RITOs are a RIOT!
Wherever Republicans gather, it is striking that a goodly number of them think there are too many people in the room. They would like to see more empty chairs. They want to cull the herd before the next round of elections. They want to PURGE the RINOs — what they call “Republicans In Name Only.” Forgetting that politics is a game of addition, not subtraction.
They’ve said so — in person, on social media, and on the airwaves!
Following the wishes of America’s Old Pretender, they would defenestrate Liz Cheney, for starters.
It is useless to point out that Liz did not un-elect Donald Trump. The Sore Loser Man was already defeated by the time he encouraged the January 6 insurrection, pitiful as it was and however spontaneous it may have been. Rep. Cheney’s vote to impeach came after the dirty deed. Never mind, the lady is a RINO.
Which is interesting because Liz Cheney scores 68% conservative on the scoreboard of a website called GovTrack. That’s beats Jim Jordan’s 62% in the last Congress. Better than Devin Nunes at 49%, better than Republican speaker-in-waiting Kevin McCarthy’s 45%, as good or better than 84 other Republicans! (H/T to Dave Cieslewicz for putting the Werkes onto this addictive website.)
In the House, only a guy from South Carolina, one Ralph Norton, scores a perfect 100. (Wasn’t he on The Honeymooners?) Barbara Lee of California is the most left-wing, scoring a perfect zero. AOC is 9%. The Wisconsin delegation’s conservative ranking:
- Gwen Moore (D) 13%
- Mark Pocan(D) 17%
- Ron Kind (D) 50% (that’s just perfect!)
- Tom Tiffany (R) 58%
- Jim Sensenbrenner (R) 62%
- Brian Steil (R) 63%
- Mike Gallagher (R) 76%
- Glenn Grothman (R) 82%
RINOs endorse liberal Democrats
Mitt Romney is another RINO, according to Trump Bitter Enders. Mitt scores 73% conservative on GovTrack ideology scale. Tied with Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Chuck Grassley of Iowa for the 38th most conservative senator out of the 100. More conservative than Mike Lee of Utah 72%, Mitch McConnell 70%, and Lindsay Graham 69%. The most conservative is Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee at 100% on this scale. Who knew?
The most liberal is (Surprise! Surprise!) Bernie Sanders, who scores 0%. Tammy Baldwin ties Elizabeth Warren at 21%. What is (mildly) surprising is Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Arizona, at 68% is more conservative than Rand Paul at 66% (might be his libertarianism) and Richard Shelby, R-Alabama (not exactly a swing state), at 61%. Joe Manchin scores 57% on the conservo-meter.
What these numbers add up to, class, is the only way to escape being called a RINO is to swear allegiance to the Lost Cause. It’s similar to the myth of the South’s Lost Cause after the defeat of the Confederacy. Living in the Past, shrouded in mist and seething with resentment. We call such people RITOs — Republicans In Trump Only. Good RITOs in Georgia will vote progressive Democrat — Stacey Abrams over incumbent Republican Brian Kemp — because Donald Trump ordered.
At his rally 09-25-21 in Georgia, Sore Loser #45 bellows: “Having her, I think, might be better than having your existing governor. It might very well be better. Stacey, would you like to take his place? It’s okay with me.” (Read & Repent.)
Blaska’s Bottom Line: That makes Sore Loser Man a RINO and a RITO.
Blaska Policy Werkes 
27 responses to “Taking the Republican purity test”
If we were going by voting records alone, I could see your point, but a politician is more than a number. Does five percentage points really make that big of a difference in the scheme of things, if say, that person is fond of never-ending wars?
If this were all about numbers and aligning with conservative principles, I’d think that Trump would be a slam dunk for Republicans. Yet we have a faction of the party who’s done everything in their power to bring the man down.
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I would say that Biden brought him down but Trump did it to himself. Now he’s supporting Stacey Abrams!
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Actually, a concerted effort by Democratic activists in the media, big tech, Lincoln Project people, establishment politicians, and their wealthy backers brought Trump down. They didn’t even given him a few months to settle in, instead conspiring to detract and demean from day one.
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All true. Unfair as all hell. But he still lost.
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We ALL lost. Look at what’s happening to our country.
“All true. Unfair as all hell. But he still lost.”
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Agreed.
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There is much about Trump that is NOT conservative. Trade tariffs, abandoning allies in Syria and Afghanistan, giving up trade strength in Asia to China, big government spending, etc…..
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Who did Trump abandon in Afghanistan? He’s not the one who decided to withdraw. Biden did that.
Trade tariffs were an attempt to strengthen American manufacturing & jobs and to give us bargaining power worldwide. It’s also necessary from a security standpoint. How is this not conservative? Granted, some in the Republican party want to continue on the current path of globalization, but keeping our sovereignty is a conservative ideal, if not an American one.
What would you say he spent excess money on? Nothing like the current trillion dollar proposal?
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And who is “they”? Not one conservative I personally follow talks about purges or hanging on to the bitter end.
I think it’s indeed well past time to move on from Trump, and though there are legitimate questions that arose from the Arizona audit, it’s in poor for him to keep stirring things up. That doesn’t mean people are ready to embrace Liz Cheney or Mitt Romney.
We want a leader, minus the baggage.
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Dave hates Trump.
Dave mocks Trump.
Dave mocks those who comprehend the obvious fact the election was rigged.
Dave does not want Trump to run again.
Dave’s goal is to change minds and undermine support for Trump.
Dave thinks belittling those who support(ed) Trump is a winning strategy.
How is this different than thinking vaccine & mask mandates is a winning strategy?
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Let’s take my good friend and former neighbor Batman’s observation in order:
Hate Trump? Check
Mock Trump? Check
Mock those “who comprehend the obvious fact the election was rigged.” Check (Still awaiting some evidence. That bamboo thing didn’t work)
Does not want Trump to run again. Check.
Change minds and undermine support for Trump. Check. (If only that were possible.)
Thinks belittling those who support(ed) Trump is a winning strategy. Check. (Hey, if facts haven’t done the job …)
Re: vaccine mandates. Jury is still out. But we see the latest James Bond movie is called “No Time To Die.”
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That’s pretty funny, good on you Dave.
Re: the last line about the vax mandates.
If you get sick enough to warrant a hospital visit don’t be surprised if you are turned away because the facility recently fired 125 vital staff even though most had previous covid infection and therefore more durable comprehensive immunity than from the *spike protein specific* vaccines that are pressuring the virus to mutate into a vaccine refractory virus.
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Either Trump has baggage or he does not. If he does, then you should honor those who pointed it out.
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Of course Trump has baggage. Then again, don’t all politicians? I believe I’ve pointed out Trump’s personal flaws on many occasions, as have others on this board. Are you as willing to talk about Cheney’s baggage?
If you want to change minds, mocking people isn’t the way to go. How did the Deplorable think work about for Hillary Clinton?
You seem to be hanging on to this notion that conservatives will rally around establishment Republicans. Just don’t see it happening unless there are no other viable candidates.
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Liberty, Liberty, Liberty. Insurance!
Cheney has baggage, to be sure. But she is not whining about elections she didn’t win. She is not encouraging Republicans to vote Democrat, like Sore Loser Man #45.
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Turned around, Trump’s not encouraging never ending wars.
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How many straw men will you need? Jesus Christ had baggage so he wouldn’t merit your vote.
You criticize Republicans while professing your undying support for that wing of the Washington Party.
So be it.
Next time you’ll vote for Kamala because she isn’t Trump.
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Illogical to the extreme. Next time, Mark, you will endorse Stacey Abrams because Trump told you to do so.
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You accuse me of your sins.
I’m illogical? Had Trump the Svengali like power you ascribe to him there would have been thousands in the Capitol and none of them in a buffalo hat. You have eaten more foolish disinformation on this prank, except for the execution of Ashlee Babbit, than anyone this side of Joy Reid. You should also follow Joy for daily hair styling tips.
You get more Democratical every time you raise this event.
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“You get more Democratical every time you raise this event.” (meaning January 6.)
Mark, why is that? Has Trump (“fight like hell”) denounced it? Not once.
How about claiming the election is stolen? How many new voters is he convincing? What evidence can you cite? Because he has cited none.
How about endorsing Stacey Abrams over Brian Kemp? Maybe it’s Trump who is getting more Democratical.
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There you go again Squire Alinsky. Accuse others of your own failings. Hold your opponents to impossible standards, yada, yada, yada.
I denounce your demand that other people denounce something.
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Fair enough, Mark. But I want to elect Republicans, not woke progressives like Stacey Abrams. Surprised that you find that an impossible standard.
And why wouldn’t Trump denounce January 6? It happened under his watch immediately after he exhorted his minions to “fight like hell” to “stop the steal.” Unless he’s proud of it.
I’m not asking you to speak for Trump. I’m asking you to speak for yourself. Do you denounce whatever it was that happened January 6 in our nation’s capitol?
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No. I denounce your premise as a false choice. Stacey Abrams is a red herring. Enough with the cheap rhetorical tricks.
Because he’s willing to fight like hell I can’t wait to vote for him. And I will and I think you may well do the same.
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More red herrings than Ma Baensch.
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Null Pointer (10/02/21), from the only other blogsite I frequent:
I don’t know that it particularly matters who runs for the republicans next presidential election; the country is going to reach the same point no matter who runs. Anyone Trump endorsed would be declared a nazi worse than Hitler, and the same hysteria that would be applied to Trump would be applied to the endorsed candidate. The left has jumped face first into the crazy pool, and they are not backing down. They actively wish anyone who opposes them dead, including those in the democrat party who don’t tow the lunatic line. Just look at the current rhetoric aimed at democrat “moderates” who won’t agree to $3.5 trillion dollars worth of delusional psychosis.
In my opinion, Trump supporters are not going to vote for some milquetoast rhino candidate. I know I wouldn’t. Should one somehow take the nomination, I’d rather stay home on Election Day and let the country implode quickly, rather than elect a wishy washy appeaser who will let it be destroyed cut by radical leftist cut. I don’t care if Trump is the nominee or not, but I am only voting for someone I believe is going to fight the left tooth and nail and work to put an end to the bullshit. If the person nominated does not fit that description, I’m not helping elect them.
There is already a split in the Republican Party between people who want to go back to the status quo of controlled decline, and people who have reached their breaking point on the decline that has already occurred. Some of these issues are no longer negotiable to a large swath of the population. Open borders, leftist indoctrination in schools, communism, government control of medical decisions, inflation, destruction of property rights, destruction of the first and second amendments and increases in government spying are not issues I want to hear any compromise on. Anyone even hinting they are open to considering these ideas is openly stating they don’t want my vote, and I’m willing to oblige them.
The left wants all those things and more, and isn’t willing to let anyone get in their way. The left is already paying groups like Antifa to commit terrorism to achieve their goals. Political violence, political censorship and state run media propaganda are now the norm.
I don’t see any of this abating or going away. It is only going to get worse, not better. Trump or no Trump, the country is on the brink of civil war.
I agree that he will probably run, however, regardless of the potential consequences, so it is a moot point.
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Null Pointer nailed it. Wow!
The left will most certainly try to annihilate anyone who stands in the way of their goals, with the aid of leftwing media (most media) and big tech, who will work overtime to delegitimize the Republican candidate, regardless of who he or she is.
NP: “There is already a split in the Republican Party between people who want to go back to the status quo of controlled decline, and people who have reached their breaking point on the decline that has already occurred.”
It will be interesting to see if the section who’ve reached their breaking point (I’d say most of us by now?) vote if an establishment Republican becomes the nominee. Do we vote to slow the decay or just let the system implode by itself?
NP: “Anyone even hinting they are open to considering these ideas is openly stating they don’t want my vote, and I’m willing to oblige them.”
I feel the same way. Why vote Republican if they’re going to compromise on the very things that define the party?
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The things that define the Republican Party are open borders, endless wars, omnibus spending with massive deficits as far as the eye can see, a bloated and incompetent military, government and Deep State.
The things that define the Democrat Party?
See the above.
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