"Standpatter", or "stand-patter", was a term used in US political history in the early 20th century, during the Progressive Era, to describe the more conservative members of the Republican Party[1][2] than other members, who were called "insurgents" or "progressives".
[3] The term is said to have first been used in a political context by Joseph G. Cannon in 1896 with regard to US tariffs.
[3] In poker, a player who does not want to trade any cards declares his intention to "stand pat."
[5] The poker parlance "stand pat" has since been used in political contexts to refer to a conservative viewpoint although the description of individuals as "standpatters" is less common.
[4][6] After the term's popularisation, even those unfamiliar with the game of poker understood the description.