Some people think DINOs are Democrats who tend to be less than liberal. Not in the Ocean State. Here in Republican-rejecting Rhode Island, Democrat in Name Only literally means those cunning and conservative politicians who are Democrats only in name.
But don’t take it from me … that’s what Rhode Island Republican Ann Clanton told NPR earlier this week.
“We have a lot of Democrats who we know are Republican but run as a Democrat — basically so they can win,” she said.
It’s a great scenario for local conservatives; their philosophies are well-represented at the State House – think tax cuts for the rich, pension cuts for the poor, voter ID, marriage inequality and much more – while they get to complain that Democrats are ruining the state and its economy.
It’s why crafty conservatives like Dawson Hogdson and Doreen Costa spend more time griping about Democrats than actual policy. The reality is there are more Rhode Islanders aligned with progressive values than conservative values, but there are more center-right Democrats than center-left Democrats.
Whoever is ruining the state’s economy, they’ve done it by implementing conservative policies. Which party they caucus with really shouldn’t matter to Rhode Islanders…