By Pete Mecca

The political sobriquet, RINO, is the idiom used for spineless Republican leaders in Washington, D.C., who mimic principled politicians. 

RINO is an acronym for Republican In Name Only. Its implied meaning suggesting Republicans aren’t really Republicans but wolves in political sheep’s clothing who think and act like Democrats, or facsimile thereof.

A Rhinoceros, the animal, is also called a Rino (actually Rhino, but the spelling doesn’t fit my narrative). Albeit, the black rhinoceros has 84 chromosomes while a white rhinoceros has 82 chromosomes, which implies … well, I have no idea what dissimilar rhinoceros chromosomes imply, but the datum is attention-grabbing. 

Therefore, now that I have your attention, contemplate this: a mature rhinoceros can weigh up to 3,500 pounds, but in contrast to its enormous size has a very tiny brain. RINOs, too, have grown politically beefy on benefits and special-interest, back-room deals, but arguably possess tinier brains than the animal. Of special interest (not meaning lobbyists but “really neat” info), the animal rhinoceros is on the endangered-species list and near extinction. RINOs, the political breed, ironically, have also been placed on an endangered list and may soon be nonexistent, in the Congress, in the Senate, even as a political party.

As a right-leaning independent, I’ve witnessed, as has the entire nation, the Republican Party slowly implode like a black hole in space, sucking the life out of its surroundings. Rug rats throw temper fits to get what they want; sometimes they win, sometimes the parents actually act like parents. 

The Republican Party’s temper fit over Donald Trump’s defeat of entrenched party candidates has gained them nothing. The parents, meaning lifelong Republican supporters, put their foot down and said, “No more promises, no more whining; we demand action and demand real solutions,” yet the Republican Party did nothing but pout, as if their parents no longer loved them. Or did that puffy political pout develop because the hierarchy just didn’t get their way?

The Democratic Party of FDR, Truman, and JFK is all but gone, morphed into a loathsome RASCAL: Representing All Socialists, Communists, And Liberals. 

The RASCALs promise everything but deliver nothing, promote a so-called level playing field in an uneven world and peddle the pledge of equality in a dissimilar society. Life does not grant level playing fields or unobtainable equality, nor does the law, nor the government. Laws, legislation, and love must come from the heart, not a political party.

The biggest, most untrustworthy RASCAL is Hillary Clinton. Her record, if analyzed by an impartial media, would disclose a uniquely unqualified individual for the presidency of the United States. She does not belong in the Oval Office. So, the RINOs are a shoo-in to reoccupy the White House, right? Nada. The RINOs would rather pout than promote Trump. True, RINOs do not wallow in the same political gutter as the RASCALs, but wallow they do, in their own sad spoiled brat septic tank. Another problem, the RINOs cannot admit failure, failure to uphold the expectations of supporters who gave them majorities in the Senate and House, faithful supporters who expected them to reverse America’s slow slide into communism via socialism, voters who anticipated a swift return to common sense.

Republican In Name Only? When a political party goes AWOL so do the voters. 

The RASCALs maintain valuable assets: low information voters, the knack to evade the law, and a never-ending supply of political duct tape to repair broken promises. An informed voter base is a terrifying thought to a RASCAL. 

RINOs, on the other hand, are the beneficiaries of a highly informed patriotic voter base. But that same voter base is a fidgety creature willing to quickly revolt against broken promises, plus they are not willing to stand idly by to witness shameless capitulation instead of hard-nosed compromise.

Thus, a RASCAL becomes Commander-in-Chief or we elect a non-RINO without strong support from his own party. If Clinton wins, well, that’s the expected outcome and America continues on the same hazardous path to only God knows where. 

But if Trump wins, what will the RINOs do? Pout indefinitely, or roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty producing real results? Wow, what a crap shoot.  

Pete Mecca, Conyers