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Republican in name only

(Redirected fromRINO)
"RINO" redirects here. For other uses, seeRino.

InUS politics,"Republican in name only"is apejorativeused to describe politicians of theRepublican Partydeemed insufficiently loyal to the party, or misaligned with the party's ideology. Similar terms have been used since the early 1900s. The acronymRINObecame popular in the 1990s, and both the acronym and the full spelling have become commonly used by President-electDonald Trumpandhis supportersto refer tohis criticswithin the Republican Party.

The word "RINO" inside a circle, with a red slash indicating negation
Celeste Greig's 1993 "No RINOs" button design
"RINO Hunter" shirts advertised for sale at the 2007Iowa Straw Poll
"No More RINOs!" sign at a 2010Tea Party movementprotest in Minnesota

Origins

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The phraseRepublican in name onlyemerged as a popular politicalpejorativein the 1920s, 1950s, and 1980s.[1]

The earliest known print appearance of the acronymRINOwas in 1992 in theManchester, New Hampshire,newspaper then calledThe Union Leader.[2]RINO is pronounced like the word "rhino",and can be used to associate disloyal Republicans with the large, thick-skinned animal.[3]

Bill Clinton would have been proud of what was happening on the third-floor Senate corner at the State House this week.... The Republicans were moving out and theDemocratsand "RINOs" (Republicans In Name Only) were moving in.

— John DiStaso,"Merrill Taps Scamman, Strome and a Thomson".New Hampshire Union Leader.December 31, 1992.

Buttons featuring a red slash through an image of arhinoceroswere spotted in theNew Hampshire State Houseas early as 1992.[4]In 1993, future California Republican Assembly President Celeste Greig distributed buttons featuring a red slash over the wordRINOto express opposition to Los Angeles mayorRichard Riordan.[1]The term came into widespread usage during subsequent election cycles.

Usage

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During Republicanprimary campaignseason, some conservative organizations target Republicans who fail to adopt their stances by referring to them as RINOs. A "RINO Hunters Club" formed by theNational Federation of Republican Assemblieshas taken political action against those they considered RINOs.[5][6]The fiscally conservative501(c)4organizationClub for Growthstarted the "RINO Watch" list to monitor "Republican office holders around the nation who have advanced egregious anti-growth, anti-freedom or anti-free market policies"; other conservative groups published similar lists.[citation needed]

Donald Trump

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Donald Trump and his closest supporters have frequently used the term to describe anyone within the Republican Party he deems to be disloyal. During the2020 presidential election in the United States,Donald Trump used the term to refer to Georgia governor,Brian Kemp,and Georgia Secretary of State,Brad Raffensperger,due to their refusal to challenge the election results in Georgia during hisattempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.He also used the term to refer to Maryland governorLarry Hoganin a tweet,[7]as well as House and Senate Republicans who either voted to impeach and convict him during hissecond impeachmentfollowing theJanuary 6 United States Capitol attackor who voted for theBipartisan Infrastructure Billsupported by PresidentJoe Biden.Recently, the term has been used to describe Republican critics of former PresidentDonald Trump,with Trump himself tweeting that Congressional Republicans who recognized Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 US Presidential election are RINOs. Some Republicans critical of Trump occasionally used the epithet to describe Trump himself, due to his history as a registered Democrat.[8][9]

After former Secretary of StateColin Powelldied in 2021, Trump described him as a "classic RINO".[10][11][12]After former Vice PresidentDick Cheneyendorsed DemocratKamala Harrisin the2024 presidential election,Trump referred him as an "irrelevant RINO".[13]

AfterTom Emmerfailed to get the nomination toSpeaker of the House,Trump blasted him as a RINO before the press and onTruth Social.Four hours after the failed vote, Emmer withdrew the nomination and lost.[14][15]

Similar terms

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The concept of being an inauthentic member of the Republican Party by not representing its more conservative faction is a recurring theme in party history.

Me-too Republicans

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Not to be confused withMeToo movement.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the termMe-too Republicansdescribed those running on a platform of agreeing with the Democratic Party, proclaiming only minor or moderating philosophical differences.[16][17]An example is two-time presidential candidateThomas E. Dewey,who ran against the popularFranklin D. Rooseveltand his successorHarry Truman.Dewey did not oppose Roosevelt'sNew Dealprograms altogether, but merely campaigned on the promise that Republicans would run them more efficiently and less corruptly.

Let me warn the nation, against the smooth evasion which says, "of course we believe all these things, we believe in social-security, we believe in work for the unemployed, we believe in saving homes—cross our hearts and hope to die, we believe in all these things. But we do not like the way the president's administration is doing them. Just turn them over to us. We will do all of them—we will do more of them, we will do them better; and, most important of all, the doing of them will not cost anybody anything!

— President and DemocratFranklin D. Roosevelt,addressing a Democratic audience in New York, September 1936[18][19]

From 1936 to 1976, the morecentristmembers of the Republican Party frequently won the national nomination with candidates such asAlf Landon,Wendell Willkie,Thomas E. Dewey,Dwight D. Eisenhower,andGerald Ford.The mainstream of the Republican Party was generally supportive of theNew Deal.In the 1950s, conservatives such asRobert A. TaftandBarry Goldwater,who rallied against "me-too Republicans",[20]were considered outside of the mainstream; serious consideration was given to leaving the then GOP and forming a new ultra-conservative party in coalition with the"states' rights" Democratsofthe South.[21]

Nixonians and Rockefeller Republicans

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In the 1960s and 1970s, Republicans considered liberal oneconomic issuesbut hawkish onforeign policyandsocial issueswere sometimes called "Nixonian",or"Rockefeller Republicans".[22]

Gypsy moth Republican

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In the 1980s, the termgypsy moth Republicandescribed Republicans from theNortheastandMidwestwho voted against theRonald Reagan administration's proposed cuts in aid to economically distressed people, contrasting withboll weevil Democrats,who voted for these cuts.[23][24]Thegypsy mothis aninvasive speciesdestructive to trees in the Northeastern United States.[24][25]

Cuckservative

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In 2015 the termcuckservative,aportmanteauofcuckoldandconservative,was popularized on the online forum4chan,and embraced by bothinternet trollsand the nativistalt-right.[26][27][28]The metaphorical "cuck"is represented in agenreofinterracial pornographyas a masochistic white husband who allows his wife to have sex with a stronger black man, thereby participating in his own symbolic emasculation.[29][30][26][31][32]Inwhite supremacistvernacular, the term is an accusation of yielding to non-white interests on issues such asimmigrationormodern display of the Confederate flag;[27][33]however, the term gained use (with some controversy)[26][27][28]by more mainstream conservatives to denounce Republicans whose compromises includedvote trading,rhetorical restraint in deference to donors, cooperation with Democrats on any particular initiative, or attempting to court voters by making appeals to supposedly liberal ideals.[28][34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abPopik, Barry."RINO (Republican In Name Only)".Big Apple Corner.Archivedfrom the original on October 19, 2021.RetrievedDecember 14,2010.
  2. ^McFedries, Paul."RINO".Word spy.Logophilia Limited. Archived fromthe originalon July 16, 2014.RetrievedDecember 14,2010.
  3. ^"RINO – Neologisms".neologisms.rice.edu.Archivedfrom the original on May 12, 2021.RetrievedNovember 15,2020.
  4. ^Landrigan, Kevin(December 16, 1992)."Spirou's 'commitments' could disappear in February".The Telegraph.Vol. 123, no. 216.Nashua, New Hampshire:Terrence Williams. p. 21.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2022.RetrievedDecember 3,2020.Button of the week: It's slowly making the rounds as circulation is small but the "RINO" (pronounced "Rhino" ) could become a collector's item. Pictured is naturally the animal with aGhostbuster'sslash through it.
  5. ^Nichols, John(August 27, 2004)."Republican Cannibals: Hunting for RINOs".Agence Global.The Nation.Archived fromthe originalon March 19, 2012.
  6. ^Brooks, David(October 22, 2006)."Thinning the Herd".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on June 10, 2023.RetrievedJune 10,2023.
  7. ^Cillizza, Chris (November 17, 2020)."Analysis: How this Republican became the most hated man in his party".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2022.RetrievedNovember 22,2020.
  8. ^"Bill Weld: Donald Trump is a RINO - Washington Times".The Washington Times.Archivedfrom the original on November 7, 2020.RetrievedAugust 12,2020.
  9. ^"Trump: RINO or Gray Rhino? | HuffPost null".July 19, 2016.Archivedfrom the original on September 28, 2023.RetrievedAugust 12,2020.
  10. ^Garrison, Joey (October 18, 2021)."'Country before self... before all else': US presidents remember Colin Powell as American hero ".USA Today.Archivedfrom the original on October 18, 2021.RetrievedOctober 19,2021.
  11. ^Benen, Steve(October 19, 2021)."Trump admonishes Colin Powell the day after his death".MSNBC.com.Archivedfrom the original on October 20, 2021.RetrievedOctober 20,2021.
  12. ^Jackson, David."Amid tributes to Colin Powell, Donald Trump disparages former secretary of state".USA TODAY.Archivedfrom the original on October 20, 2021.RetrievedOctober 20,2021.
  13. ^Irwin, Lauren (September 7, 2024)."Trump slams Dick Cheney as 'irrelevant' after he backed Harris".The Hill.
  14. ^Singman, Brooke (October 24, 2023)."Trump blasts Emmer as 'globalist RINO,' warns Republicans it would be 'tragic mistake' to elect him speaker".Fox News.RetrievedOctober 26,2023.
  15. ^Neukam, Stephen; McPherson, Lindsey; Rojas, Warren; Neukam, Stephen; McPherson, Lindsey; Rojas, Warren (October 24, 2023)."Tom Emmer Flames Out Hours After Winning GOP Speaker Nomination".The Messenger.Archived fromthe originalon October 24, 2023.RetrievedOctober 26,2023.
  16. ^Shapiro, Walter (October 29, 2002)."Suspense, contrast missing in election countdown".USA Today.Archivedfrom the original on June 4, 2011.RetrievedDecember 14,2010.
  17. ^Blankley, Tony (October 25, 2006)."Assessing Last Week's Column".Human Events.Archivedfrom the original on January 31, 2009.RetrievedDecember 14,2010.
  18. ^Smith, Richard Norton."Roosevelt and Reagan: Eternal Optimists".Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies.Archived fromthe originalon May 27, 2012.RetrievedDecember 14,2010.In the 1936 election, FDR had a field day with so-called "me too" Republicans.
  19. ^Franklin D. Roosevelt (1936).FDR 'Let Me Warn You'.Event occurs at 0:01.Archivedfrom the original on November 17, 2021.RetrievedDecember 1,2019.
  20. ^"Farewell to a Quartet of Kings of the Hill".Time.Time, Inc.November 10, 1986. Archived fromthe originalon December 21, 2008.
  21. ^Perlstein, Rick (March 21, 2001).Before the Storm.Hill and Wang.p.13.ISBN978-0-8090-2859-7.... the recipe for a new conservative party was plain: one part Midwestern Taft Republican, one part Southern states' rights Democrat.
  22. ^"Bill's Run: Overview: Mommy, What's a RINO?".Bill's Run: A Political Journey in Rural Kansas.PBS. 2004.Archivedfrom the original on November 27, 2016.RetrievedNovember 26,2016.
  23. ^McManus, Michael J. (September 21, 1981)."'Gypsy Moth Republicans'".Bangor Daily News.Vol. 93, no. 97. p. 16.Archivedfrom the original on December 8, 2020.RetrievedApril 28,2016.What was needed was a Northern counterweight to the "Boll Weevil Democrats", some 50 Southerners who consistently voted with [President Reagan] to whack at [aid to economically distressed people]... some 20 Frostbelt Republicans have decided to defect from their lockstop White House support...
  24. ^abGoddard, Taegan."Gypsy moth".Taegan Goddard's Political Dictionary.Archivedfrom the original on October 7, 2015.RetrievedOctober 6,2015.
  25. ^"Gypsy Moth".Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Archived fromthe originalon August 31, 2011.RetrievedApril 29,2016.
  26. ^abcHeer, Jeet (July 26, 2015)."Conservatives Are Holding a Conversation About Race".New Republic.Archivedfrom the original on July 29, 2015.RetrievedAugust 21,2015.
  27. ^abc"Getting Cucky: A Brief Primer On The Radical Right's Newest 'Cuckservative' Meme".Southern Poverty Law Center.August 7, 2015.Archivedfrom the original on August 15, 2016.RetrievedAugust 21,2015.... spread fast across the radical right. And... found its way into the political mainstream.... White supremacists... tailor its definition to further describe politicians who don't fall in line with the white nationalist cause.
  28. ^abcRappeport, Alan (August 13, 2015)."From the Right, a New Slur for G.O.P. Candidates".New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on August 16, 2015.RetrievedAugust 21,2015.The radical nature of those ideas along with the pornographic connotations associated with "cuckold" have made the word a subject of hand-wringing among some conservative commentators.
  29. ^Kovacs, Kasla (February 14, 2017)."What Is A Cuckservative? Alt-Right Insult Used By White Nationalists To Describe The Republican Establishment".International Business Times.Archivedfrom the original on February 16, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 16,2020.Cuckold pornography portrays a white man watching his wife have sex with another man — usually well-endowed, and usually black.
  30. ^Nordlinger, Jay(February 19, 2017)."What Is a Conservative?".National Review.Archivedfrom the original on June 17, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 16,2020.The idea is, white conservative men enjoy seeing their wives have sexual relations with dark-skinned men, for the purpose of making the country at large darker.
  31. ^Walsh, Joan(August 3, 2015)."The GOP crack-up continues".Salon.Archivedfrom the original on August 16, 2021.RetrievedNovember 18,2015.
  32. ^Bernstein, Joseph (July 27, 2015)."Behind The Racist Hashtag That Is Blowing Up Twitter".BuzzFeed.Archivedfrom the original on August 20, 2015.RetrievedNovember 18,2015.
  33. ^Weigel, David(July 29, 2015)."'Cuckservative' – the conservative insult of the month, explained ".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on April 29, 2016.RetrievedAugust 5,2015.
  34. ^Yuhas, Alan (August 13, 2015)."'Cuckservative': the internet's latest Republican insult hits where it hurts ".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on August 19, 2015.RetrievedMay 3,2016.The insult's most general gist is conservatives accused of bowing to one non-conservative idea or another,egimmigration reform, should feel humiliated, their ideology adulterated.
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