Opinion by JENI DODD

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Once again with this recent primary election in Montana, we have seen the rift between the two factions of Republicans in this state come into play. Sadly, we have state party leadership that after many years, still has done nothing to alleviate this chasm. They could do so by taking a firm stand for the Republican platform they supposedly stand for and strongly encouraging those who run with an “R” after their names do the same. But they do neither, in my opinion.

Conservative Republicans tend toward state Freedom Caucus values, while on the other side of the coin you find the Republicans that align with the Solution Caucus, often referred to as Republicans In Name Only or RINOs. Think of establishment types like Mitt Romney and Mitch McConnell. RINOs seem to align more with that ilk.

The acronym RINO resonates with conservatives who give that label to those legislators with the propensity for expanding government, giving a pass to radical social ideas, increasing entitlements and only giving lip service to the Constitution and our God-given rights — basically the current Democrat platform. In other words, aligning more with Democrats than the Republicans.

RINOs have been whining for years about being associated with that moniker. So to protect their little feelers and to supposedly promote the “big tent” idea of a more unified party, the state party leadership made it clear awhile back that they don’t want that name used for them. Dream on, Montana Republican Central Committee, you’re not going to compel my speech.

Especially since you have stood idly by for years and failed to deal with RINO attacks on conservatives, including at least one hostile takeover of a county central committee.

Most of the RINOs, when questioned about why they voted with Democrats on one bill or another, or when asked why they don’t seem to care about the party platform, get defensive or downright hostile. I can vouch for that from experience. Then they cry foul and claim they’ve been attacked simply because someone wants answers and accountability.

The RINOs use of false and inflammatory rhetoric in smear campaigns against conservative opponents during this primary was particularly egregious. It happened in a number of legislative districts across the state.

For example, in Great Falls we saw conservatives Lola and Steve Galloway both defeated, in Steve’s case, by a mere 36 votes. If you ask George Nikolakakos, husband to Steve’s challenger Melissa Nikolakakos, the RINO victories were landslides — a decisive edict from the people on what Republicans truly believe in.

Well, if the RINO Republicans are now the true Republicans, then true conservatives need to rethink our involvement with this party. I’ve had enough with compromising. Going along to get along — when it means ignoring what we are supposed to stand for as Republicans — isn’t the path of integrity.

Nikolakakos, whether clueless by ignorance or arrogance, needs a reality check. His style of Republican won due to the concerted effort of Democrats and the nasty hit jobs from RINOs on conservative members of their own party.

Democrats released the directive to their comrades to cross-over in this primary and vote against conservatives like the Galloways. Democrat tool Ken Toole (I know, the irony) along with others, spread the word on social media and online blogs to cross over, since there were very few contested Democrat primary races. So Democrats were urged to cross over and vote for the RINOs on the Republican ticket to try get rid of those pesky conservatives, which they both loathe.

So who supports open primaries in direct conflict with the state Republican Party Platform? I think you can guess it isn’t the conservative faction of Republicans.

That, along with the rhetoric spread by the Conservatives4MT PAC, sealed the deal against a number of conservative in this primary. Conservative4MT PAC mailers designed to trick voters with limited knowledge of the rift and the stark differences between the two Republican factions, no doubt persuaded some voters to vote for those establishment-style, PAC-endorsed, less-than- conservative, self-proclaimed “conservative” candidates.

Even their PAC name is designed to fool the voters. They should instead call themselves, Swamp Republicans 4 MT PAC or maybe Uni-party 4 MT PAC.

After Nikolakakos’s wife won by the 36-vote “landslide,” it will take some convincing for conservatives like me to want to vote for anyone involved in what appeared to be a vile plot to take down state conservative legislators. I reminded him that his wife just might need the conservative votes to win against her opponent, a Democrat who just happens to be one of the darlings of her party.

In response, he informed me that his wife doesn’t need my vote or any vote from the “echo chamber” far right to win. Well, it’s enlightening to find out that the candidate in my party in my district doesn’t think it is important to seek the vote my vote or the votes of those like me. I’ll certainly keep that in mind.

In fact, in Nikolakakos’s Facebook rantings, he uses terms like “bircherism” and “radical populism” to describe Republicans like me. Well, I’ve never been a member of the John Birch Society but they do put high value on the Constitution, God and country, which I find to be a good thing. So his attempted insult, which actually sounds more like something a Democrat would use against a Republican, falls short.

Also, if Nikolakakos wants to label me and others like me as “radical” for being “populist’ well that’s fine with me. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines populist as: a believer in the rights, wisdom, or virtues of the common people.

So I will wear the "radical populist” label with pride. It’s better than RINO in my estimation.

These RINOs claim they are moderates. But the problem is that the political median has changed, and “moderate” is farther left than ever. The Democrats have gone so far left that they are effectively now lock-step socialists. The RINOs are more willing to work with today’s style of Democrats, than with conservative members of their own party. What does that tell you?

People like Nikolakakos, and the Solution Caucus members (RINOs) have made it clear for years now that folks like me aren’t welcome in their supposed “big tent.” So in my opinion, it’s time for a new party. One that actually stands for the Constitution and our God-given rights and for the core values and principles found in the Republican platform — rather than a party that just gives lip service to all of it.

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