RINO
Gentle reader:
What, exactly, is a RINO?
We've looked for definitions in the past, and end up with heads that hurt. In 2010 Ronda Vuillemont-Smith started the 9/12 Project in Tulsa. The group was one of the leading Tea Party organizations in the state, and at the time was considered radical. She was elected the Tulsa County GOP Chair and was considered radical. She was part of the Ron Paul Revolution that held their own "parking lot" convention in Norman in 2012 and challenged the "establishment" slate of delegates that year. But now, she's a RINO. Why? it's never really been explained to us, but we'll go with it. (BTW, Ronda, Happy Saint Valentine's Day, Sweetheart!)
Ferlin Kearns is apparently a RINO. Ignore that he was a John Bennett Republican in 2020 and agrees with the grassroots on just about everything except methods and reason.
We've been told that OCPAC President Bob Linn is a RINO. Why? We have no clue. OCPAC has historically been considered to be where the thinking nuts exist. Maybe the thinking part is why he's considered a RINO? Again, never been explained.
Nathan Dahm and Shane Jett are RINOS. Ignore that they have been two of the most conservative members of the state Senate to the point of antagonizing most of the caucus, but they are RINOs.
It's fair to say that Mayor David Holt is a RINO. We take that back. Actually he's not a RINO, he's just a Democrat. Or maybe better yet an opportunist without philosophy. That's what he really is. Someone should publicly invite him to switch parties. Maybe even fill out the registration card for him and hand it to him on video so he can sign it and turn it in. We'd promote that on our X account.
But now Kevin Stitt is a RINO? Why? Because Trump says that he is. But any Oklahoma conservative has to look at the tenure of the Governor as a success. Grassroots groups have had more access to him than they ever did under Fallin or Keating. He's governed as a conservative. He's grown the rainy day fund beyond predictions while slashing taxes, stood strong for the pro-life movement, worked to expand education options and break up the liberal teacher establishment. Stitt stood up for the state's sovereignty and fought the trial bar's stranglehold on the state supreme court. So, again, we question what a RINO really is. (BTW, Gentner looks really stupid latching onto Trump calling Stitt a RINO. Gentner is more of a RINO than Stitt by far.)
From what we can tell from the looseness that it's used, it is a mere pejorative for someone that you don't like for whatever reason at whatever moment. Dahm wouldn't let Wayne Hill run the party? He's a RINO that must be removed. Ronda won't bend the rules when she was county chair? She's a RINO. Ferlin and Bob want consistency in position? RINOs! Governor Stitt, as Chairman of the NATIONAL Governor's Association, wants all governors included at a White House Meeting and says that Oklahoma would be pissed if a liberal President sent National Guard troops from California into Oklahoma? Well, of course, he has to be a RINO.
We prefered the good old days of the 80's and 90's when people used terms like "communist" and "squish". If you called someone a squish, you were immediately supposed to explain why he or she was a squish or its use was discounted. If you called someone a communist, it better be plain on its face OR you better be joking with a friend. But you better still explain.
RINO is both at the same time meaningless and powerful. It is meaningless because it's used for whatever opinion or feeling one possesses at a given moment without regard for base definition. Kinda like the stupid 6/7 thing kids are doing these days. What does 6/7 mean? Nothing, but we are told that it must be said! What does RINO mean? Nothing, but we are told that it must be said! Why do we say it's powerful? Because among the action figure community, it's a dog whistle that someone just isn't one of them.
RINO is essentially a populist criticism. As we've said before, none of those in control of the OKGOP right now are any more conservative than the leadership of the past. Other than National Committeeman James Dunn, (that was a disaster) the OKGOP has generally been led by strong and (usually) capable conservatives. But the current group in control throw RINO as an irrational screed and without considering the logical conclusions. Reason and experience are what separates "RINOs" and "establishment" from the Action Figure crowd that knows better. And while Nero fiddles, Rome burns. (That last one is a metaphorical idiom about a leader that focuses on personal or trivial matters instead of the primary task at hand. Guess we just outed ourselves as Bob Linn-type RINOs.)
In other news, we
have heard murmurs about Oklahoma conservatives appearing in the Epstein files. If you have something worth us considering, just email. Otherwise we won't waste our time researching every republican in the state.
Enjoy your week, RINOs!
CW/CM/SC/WB
p.s. Speaking of Epstein, how does the Cathy Conner/Ken Warner crowd feel now that they know that their grand speaker Steve Bannon (who was already a convicted felon) turns out to have been the biggest Epstein promoter out there? He made a positive documentary on him? Oops, Ken and Cathy, Oops.
p.p.s. If you want to turn back time and hear our thoughts on St. Valentine's Day, go over to OKSmokeSignals and read our email from last year at this time.