites range from nippy to gnarly. These Republicans in Name Only periodically attach themselves to groups within the Republican Party. The Baby RINO is weak inside, and is drawn to the strength of conservatism. The Bold RINO has a hidden agenda, and joins to find and peck at the party's strength. Baby or Bold, there's a mess when they're confronted. Either doe-eyed hurt or beady-eyed battle begins the retaliation.
Republicans tend to accept both Baby and Bold RINOs. They respond with a feeling of protection to the Baby RINO's inner weakness. They are willing to welcome the Bold RINOs at face value.
The initial conversion of Baby RINOs tends to be as far as they can progress. Their conversion is shallow, but they're happy with their new toy and plunge into the surface layer of party politics with fervor.
Bold RINOs know they aren't really members of the party, but don't care because there's something there that they want. Perhaps it's expedient. Perhaps the community leaders in their area are Republican. Perhaps a close friend or relative is a Democrat, and they need to reconnoiter. That their behavior is unethical never seems to cross their mind. They feel entitled to simply take what they think should belong to them.
Neither of these foundations equips RINOs for conservatism, because conservatism and weakness share no common paths. Moral centers aren't available for purchase at the mall. Conservatism takes thought and choices, and stands in the face of opposition. Most of all it takes the inner fortitude to say no to compromise, and neither Baby nor Bold RINOs possess that fortitude. As such, they can only dabble.
The Baby RINOs have been affected by the 'whatever YOU think' of relativism for too long. The BOLD have no inner ethical core and were lost to begin with. Both are steeped in political correctness; the Baby to be liked, the Bold to utilize. Both RINOs have an innate self-congratulatory mode. They are sure they understand how the party should be, and better know how it should operate in modern day. They see nothing wrong with remaking the Republican Party as they think it really ought to be, or with recasting the Constitution as a living and malleable document.
The Bold RINO, with no ethical bars to impede, has a boldness of speech that can take in even strong Republicans. Party unity is seen as necessary to win in '04, so judgment can be clouded and Republicans can be hoodwinked. The Bold RINOs learned well from the wagging finger muttering about no sexual relations a while ago. They perform their act flawlessly, continuing to redefine 'is' as they go along.
Whether RINOs join because they finally rejected the Clintons, because they really like George Bush, because they now see the folly of government dependence, or because they're secretly democrat and want to infiltrate — their coming is trouble. Conflicts invariably develop when real Republicans confront their actions. Baby and Bold join forces to attack, and the doe-eyed hurt and beady-eyed battle is heated.
They revert to every ploy in the democrat playbook. They demand free speech for themselves, while calling for the silencing of their opposition. They selectively present the facts, demanding immediate support for their side. They thank one and all for support, swear that they don't want to cause a problem, and throw in a 'what our brave men and women are fighting for' as their eyes brim.
However distasteful internal conflict may be, it is up to real Republicans to expose the doe-eyed hurt and beady-eyed battle for what it actually is — a quagmire RINOs like to wallow in.
© Jan Ireland
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