I am becoming sick and tired of the continual circus of so-called “Republicans” who are so “firm” in their beliefs and staunch and unmoving in their “values” that all they do is viciously savage each other while the left goes on its merry way of “fundamentally transforming” this country into something that I barely recognize as America any more. One man’s “savior” is another’s RINO. It is becoming truly sickening.

We have come to the point where a particular individual may have an 80% or higher conservative voting rating over their career – but that’s not good enough – he’s a RINO. You can have someone with a 97% rating, or even a 100% rating but if they disagree with whatever “conservative” touchstone I hold dear, well, they are RINOs too.

And heavens forbid you compromise with a Democrat! That definitely makes you a RINO. Compromise? Certainly not! My values (meaning everything I happen to think is right) are inviolate. If you don’t agree with me 100% across the board, you are a RINO. If you have ever taken a stance on an issue I disagree with, you are a RINO. If you have ever voted for a piece of legislation supported by Democrats, backed a piece of legislation supported by Democrats, or co-authored a piece of legislation with a Democrat you are a RINO.

Heck, if you have ever had lunch with a Democrat, you are probably a RINO. Jeff Foxworthy could probably start a new comedy skit entitled “ If you (fill in the blank), you might be a RINO!

Unfortunately, many on the right seem to have an unrealistic grasp of how politics works and/or what is possible in the real world. They seem to think that 1) everyone in the country thinks the way they do on all issues, and 2) that there are enough voters in the country that think the same as they do that they can win elections by a landslide if only they are “conservative” enough.

And they seem to believe that instantaneous solutions in their favor are possible. This despite the fact that it has taken us a good 40-50 years to get where we are now, even though, admittedly, the pace of change seems to be increasing at a geometric rate.

Mitt Romney was a RINO! Thus spake many on the right. And a Mormon. Between the two, millions stayed home on election night. They stood on their “principles”! And so today, we still have Barack Obama in office, we have Obamacare wreaking havoc with the economy, and more “scandals” than I can even enumerate. I say “scandals” in quotes, because they are only scandals to those on the right; for those on the left, they are standard operating procedure (unless of course it is Republicans doing the deed – then they become scandals again).

But Obama was, in the minds of millions, preferable to Romney, because Romney was a RINO (and a Mormon). I won’t say that I believe everything would be sugar pops and marshmallows if Romney were in office now instead of Obama, but I sure think that things would be vastly different and more to my liking. I don’t think I would have to be worrying about Obamacare. I think the financial binge would be over (or at least tapering down). I think the economy would be better. I think our allies wouldn’t be leaving us in droves. And I think that our adversaries would be respecting us instead of snickering at us, not from a dark corner somewhere, but right out front in public.

But Romney was a RINO (and a Mormon) so be gone with him!

So what about 2016? Who is there in the Republican party that is not a RINO. Marco Rubio’s name was thrown around; up and coming Hispanic; he’d make a good President! Except that he was for immigration reform. RINO!

How about Chris Christie? He was looking good there for awhile. Not my cup of tea, but he had (and still has) his supporters. Except for those pictures of him chumming it up with Barack Obama. And he has compromised with Democrats. He is even for gun control. RINO!

What about Paul Ryan? He seems conservative (despite being RINO Romney’s running mate). His budget proposal sure seemed like something I would support. But apparently, at least according to some, he is pro-amnesty, and pro-Obamacare (he was on Romney’s ticket after all, and Obama said he patterned Obamacare after Romney care – and we can always believe what the opposition says, right?) and who knows what all. Nope, not Ryan. RINO!

Kelly Ayotte, John Cornyn, Mitch Daniells, Bill Frist, Mike Huckabee, Bob McDonnell, Tim Pawlenty, Rob Portman. What do all these folks have in common? They were all, along Christie and Ryan, considered as VP picks by Romney. All are ostensibly conservative if you look at their voting records. And all have at one time or other been labeled RINOs.

RINO apparently means “a Republican who disagrees with me on some issue”. Thus was Senator Ayotte, who is as conservative as you could want, labeled a RINO for daring to disagree with Ted Cruz on the best way to get rid of Obamacare. Thus were many Republicans labeled such; not because they like Obamacare or want it to continue, but because they disagreed tactically on how to get rid of it.

Senator Ayotte’s conservative composite score is 81% (and an “A” rating from the NRA). Perhaps not as high as some might like, but remember; she is from New Hampshire. Be glad we have a Republican Senator in a New England state! New Hampshire is not Texas. You are not going to get the sort of conservative in New Hampshire that you get in Texas. Does that mean that we should run a “proper” conservative candidate anyway, who will surely lose – but at least we will be “standing on our principles”, and cede the state to the Democrats? (full list of Senator Ayotte’s Ratings and Endorsements)

John Cornyn, a man with a 93.8% conservative score, and an “A” rating from the NRA, a man that the National Journal ranks as the second most conservative member of the Senate; a man with a 0% rating from the pro-choice NARAL and a 100% rating from the National Right To Life Committee; well he’s a RINO too! At least according to some. He had the temerity to disagree with Senator Cruz as well. While expressing support for defunding Obamacare, he didn’t agree with the strategy of shutting down the government in the hope of accomplishing it. He didn’t think that was a good idea. Turns out he was right. But it doesn’t matter. He’s still a RINO. (Senator Cornyn’s list of Ratings and Endorsements)

I could keep going down the list. I could add names. How about Bobby Jindal? He’s been doing a great job in Louisiana, much better than their precession of Democratic governors has done. But…he opposed impeaching Obama (even though this would be political suicide to do, at least at this time, and there isn’t a prayer of ever removing him from office) so guess what? You guessed it – he’s a RINO. And not just a RINO, but a RINO wimp!

Google the Republican of your choice, add the word RINO in the search string, and you will find plenty of “fellow Republicans” who consider that person to be a RINO and would sooner slit their wrists than vote for them.

Folks, this is no way to win elections. In fact, I am going to go out on a limb here and predict that, barring some complete catastrophe on the part of the Obama administration in the next few years, that there is no way that any Republican will be elected President in this country ever – unless we get over this mania we have for knifing our own and insisting on an impossible outcome – that we have a candidate who is 100% acceptable to 100% of Republicans – or else.

Politics is about compromise; particularly when you are in a weaker position. You get what you can and live to fight another day. Typically, you can’t remove something in one fell swoop; you have to pick away at it piece by piece, or wait until you do have the strength to do some heavy lifting. And even then you rarely get to go for more than a couple of big things at a time.

That’s real life. Only now, such gets you labeled RINO and makes you a target for being “primaried;” because nothing is more important than holding a circular firing squad, getting rid of the “politically impure,” someone who likely will get re-elected in the general election but just isn’t “conservative enough” and replacing them with someone who has all the “right” conservative credentials but likely will not garner sufficient votes in the general. Not to mention spending all our money that we will need in the real campaign before the actual election with our Democratic opponent.

And who might this paragon of virtue be? Whoever it is, I guarantee there will still be those out there who will consider he or she a RINO. I doubt Ronald Reagan could be elected today and not be considered a RINO. Heck, I’m not sure he would be considered “conservative enough” to get a nomination.

One thing I do know. A mob will never succeed against a disciplined force. The Democrats are a disciplined force. The Republicans are a mob. Until we get a von Steuben in there to whip things into shape (and that includes the “Republican” electorate) the Republicans are going to remain a minority party.

And the United States will remain firmly on the path to Socialism. Or worse.