Abstract

Hunting for RINOs

The article looks at moderate Republican politicians in the United States as of September 2004. Joe Schwarz calls himself a "mainstream Republican." But in the shorthand parlance of the current political debate, Schwarz is best described as a moderate--some would even say liberal--Republican. Despite the fact that President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have shaped what is arguably the most radically right-wing administration in the nation's history, the Republican national convention that will renominate them will shine its spotlight on many of the party's most moderate members. By every measure, the Grand Old Party--which was founded by radical foes of slavery, spawned the Progressive movement and served as the political home for twentieth-century liberals--is now more conservative in its makeup than at any time in its 150-year history. To be sure, though their numbers are small, moderate Republicans can still have a big impact. For instance, the same-sex marriage amendment was doomed in the Senate. Thus, the argument goes, the moderate wing of the party must be eliminated.