For those you who are political novices, like I am, you might be interested in the term “Rino”. It means Republican In Name Only, and seems to be popping up frequently these days. Kootenai County is predominantly Republican, as everyone knows, so the upcoming spring Republican primary is almost more important than the General Election in November. If a candidate wins the Republican nod in this county, they have a strong chance of winning the election.
But this is what seems amazing to me: People who have been life-long Democrats can morph into supposed Republicans right before they announce their candidacy for a county position. What is with that? Where is the integrity or honesty in that move? And don’t they think the voters will notice? It seems insulting to voters on both sides of the political landscape.
So, if a RINO gets on the ballot for November and the Democrats also field a candidate, there will actually be two Dems to choose from in the General Election. Sometimes politics is quite bizarre.
Party politics are bogus, Mary. When my kids ask me “What is a Democrat?” or “What is a Republican?” my answer is that it’s a label. In fact, it’s the only politically correct label you can apply any more. Saying that someone is a Democrat or a Republican is simply a way to dislike someone without getting to know them.
For example, I’ve been called a hard-core, right-wing, arch-conservative. I’m hardly that. Yet, it’s so easy for people who don’t me and who disagree with me to hate me even more by applying such a label. People who truly know me laugh when some posturing blogger refers to me as über-conservative. Still, those folks continue to apply that label, not because of my political leaning, but because it’s more important for them to demonize their so-called opposition than to sit down and have a rational dialog — and actually solve some problems.
So, on the whole, I disagree with the Rino thing. I believe each candidate should be looked at as an individual. If someone marking the ballot D or R out of habit, then they’re part of the problem. The big parties want us to think D and R because politics is a social game; it’s more important for them to distract us from the real issues than for the politicians to dialog and provide us with solutions.
Comment by Dan — March 5, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
Indeed being a Democrat means nothing. Their state platform espouses honesty and open government and then they deliver us Mike Kennedy and Thom George. Typically the Dems claim to hate public corruption, unless of course they’re the ones doing it. I’d agree with Dan. It is the character of the individual candidates that matter, not which political label they wear.
Comment by Wallypog — March 5, 2008 @ 2:00 pm
“Party politics are bogus”
Maybe. From the point of view of modern politics, the two mainstream parties exist to protect the ‘patronage’ (read that graft) that they have acquired over the years. They create an ‘image’, they raise money, they mobilize the volunteers (read – willing fools) and they divide the spoils. They work.
Comment by Pariah — March 5, 2008 @ 5:32 pm