re: #251 Merryweather

The way I see it the actual RINOs are the whackos like Malkin and her ilk who have gone far, far astray from actual conservative/Republican principles. This is all pretty much down to the Religious Right takeover of the Republican Party which Barry Goldwater (who would also be a RINO now for supporting gay rights and being against the Moral Majority) knew would lead to disaster for the GOP.

Completely agree. Anyone promoting the establishment of religious-based laws backed by the full power of the state can’t call themselves Conservative.

The turning point for a lot of moderate GOP members was Tom Delay’s odious treatment of the Schiavo family, attempting to ram the power of the Federal government into a tragic family matter while thumping a Bible for support. This out and out embracing of government-backed religious fanaticism brought the danger of the religious right into sharp focus for many.

Calls to purify the party by driving away anyone who disagrees with such fundamentally un-American behavior will not end well, although I believe the GOP will survive it and wind up purging those now doing all the shrieking. It’ll probably take a few election cycles to get there, though.