[HawaiianGecko]

Yet these are the same posters who tell us all that unless we get their social right candidate that they will refuse to vote Republican. Now, I ask, who is a Republican in name only?

I have to agree wholeheartedly with you on that statement.  I've argued that a RINO is an impossibility, as a Republican is anyone that registers with the GOP, Alan Derschowictz could be a registered Republican and a liberal whack at the same time. If they used the term CINO, conservative in name only, then it would make a bit of sense as it is an ideology, not an organization.

Still we all need to keep in mind that Free Republic is a conservative forum, not an arm of the Republican National Committee.  It's mission statement says something about promoting conservatives, not necessarily Republicans.

A great deal of people I read in here are really libertarians, some actually appear to be liberal (or American liberal which is more Britney Spears than Karl Marx), some who claim to be conservatives come across as charter members of the Charles Manson Party. Quite a few mistake conservatism with Christianity and Judaism with liberals. (although I can't square that with Menachem Begin, Ariel Sharon or the Likud party)...  Heck, even Sam Colt was a Democrat. (go figure)

 

[GrandEagle]

If they used the term CINO, conservative in name only, then it would make a bit of sense as it is an ideology, not an organization.
Very true... I may have to reconsider my terminology.

[JohnnyZ]

I've argued that a RINO is an impossibility, as a Republican is anyone that registers with the GOP

Perhaps you are not aware that the Republican Party has a platform stating its principles and beliefs. A liberal who registers Republican is, literally, a Republican in name only.

It's really very simple.

An overused term, perhaps, but a simple concept.

[MACVSOG68]

Still we all need to keep in mind that Free Republic is a conservative forum, not an arm of the Republican National Committee. It's mission statement says something about promoting conservatives, not necessarily Republicans.

I agree with that, but here on FR, the social right has staked a claim to conservatism that has little basis in fact. Much of their agenda could be part and parcel of anyone of any political philosophy. And the MSM also recognizes the RR as the conservative wing of the Republican Party. The main reason why conservatism has gotten a bad rap over the years is that anyone dubbed a conservative anymore is assumed to be just leaving services in a Southern Christian church.

Ronald Reagan understood that a lot of America has a conservative nature and played to that. Democrats and blacks in droves came over to him. Someone must play that message again, rather than looking to a leader who ensures the Party remains in the minority...a minority of white Christians.

A great deal of people I read in here are really libertarians, some actually appear to be liberal (or American liberal which is more Britney Spears than Karl Marx), some who claim to be conservatives come across as charter members of the Charles Manson Party. Quite a few mistake conservatism with Christianity and Judaism with liberals. (although I can't square that with Menachem Begin, Ariel Sharon or the Likud party)... Heck, even Sam Colt was a Democrat. (go figure)

Well said. I agree.

[spikeytx86]

Even with conservatism, it is hard to call one a CINO as there are numerous variants of conservatism. There are paleos who tend to be isolationist and protectionist in their views, there are NeoCons whom are internationalists and tend to be for free-trade, and not so concerned by government spending they have also been called big government conservatives, their are social conservatives who promote tradition and community, the older movement socons tend to be anti-government but increasingly the new crop tends to favor an activist state of some form, their are the libertarian conservatives (or Goldwater conservatives) who seek a constitutionally restrained federal government and maximized freedom and liberty, there are Reagan Conservatives (or fusionists) who tend to be a mix of LC's and SOCONS whom want a free market, restrained government, maximized liberty with a strong respect for tradition and community. And then there are numerous other splinter sects that are hybrids or descend from some group above.

My point is there are way to many sects of conservatism out there for us to start calling each other CINO's let alone RINO's. With the exception of the LC's, some faction of the conservative wing wants the government to intervene somewhere in peoples life.

We really are just one great big dysfunctional family.