Op-Ed: The Duplicity of RINOs
By Brian Parsons • November 7, 2022“Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.” – Ronald Reagan, the 11th Commandment.
Rhinoceros are some of the largest remaining species of mega-fauna on the planet. They have a unique adaptation that allows them to ferment fibrous food in their hindgut, which allows them to subsist on more woody and fibrous plants. This special adaptation also accounts for up to fifty pounds of daily feces. It’s safe to say that much of the time, rhinos are full of crap.
The aptly named RINO, or Republican In Name Only, refers to one who claims to agree with the conservative values of the Republican Party but consistently fails to uphold these values in government. Unlike the communal elephant, another mega-fauna species whom RINOS claim as their identity, RINOS are solitary creatures that exist only to further themselves. Much like their unregulated namesake, they’re also full of crap.
In 2012, I was elected precinct chair of the Republican Party in my community in Salt Lake City, Utah. I didn’t do too bad for a non-Mormon in a Mormon stronghold. As precinct chair in Millcreek, Utah, I was tasked with running the local caucus, organizing local functions and disseminating candidate information, etc. One evening I received a call from a local candidate who asked when she could bring her campaign information by so that I might knock on doors and distribute them for her. I knew nothing of this person, but there was certainly the expectation that the party comes first, including representatives of the party.
There is and has always been the expectation that Republicans are team players. Perhaps this isn’t always the best thing to put party above policy, but if we all upheld the values that we claim to in the Republican Party platform, this would not be an issue. Unfortunately, at some point, the RINOS got lost among the elephants, and today we find a smattering of RINOS in our midst. The RINOs use the party label to get elected and then proceed to serve only their own interests henceforth.
We’re all aware of the most notorious RINOs on a national level, such as Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Liz Cheney. Most recently, Lisa Murkowski, who spearheaded a ranked-choice voting system in Alaska to dilute the Republican base and elevate her own moderate campaign, chose to endorse the Democrat Mary Peltola for Alaska’s lone US Representative seat. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky threw all of his PAC money behind Murkowski, shunning the popular Trump-backed challenger Kelly Tshibaka. For his decision to throw a national weight into local elections, he was censured by the Republican Party of Alaska.
Last week, I was driving down the road and listening to the radio. I caught a commercial by Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad endorsing the local Democrat Candidate Jim Ruchti for State Senate. To my astonishment, Mayor Blad had actually endorsed the Democrat in the race rather than swallowing his pride and endorsing his former challenger for mayor, Republican Candidate David Worley. It’s unlikely that he is unaware of Ruchti’s abysmal ratings on the conservative Idaho Freedom Foundations’ freedom, spending, and education indexes. It’s more likely that Blad agrees with the big government policies of Democrat Jim Ruchti.
If Mayor Blad had disagreements with Worley, he could have said nothing at all. One would be within their rights as a Republican to ask for a reasonable explanation from Blad. If the Bannock County Republican Party were worth its salt, it’d take immediate steps to censure his action. Call me skeptical that they hold their elected officials to the same standards that we hold unpaid volunteers.
This Op-Ed was submitted by Brian Parsons and originally published on WithdrawConsent.org. Op-Eds do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch.
Tags: Bannock County Republicans, Brian Blad, David Worley, Idaho Republican Party, Mayor, Pocatello, Republican, RINO
17 thoughts on “Op-Ed: The Duplicity of RINOs”
Comments are closed.
Since the Republican Party is a private organization, it is able to set it’s own rules for membership. It’s too bad there is not a mechanism for leadership to remove the “R” from those that don’t sign on to and uphold the party platform. This would be a way to straighten out some and the democrats can have those named above, little, bedke and their ilk.
I would strongly suggest people stop cow-towing the narrative of people not like us. If the GOP is a “private” organization that only seemed to announce this when Ammon Bundy ran, I would suggest the GOP not interfere with the direction or control of the government! Shall we allow the Council on Foreign Relations, for example, to write policy for the US and the globe? LOL, never mind, they already do! At the very minimum people should know they don’t have to identify with a party and shouldn’t. This wasn’t our Founders vision. Hell, who has that anymore and if they do, why are they doing more to stand and stop the BS? Speaking of Ronald Reagan, why do I not hear anyone even say, “just say NO!” They are coming for our children and us and they openly admit it and we still sit by and let them? I need to ask, is it really the left that are the only lunatics? Hardly.
Ungulate namesake. Probably autocorrect, but ungulates use hiofs to walk.
*hoofs
No sooner than I wrote this, Tom Luna comes out and demands party lotalty from volunteers who endorsed Bundy. Apropos
Very insightful op-ed. There’s definitely no loyalty in the Republican Party since most seem owned by a mysterious benefactor and likewise fervently endorse globalism. ID RINOs only exhibit a personal agenda, which never appears to coincide with their constituents. And those who “shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican” took the easy route and gave up their critical thinking skills to keep the peace.
Who ever said “Republicans are team players”.
That description fits democrats. Where Republicans always seem to want to do “the right thing” for the country—democrats will do the right thing for their party. End of discussion!
I will never associate with a “party” ever again. After watching local “Republican Committees” choose to back RINOs and C-/D graded incumbents over little-known patriots this year around the primary, it is crystal clear that the establishment is gonna keep on establishment-ing. It’s disgusting. I would love to see every citizen register as Independent and vote accordingly (in other words, not down party lines). But, as we just witnessed, the majority remain ignorant, likely willfully so.
Luna was a major part of the problem when he had control of the GOP. Vetting was predicated on whether or not there was an R behind the name. Actually vetting was non existent. All you had to do to have the GOP support/endorsement was say “I’m a Republican”, and you were a shoo in for the GOP ticket, no problem. Cases in point, Little and Bedke. As a result of their election Idaho is now screwed – in every direction. The people drank the coolaid and re-elected their democrat governor and many other RINO’s to help him turn the state from purple to blue. You had a very viable option to turn this around with Bundy, but you love the professional politicians, presto – re-elect them. So for those who like what he (Little) was doing to help the feds take away our freedom, well, just wait a little while and It’s guaranteed to get worse — in our schools, in taxes, and many of our freedoms. You voted for it, and it will be here before you know it.
Seens to me we need a change!
Socialist/Marxist Party or Conservative Patriot Party. Then clearly define the meaning of each and not hide!
Then we all will know who we are up against. All kidding aside, proven traitors against American to serve their own agenda or serve the communist party need to be called out, captured and dealt with legally as they will breed more traitors.
The rules for becoming a republican need to be clearly stated with the God given values of joining the party. Make it crystal clear by signing an oath of office if not done already, stating that anyone who goes against these defined values/laws/rules in any way by voting against affiliated party, financing opposite party through financial or verbal endorsements even through any other person as proxy if discovered shall be removed from office and any voting against their own party will not be counted but forfited.
Futhermore, once removed from office said person will not be able to hold any government official office of the people in the future of any party as they cannot be trusted.
This should be made into law in all 50 states, and including a fine of $100,000 dollars paid to the said party they wronged.
People need to be part of the solution not part of the problem! It is time for those to rise up make these changes happen. If DeSantis who has set up his voting rules in all precincts in Florida can do this then it can be done here in the Republican, Democratic, Independant party as well.
That is something all people can get behind and push for.
The traitors or the enemies,,, getting technical.
We currently each year more and more rhinos in the Republican. Who’s it fault, I believe the Republican party is at fault. If they truly want to have candidates uphold and follow the Republican platform They should be willing to Weed out the rhinos. Apparently the Republican party has been more concerned with raising Money and Membership, not upholding the Platform Policy. Democrats or anyone Have learned how to get Elected in Idaho by putting an R behind your name. If the party cannot weed out these Rhino in Their own Party Idahoans better start voting for the Candidate not the party.
The idiot voters reelected most of the RINOs.
The only solution to the problem is not to have and political parties! Our Founding Fathers understood this; they didn’t have political parties. Only until one really sees the problems and decides to learn how we lost our American government during the mercenary conflict called the Civil War will nothing change. Get used to it or begin your studies and learn about our researched history that these men [Lincoln, Taft, Wilson, FDR] stole from us! What happened to self-governing? Do we need these subcontractors stealing from us? Stop your complaining, learn your history and be a part of the solution. It doesn’t have to be this way. I doubt anyone knows the difference between the United States of America, The United States of America, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. When did this country start having U.S. Citizens? I thought we were Americans on the Land and Soil? Did you know the 14th Amendment was never ratified? Have you ever read the speech by Congressman Louis McFadden in 1934? Why is your name in all CAPS on your driver license, credit card, mortgage, etc.? Do you know what Justinian Deception is? Our rights have been converted to privileges. Why does every city and state have a Dunn & Bradstreet number? [A for-profit corporation] Oh! Nevermind! Football is on the TV. Gotta go! Priorities!
I totally agree, and I see no hope for this country because people are too lazy, refuse to think for themselves, and want to be accepted by their idiot friends and families far more than they want the truth. They swallow whatever they think the standard interpretation is for every historical event.
It doesn’t matter how much that narrative goes against everything they say they believe, as long as all the right people appear to accept it.
The civil war demonstrated how quickly and easily people will forget their deliverance from tyranny and go right back to it, feeling like they won something. They took their freedom for granted and traded it for “a good cause”, which is always the way people lose their hard won liberty.
We’re now being led, skewed, and educated by a new breed of power brokers, who understand that physical weapons are not the way to conquer people anymore.
They know how much easier and more permanent brainwashing or “education” is, and have the tools now to watch and anticipate anyone who might threaten their power. We waited too long to do anything about it, and now we’re screwed. A hard lesson is upon us.
The Duplicity of the Far-right and other ultra-conservatives masquerading as Republicans.
Our government exists by the consent of the people. Votes were cast and the people spoke. The system works, yet because you disagree with the outcome of our free and fair elections you cast aspersions, cry foul, refuse to accept the legitimate loses, and blame the boogeyman- accusing anyone and everyone with whom disagree of being a RINO or leftists, socialists, and communists while evangelizing your dissenting opinion.
Grow up and start accepting the will of the people instead of throwing tantrums. Idahoans have spoken and most are tired of the ultra-right religious conservative movement masquerading as Republicans that claim the follow the Constitution and Bill of Rights (but would rather the Declaration of Independence was the law of the land).
Each of our elected leaders take an oath, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Idaho, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of (insert office) according to the best of my ability.” The oath is not made to the tool used to defy the king and ignite the passions of the colonists to change our trajectory to transform our nation into a democratic republic. It is made to the Constitution.
The U.S. Constitution, the crown jewel world wide for Justice, domestic Tranquility, common defense, general Welfare, and the Blessings of Liberty….
The Declaration of Independence, while a powerful piece, was illegal and treasonous at the time it was written and in the absence of any recognised legal basis available to our founders, their only recourse was to appeal to “natural law” (an undefined concept) and to “self-evident truths” for which no evidence could be provided. Had the colonists lost the war for independence, the declaration would have been quashed.
Had the founders intended the declaration to be the law of the land, it would have been implemented, but they didn’t and it wasn’t. Yet many within Idaho’s GOP refuse to accept this.
The “Far Right” is what we call conservatives. By definition, conservatism is unchanging. Traditional positions like traditional families, marriage, and defense of the unborn haven’t changed. Low taxes andow regulation haven’t changed. Pro-Republic hasnt changed. Anyone who has adopted otherwise didnt become moderate. They became a leftist. Dont be a Godless, communist leftist.