Perspective: Please tell me you won’t call someone a RINO!
The Republican Party is a voluntary association of people who share similar views of government and politics. These people may join together to recruit candidates, raise money, advocate on public issues, walk in parades, visit their neighbors to ask for and give information or work at the polls on Election Day. They may not do any of these things and still consider themselves to be Republicans.
In a “closed primary” State like Indiana, a voter becomes identified with a party when she/he declares a party affiliation and votes in a Primary. That is if she/he is a Republican or a Democrat, the only two parties that nominate candidates by primaries. A person may seek to represent one of the two major parties as a candidate. In that case, she/he must have a record of voting in that party’s primary — the last time they voted in a primary. You can also qualify to be a party’s candidate by being declared “a member in good standing” by the county party chairman.
When I began my involvement in the Republican Party in 1970, there were not many people in Dubois County who identified with the Republican Party, voted in its primaries or supported our candidates in General Elections. Many things have changed since then. I’d like to think that is because we are all more closely aligned with the platforms and policies of the Republican Party than with any other organization.
Our candidates at the local, State and National levels have proven themselves to be worthy. We have to earn support every day. People who are free to choose, choose freely.
You may define yourself. Don’t presume to define others.
Don Hayes
Jasper
Knowing this is likely in response to the revelation that Mike Braun has consistently voted in Democratic primaries prior to 2012, I believe there are a few questions to be raised that could also contradict Mr. Hayes’ editorial.
If Mike Braun has “always” voted for the Republican party in general elections, which is what he claimed in his response to the news breaking, why was he wasting his time dabbling in the selection of political candidates for the Democrats? Did he have the best interests of Democrats in his heart when he was voting for their general election candidate? Was he voting for the strongest possible candidate? One would posit that he was not if he “always voted Republican.” (Please don’t be daft enough to say that Republicans always have the stronger candidate. You and I both know this is not true, just as it is not true vice versa)
One may say that Mike was simply helping out his party by engaging in a bit of political gamesmanship by helping to select a weaker nominee for his party to face in a general election. That’s what this appears to be, which I would argue is an incredibly unethical practice. I would truly hope that the Dubois County Republicans do not condone or participate in such practices en masse. Couple that with the fact that in his campaign announcement, he stated he would be essentially be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump-a morally bankrupt, self-professed sexual predator-and would contend that I’m not so sure Mike Braun serves the best interests of Hoosiers. His aforementioned actions surely do not prove him worthy of a seat in the United States Senate.
I have been a Republican all my adult life and believe me there are RINO’s in D.C. I actually gave up on the Republican Party this past election as the leadership wouldn’t support our now President. Shameful display of supposed loyalty. I am a Patriot voter now but will never support a Democrat. I check out the Republican candidate to see if that individual follows God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son as well as the Constitution of the United States. If not I see no further need in wasting a vote. My opinion and mine only.
Agree with both responders above for the most part, except for the second to last sentence in HK’s comment. But that’s okay, HK is certainly entitled to his (her?) opinion.
I do not believe that Mike Braun cares one bit about the best interest of Hoosiers. He has already proven that he cares only about the best interests of Mike Braun, Brian Bosma, and the Indiana Republican Party. His condescending response to another letter writer in this publication several months back spoke volumes of how much he “cares” about Hoosiers.
I have voted R since Reagan days. But as far as I am concerned, the entire R party has become RINOs. They are no longer Republicans. Instead, they are now “Democrat Lite”. No backbone, no values, no meaning, no purpose! And isn’t it ironic that Indiana Repubs have become the “tax and spend” party!
I cannot support the Ds for the same reasons Tom M. lists above. So that leaves me an independent.
Mr. Hayes is correct in stating that the candidate should define themselves. He is wrong in not recognizing that an opponent will seek to define you to the public. We saw Donald Trump pound home “Crooked Hillary”, “Lying Ted Cruz”, “Little Marco” Rubio. Redefing your opponent is job one when your running for office. Politics is a contact sport and a bloody one at that. I fear Mr. Braun will get pummeled by his opponents if he lets them and their minions define him. So let’s do a little fact checking.
-Mr. Braun received the “Award For Conservative Excellence” by the American Conservative Union. The award is the highest ranking as a conservative the group can bestow. Mr. Braun received a 92 ranking.
http://acuratings.conservative.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/08/Indiana_2016_web1.pdf
-Mr. Braun was ranked #8 in the Indiana House for conservatism by Americans for Prosperity. The group seeks to “protect the American Dream by fighting each day for lower taxes, less government regulation and economic prosperity for all.” #8 out of 100 members is not bad.
https://votesmart.org/interest-group/2383/rating/9042#.Wi0wT0qnGUk
https://americansforprosperity.org/
-Mr. Braun is endorsed by the Indiana Right to Life and voted for HB 1337 Amends Abortion Regulations.
https://votesmart.org/bill/21216/55577/148564/mike-braun-voted-yea-passage-hb-1337-amends-abortion-regulations#55577
-Mr. Braun is endorsed by the National Rifle Association and has a rating of 93, That is the same rating as his opponents and a higher rating than Mark Messmer, Larry Bucshon and our current governor.
https://votesmart.org/interest-group/1034/rating/10178?p=9&of=#.Wi0yTEqnGUk
-Mr. Braun has the highest rating, 100%, from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce
https://votesmart.org/interest-group/457/rating/9828#.Wi0zCUqnGUk
-Mr. Braun has the highest rating, 100%, from the Indiana Manufacturers Association.
https://votesmart.org/interest-group/1786/rating/7858#.Wi0zZEqnGUk
Indiana has three great conservative republican candidates running for the Senate. You have two establishment republicans and one conservative businessman who has built a multi million dollar business that employs more than 400 people. So far the two establishment candidates have broken the 11th commandment of republican politics. “Thou shalt not speak ill of any Republican.” If Mr. Braun keeps the 11th commandment and just pounds home the facts, I just laid out, he shouldn’t have any problems getting elected.
https://www.thoughtco.com/11th-commandment-of-republican-politics-3367470
Daryl Hensley, Jasper
I do not want to speak ill of any citizen. But I do want to put country above politics. My concern: Recently, the United States has recorded its largest annual budget deficit in four years, highlighting the nation’s worsening fiscal trajectory as lawmakers consider a $1.5 trillion tax cut.
The Treasury Department recently released a report that showed that the budget deficit for fiscal 2017 grew by $80 billion, to $666 billion, as federal spending eclipsed revenues and economic growth remained tepid. The deficit also edged higher as a share of the economy, rising to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product from 3.2 percent last year. The ballooning deficit comes as Republican lawmakers push for deep tax cuts that could further swell the national debt, which has already topped $20 trillion. The Republican controlled Senate passed a budget blueprint that would pave the way for a $1.5 trillion tax cut, that appears to benefit mostly the wealthy and add to the federal deficit. Fiscal conservatives, like myself, have long warned against cutting taxes during time of record deficits. I was led to believe this was the basis of the Republican tax platform, which I supported. Reckon I was wrong.
But lawmakers say the type of tax cuts they are considering will essentially pay for themselves by generating robust economic growth. I find this difficult to believe since we are almost at maximum employment already and the current administration wants to limit legal immigration by 50%. This includes special provisions for allowing deductions for your private jets…go figure. During the campaign, Trump promised a tax cut for middle income Americans of approximately 35%. It looks like it will be 3-4% average tax cut for the middle class, with a 35% tax cut for the wealthiest instead (through corporate tax reductions). Welcome back the good ole days of trickle-down economics and big increases in the federal debt. Here we go again, sadly, politics before country.