Democrat In Name Only

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DINO stands for Democrat In Name Only, a disparaging term for a member of the modern-day United States Democratic Party whose words and actions are thought to be too fiscally or socially conservative. The term "Fox News liberal", "Fox Democrat," "Fox News Democrat," or "D-Unot" has also been used in this context [1]. "D-Unot" stands for "Democrat You Not."

The term was created as an analogous opposite to the acronym RINO (Republican In Name Only), which refers to more liberal members of the United States Republican Party. The acronym is a pun on the popular English-language shortening of the word dinosaur.

"DINO" is used by more ideological (politically speaking) members of the Democrats to challenge fellow party members for their heterodox or relatively conservative positions. Many (but not all) of the DINOs are "conservatives" from Southern states that were predominantly Dixiecrat before they switched en masse to the Republican Party. Unlike those who switched parties, these DINOs are content to remain Democrats.

[edit] Regional differences and issues

As with the term RINO regional variations have some factor. Many "DINOs" come from more socially or fiscally conservative states or districts where a more liberal politician would face difficulty. In particular Utah, Nebraska, and Indiana are highly Republican states with above average church-attendance.(Gallup) Likewise the "Bible Belt" tends to be more socially conservative and has for decades been a home of conservative Democrats. (see Dixiecrat)

[edit] Fox News liberal

The similar term "Fox News liberal" is used among Democrats and liberals in the United States to refer to those commentators and politicians who hold themselves out as liberals and/or Democrats, yet often agree with their conservative and/or Republican counterparts on TV talk shows or in legislative bodies on various issues and positions.

The term is similar to Democrat In Name Only (DINO). It references the conservative bent of the Fox News Channel, which many media watchdog groups and left-of-center activists contend is essentially a mouthpiece for right-wing talking points. Media watchers on the left often claim that the supposed "liberal commentators" on Fox News are merely straw men hired to present liberal viewpoints as ineffectively as possible.

The term was first applied in 2004 to Alan Colmes, the liberal co-host of the Fox News show Hannity & Colmes. Colmes is joined by conservative co-host Sean Hannity. Though Colmes has received praise for his ability to hold a conversation in good faith with conservatives, he has been criticized by liberals who feel that his deferential style makes him come across as weak in comparison to Hannity, who takes a louder and more confrontational approach. It hasn't helped Colmes with left-wing critics that he has defended Fox's "fair and balanced" slogan as accurate, or that he has been praised by prominent conservatives such as Newt Gingrich and was once chosen as the favorite liberal by posters on a Free Republic forum. Liberal commentator Al Franken lambasted Colmes in Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. Franken accused Colmes of refusing to ask tough questions during debates, neglecting to challenge erroneous claims made by Hannity and his guests, and purposefully refraining from making arguments that could potentially damage some of the positions of conservative guests and host.

Virtually every regular liberal commentator on Fox News, including Susan Estrich, Ed Koch, Laura Schwartz, Juan Williams, Tammy Bruce, Kirsten Powers, Bob Beckel and Pat Caddell, have been called Fox News liberals for exhibiting tendencies similar to Colmes'. Each has faced criticism that he/she cares more about continuing to appear on television than articulately defending left-wing ideals. For example, both Tammy Bruce and Ed Koch voted for George W. Bush in 2004, Pat Caddell has split from the party, calling Democrats "a confederacy of gangsters" and Schwartz has repeatedly attacked Air America Radio. Democratic Congressman John Conyers once referred to Susan Estrich as "pathetic" for her "ingratiating" on Fox.[2] Kirsten Powers served in the Clinton Administration, worked for the NY state Democratic Committee, and has worked for other democrats such as NY Govenor Andrew Cuomo and NY politician C. Virginia Fields.

The 2004 documentary Outfoxed contends that Fox producers purposely choose nonthreatening liberal commentators; it supports its argument by interviewing former network producers as well as a former commentator who claims that he was summarily fired by Fox after challenging the case for the 2003 invasion of Iraq too forcefully.