Again I didn’t call Thompson a RINO. I like Thopmson. It does sound like you’re cherry-picking on Jindal, Cantor, etc
“It does sound like you’re cherry-picking on Jindal, Cantor,”
No. I saw Cantor and Jindal on the “listening tour” with Mitt, Jeb Bush, McCain back in May when they were all of the view that we need to get along with, and even emulate Obama to be relevant; that we needed to be “relevant” and stop being nostalgic for Reagan.
Cantor votes conservative, but seems willing to jettison principle to be “relevant”. Ditto Jindal. Jindal, for the reasons I outlined in my post to you, does not seem to have the principles of a conservative, although he may take certain conservative positions. Nothing you posted about Thompson convinces me that you, rather than Jim Robinson and Rush, are right.
You seem to be defining the term RINO down so that no one is a RINO. Wrong. RINOs are, first and foremost, ESTABLISHMENT Republicans. If you care to research Fred Thompson’s voting record, you will also see that he is the lone vote on many votes which violate his federalist principles. He was not an establishment guy. Neither was Reagan. The Bushes, Romneys, Cantors and Jindals (all of whom came from the Establishment or, in the case of Jindal and Cantor, were promoted by it) are Establishment to the core. Republican first, conservative second.
In essence you are confusing individual issues for principles. Particular issues do not necessarily make a person a RINO. The wrong principles do. Even well formed conservative constitutionalist principles do not ALWAYS yield the correct issue result. Listen to Rush’s critique of Charlie Rose for making the same mistake:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFQcehzn9Eo
The two anti-RINOs, or anti-Establishmentarians, in my lifetime have been Ronald Reagan and Sarah Palin. Both found themselves in opposition to the establishment in their respective states from the “get-go”. Both faced fierce opposition from Establishment foes on the National stage. I would say this. Thompson is far less “Establishment” than all of his 2008 opponents, and as far as issues go, I think he is in sync with Reagan and Palin. I do think Palin and Reagan share the common experience, which Fred did not, of having to battle the Establishment throughout their careers. Fred did benefit from his association with Establishment figures such as Howard Baker.