What Is A RINO?

• What is a RINO? 
• Is the term overused? 
• Are conservatives correct in not concluding that some Republicans are the equivalent of wolves in sheep's clothing? And 
• Is there another acronym that more accurately connotes a Republican who is no longer guided by solid party principles such as defending and protecting the Constitution of the United States with forthrightness and without moral reservations?

RINO is the acronym meaning Republican In Name Only. Most conservatives apply RINO to members of the Republican Party who act as if they are working for the Democratic party or some other vested interests whose goals are in direct opposition to the platform of principles for which the Republican Party allegedly stands and its members are expected to defend.

It has long been my opinion that RINO is way overused. There are those who stray from the principles, yes.  But there are those who stray quite often and far from principles and yet they are still referred to as RINO.

What is to be done? Read on.

RINO is meant at least to be unflattering to the person or group to whom it is applied. It basically says "you are (or he is) failing to defend the principles for which Republicans are elected." There is often an implied: "Now that you have been alerted to our concerns, please reform your behavior and go in peace."

So the user wants to convey somewhat of an insult, a cautionary warning let us say, by using the term RINO.

But what if the target of the (at worst) epithet is not in the least offended? What if they have sought comfort with their dishonesty much like Bill Clinton did with his lies with the notion "Well, it depends on what the meaning of is is." The RINO finds comfort in the notion that "I'm still a republican elected to vote in the name of those who elected me even if I'm not a Republican."  So he laughs to himself at the person who calls him a republican in name only. Got it?

So what is to be done? Read on.

Many conservatives may declare someone a RINO or their behavior RINOish after witnessing their actions.  Yet they may remain reluctant to conclude that the person to whom the term has been applied has completely gone over to the other side. And that may happen even after repeated affronts. A good example was the case with Senator Arlen Specter who, when he switched to the Democratic Party, "shocked" many Republicans. In fact those who insist on seeing no evil even when confronted with a mountain of evidence to the contrary that the person or group has not merely strayed somewhat from the path, are opening themselves to the charge of RINO.

Liberals are known for claiming good intentions, and then upon making mistakes expecting to be forgiven by their fellows. But it is NOT so with conservatives for whom accepting consequences for one's actions no matter the intentions are the hallmark of responsible living. So for those who insist on seeing no evil in those claiming to be Republicans but not acting like one, there is some sound reasoning to call them RINOs or at the least RINO sympathizers, enablers, and protectors.

And let me address the dreaded charge of judgmentalism in the manner it needs. Those who claim to be Christian conservatives are well advised to turn the other cheek when someone strikes them. It should apply equally to Republicans who go against party principles. When they admit it, and ask forgiveness? Sure. Grant it. Once. Nothing in scripture says you have to take an unwarranted beating though. You are free to apply the following: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Try to fool me thrice, I'm presuming you are with the enemy.

And so we get to the question: Why is RINO still used when referring to members of the Republican Party who have repeatedly violated the party stated goals and/or compromised away nearly every principle, and/or permitted the steady erosion of the limits on federal government trespass on state and individual sovereignty as the constitution was written to prevent? 

A couple of years ago this blog sponsored a contest. Reader Guy S came up with a new acronym.

SKUNC. 

There are a number of underlying words which fit the people to whom RINO has no impact upon and is indeed unfitting given their degree of violating their oath of office to defend and protect the Constitution.

Statist Knowingly Undermining National Charters
Statist Kneeling to United Nations Control 

(Both of these definitions fit the actions of politicians all over the world, but notoriously those in Western nations, especially the pretenders in the former British Commonwealth countries.)

Also there are the support personnel in the arts and education and the media (the Agency of Lies). These groups have been taken over through the relentless use of Critical Theory out of the Marxist Frankfurt School. The Verona papers and KGB defectors told us that long ago, but since our media and  educational establishment was already infiltrated, most of our fellow citizens are still unaware, and even worse, are unwitting and uncaring victims of it. The term SKUNC applied to these perpetrators means:

Statist Knowingly Undermining National Cultures.

So do yourself and your nation a favor and stop using RINO when referring to those who have gone so far off the reservation that there is clearly not a sign of patriotism left in them. They are SKUNCs.

Updated to catalogue where I've attempted to introduce SKUNC to RINO users
For 29October2013: when Grover Norquist joined with the Left to Alinskyize Ted Cruz.

Additional words for which SKUNC is a good acronym

Statists Knowingly Undermining our Nation's Constitution (Justices, Congress-critters, and Presidents.)
Stooges Konniving to Unhinge National Consciousness (the Statists' useful idiots in the Soviet-Style Media (SSM) in particular.)