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RINO stands for '''Republican In Name Only''', a disparaging term for a member of the United States Republican Party whose positions are "too far" from the party mainstream. Since the mainstream has been conservative since 1994, the term currently applies to Republicans who are too fiscally or socially moderate or liberal for their critics. The implicit suggestion is that RINOs do not belong in the party and should leave. A Republican who is considered mainstream in California or New York might be called RINO in South Carolina or Wyoming. While the term is new, the concept of being a member of a party, but not representative of its mainstream, is old. Thus, in the 1950s conservatives like Barry Goldwater were considered outside of the mainstream of the then-centrist GOP; they seriously considered leaving the GOP and forming a new conservative party in cooperation with conservative Democrats. Perlstein, ''Before the Storm'' (2001) p 13 RHETORIC and Colin Powell have been labeled as ''Republican In Name Only'' by some conservative members of their own party who see them as too moderate or liberal.]] The term RINO originated in the 1990s and came into widespread usage around 2000 {Link without Title} . It is used by conservatives to delegitimize moderate Republican office holders. Those Republicans who are labeled RINOs counter that the conservatives who call them RINOs are too far right and too politically naive. They point out that they can and do win in moderate and liberal areas and without their votes the Republicans would lose control of Congress. Furthermore the moderates in the Northeast and upper Midwest point out that Yankees founded the GOP in the first place, while most of the critics (especially in the South) are recent converts to the party. Moderates say the “RINO” business is just a rhetorical device to exaggerate the importance of a couple issues that especially concern the right wing of the party (notably abortion). If you come up with an index of 25 criteria for being a Republican, focused on support for national and state policies and candidates over the last two decades, then the moderates have a solid Republican record. The term RINO often comes into public discourse during Republican Primaries . Many conservatives want the Republican party to defeat moderates so that the party will be even more conservative, (even if the moderate/liberal Republican is an incumbent). Some conservative organizations use the term RINO to help describe some of their activities. The National Federation Of Republican Assemblies started the " RINO Hunters' Club " and the Club For Growth (which is mostly concerned with conservative economic issues) started the " RINO Watch ". The Acronym has led to the analogous DINO, a ''' Democrat In Name Only ''', referring to those who are too conservative. The term Fox News Liberal has also been used in this context. The two acronyms are, at the same time, Pun s on the popular English-language shortenings of the words '' Rhinoceros '' and '' Dinosaur ''. Both terms are used by more ideological ( Politically Speaking ) members of either party to challenge fellow party members for their positions. In some cases, the platforms of the members in question are not even necessarily close to the opponents'—they just do not necessarily follow the party line in every case. Examples might include Senator John McCain , whose voting record is quite conservative on many issues, or Senator Joe Lieberman , who is in the mainstream of his party on many domestic issues. Putative RINOs sometimes reply that they are "Raging RINOs" - Republicans / Independents Not Overdosed (on the Party Kool Aid) {Link without Title} "Kool Aid" in the name is a reference to the mass suicide in the Jonestown cult. CHARGES OF RINOISM Several groups have attacked Republican politicians as RINOs:
Two Republican senators have drawn the most criticism and opposition due to their perceived lack of conservative views: Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island . In 2004, Specter drew a conservative Primary Election challenger in Rep. Pat Toomey . Toomey had significant financial support from the Club for Growth while the Young Conservatives Of Pennsylvania provided volunteers. While the Club for Growth opposed Specter's role in increased federal spending, many conservatives focused on Specter's Pro-choice views on Abortion . Specter was supported by the GOP establishment including President George W. Bush and Senator Rick Santorum . This support helped Specter survive the challenge, although his 17,000-vote victory was unimpressive. In 2006, Chafee is facing a primary challege by Steve Laffey the mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island . Laffey has attracted support from the Club for Growth and other conservatives. At this point, the GOP establishment, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee , has offered support to Chafee believing that only he can win in a state with such an overwhelming Democratic advantage. John Nichols, a correspondent for or a Richard Lugar , chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , but they are fading fast as a force in Congress." While Delaware representative Mike Castle claims that there are 40-45 moderate Republicans in the House, Nichols remarks, "That's actually a bit of a stretch — either of the numbers or of the definition of a 'moderate'." MOST LIBERAL REPUBLICANS IN 2005 Most Liberal GOP in House
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