Posted on 11/14/2009 9:07:29 AM PST by J. Worthington
It dawned on me during the NY 23rd Congressional race, an election which normally would have gone unnoticed by most of us. What began with a relatively benign election on a national scale increasingly became a seminal line in the sand for me, and many other conservatives. As the campaign ran its course, it became difficult to distinguish between the SEIU backed Democratic Owens and the ACORN backed Republican Scozzafava. As Glenn Beck often describes this match up, it was a choice between progressive and progressive-lite; and in this case, I couldn’t distinguish which was which.
I recall being somewhat confused, then angry when Newt Gingrich came out in staunch support of the Republican candidate in the race – liberal track record notwithstanding – and was unflinching in his opposition to the only obvious conservative in the race, Hoffman. Clarity set in when those conservatives with whom I most align myself philosophically, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck came out publicly supporting Hoffman, or at least pointing out the clear drastic difference between he and the other two “establishment” candidates. The unknown, unassuming and unlikely candidate, Hoffman, who had no other option but to run as an independent, became the catalyst for my epiphany: I am a RINO.
I am convinced that this race illuminated the growing ever deeper and wider chasm between the direction of traditional republicans and true conservatives; the old versus the new, the establishment versus the reborn. Newt’s unabashedly support of Scozzafava was for me, the straw that finally broke this RINO’s back.
Please do not misinterpret this stand as my advocacy for a third party, but I also do not dismiss that possibility out of hand. I have yet to determine for myself if this newly confirmed political awareness is best served in the battle to retake my party, or by joining a new movement altogether. Crazy? These are crazy times as almost anyone with eyes and ears is forced to acknowledge. But, these are also historic times in which we live; and historic events are afoot, good, bad or some combination.
Before you place me among the ranks of the fickle: the soldier who was too timid or frightened or cowardly to “hold the line,” know that I have always described myself politically as a patriot first, a conservative next, and a republican third. This new mindset for me is not so much a change, but confirmation of that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach that who I am, what I believe and what I want for my country and my children is not being represented much less driven by the party with which I have always aligned myself.
I don’t expect this simple column to change many hearts or minds, but as with much of my writing, the intent is not necessarily to do so, but to confirm and solidify my own beliefs; yes, writing is in fact therapeutic. I’ve always been a bit of the rebel’s rebel. I come from a generations-long family of democratic voters; heck, I’m Hispanic, what else are we supposed to do. I was the first person in my family to vote (at least openly) republican, with my first ever vote proudly cast for Ronald Reagan. If you don’t think that’s rebellious, you’ve obviously never been to a Gonzales family reunion and loitered within earshot of the verbal scourging I would receive for betraying my family and my race for not “holding the line.” In this case I think it was, “firma del soporte, hermano.”
Which political party do I belong to? I am a republican. But I am not happy, nor am I willing to compromise my standing as a patriot first and a conservative second. I hope and pray that the RNC will not make a tent so big, that the supports can longer bear the weight.
A column by John Gonzales
OK, so you’re a RINO. You don’t have to stay that way you know.
Interesting piece. Thanks for posting.
That is fairly apparent in the NY 23rd race where the party endorsed an abject liberal who took on the name of a Republican and the more conservative candidate had to run as an indpendent.
Luckily in places out here in the west like Idaho, we still have a large majority of very conservative reps in the GOP...though the compromisers have made enroads here too.
RINO means Republican In Name Only
It means you are actually a DEMOCRAT but call yourself a Republican. This article tells me this author does not understand this.
The point attempted is that while traditionally a RINO did mean those less-than-conservative members of the RNC, that a shift has taken place, and the traditional conservative branch of the party is now on “the outs.” The term more appropriately describes the less and less represented conservative, who is left little pragmatic choice but to remain a Republican, even if in name only.
Admittedly, as one posted states, other conservatives reached the conclusion sooner.
No, Mr K, Mr Gonzales knows perfectly well what “RINO” means. He has revealed another equally valid meaning.
The point is incorrect. If one examines the voting record of our Republican law makers today compared to twenty or thirty years ago, one would find today's Republican representatives voting more conservative.
I could cite other examples of the author not having his fact straight.
The author is trying to describe a new kind of RINO, one who remains in the party but is conservative and does not align himself with the establishment Republicans. I understand it. But I just don’t think it’s necessarily a good idea with having to expend a lot of energy explaining why you’re not a McCain/Voinovich/Snowe/Collins/Grahamn/et al RINO.
Interesting wordplay but all non-statists be they conservatives, RINOs, libertarians, traditional democrats, classical liberals, et al. need to get their act together soon if we are to have any hope of taking out the 0bamacommies.
Reagan was the original big-tent Republican, merging the western "Goldwater Republican" libertarians, northeast "Rockefeller Republican" fiscal conservatives, and southern social conservatives (and former Democrats) into an electoral majority.
That is the kind of big tent we need.
all of this self analysis is going to send me to a shrink.
This guy speaks for me, too. The GOP establishment (for all those posters who haven't actually read the column but are going off the headline) is what has made Gonzales and the rest of us life-long registered Republicans who consider ourselves patriots first, conservatives second, and Republicans third, the real RINOs. If you're a reigstered Republican but a conservative first, and the Republican party only gives you Scozzafavas and Schwarzeneggers to vote for, then YOU (that would be me, too, and this fellow Gonzales) are the "Republican In Name Only."
I share this writer's epiphany, and like that he described that epiphany so concisely.
AMEN!!! AMEN!! AMEN!!!
To say that the Republican party only gives you Scuzzifavor and Schwarzyfavor is hyperbole.
of course, a lot of the people on this site are Conservatives in Name Only.
They are all talk and no action. Can they name one candidate that they are actively supporting for 2010? By “actively” I mean doing something, not just talking about him.
I spent a month up in NY23. Almost all of Hoffman’s supporters in the district refused to do a thing for him, which was not a big surprise. “I don’t do politics!” is the main conservative idea.
This heartrending picture ought to be front and center on FR. It reminds us all of what we stand for, what honor is and what the costs are. It is a pointed reminder that 0 is the one with the responsibility to ensure that the sacrifice is not in vain.
Our big tent cannot include the fiscally irresponsible, however.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.