Can Rubio live up to the hype?
No matter that he’s only punched up the old script, swung back and forth on immigration policy, and never shepherded major legislation through Congress. What Rubio brings is the star power, adoring fan base, and command of the national media unmatched these days by anyone in Washington outside of the Oval Office. It’s the same aggressive product placement that has made the 41-year-old a top-tier presidential contender just two years after his swearing-in.
Rubio is the GOP’s Barack Obama, minus the intellectual heft intimated by two Ivy League degrees and a law-school faculty post. A Generation X-er with a name that sounds like change. The author of an American Dream-laced memoir that, audiences are frequently reminded, helped pay off his student loans. A former state lawmaker and a Senate short-timer with a thin binder of achievements but perhaps blessed with the greatest rhetorical gifts in politics today. “[Rubio] is the best communicator since Ronald Reagan,” Republican brass Karl Rove gushed recently on Fox News…
Hailed repeatedly by both the Left and the Right for his “courage” in taking up immigration reform, Rubio has little choice because of his status and ambitions. How could the most prominent Hispanic Republican in Congress angle for the presidency but sit out a nationwide debate that looms over his own community and will help determine his party’s survival? After seven of 10 Hispanics rejected Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in November, even Fox News ultraconservative pundit Sean Hannity embraced a pathway to citizenship—weeks before Rubio did. “The train was leaving the station, and he was forced to get on it,” said one GOP member of Congress who declined to speak on the record because he works with Rubio.
Blowback
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lmao
Ivy League = intellectual
ok, got it.
Joey24007 on February 15, 2013 at 4:23 PM
I just do not understand all this Rubio hype!! I really don’t.
The man has no resume – none.
Can we please find ourselves a great GOP Governor (a woman) and get behind an EXECUTIVE.
RUBIO – my ass!
jake-the-goose on February 15, 2013 at 4:24 PM
ok
Joey24007 on February 15, 2013 at 4:25 PM
It’s because he’s the Republican answer to Obama. He’s young, telegenic(provided that hairline stops receding), articulate, likeable, and a minority. Unfortunately, you’re right about his non-existent resume. That’s a similarity to Obama I wish he didn’t have.
The good news is that unlike Obama, he loves America and would promote fiscal conservative policies were he elected President. The downside is it’ll be a much harder path to the White House for Rubio than Obama because he won’t have a sycophantic media paving the way for him(quite the opposite in fact as evidenced by Watergate 2013).
Doughboy on February 15, 2013 at 4:28 PM
Doesnt matter
Flapjackmaka on February 15, 2013 at 4:29 PM
I’m not sure. Maybe the media can tell me if he can live up to the hype or not.
Brad on February 15, 2013 at 4:32 PM
Yeah.. Obama’s two affirmative action degrees and his affirmative action/ knows the friendly neighborhood radical law school position mark him as an intellectual And BTW Rubio also apparently “teaches” at a university in FL (because the Senate is only in session for three days each week).
As for immigration reform, that was planned (along with everything else except the water bottle). The article makes it very, very clear what the Savior is after. Amusing that Charlie Crist was defeated by someone who is just as ambitious a careerist but is much, much better at it than him.
Illinidiva on February 15, 2013 at 4:39 PM
Well, why do you think that Rubio is suddenly such a huge advocate for immigration reform? He wants a big legislative victory under his name.
Illinidiva on February 15, 2013 at 4:43 PM
No. And you can thank the MSM and Republican bloggers for that.
Dongemaharu on February 15, 2013 at 4:44 PM
Rubio is hype, is that what you are admitting to when you ask this?
I say, no. No he cannot live up to the hype.
The real question is… are there enough morons in the Republican party that are just as capable as Democrats at ignoring the utter stupidity and vapidness of their chosen dieties? here, unfortunately, as has been evidenced since around 2004 is yes, there are enough useful moronic idiots in the Republican party for someone like McCain, Romney and even Rubio to sabotage the party and with it the nation as a whole.
There are two distinct legitimate paths the nation can take, socialism or conservatism. With that stated, Rubio says that socialism is a legitimate path for America.
astonerii on February 15, 2013 at 4:45 PM
He’s not living up to it already
gatorboy on February 15, 2013 at 4:46 PM
Now, now, now…let’s all stop a minute and take a long drink of water..cool down….
Sheesh. Hype is something that the Media wants to create to cause it to fail.
ProfShadow on February 15, 2013 at 4:59 PM
The “path to citizenship” thing from Rubio is just the Path to Suicide for the GOP.
The group that had the strongest support for Obamacare? Latinos.
Oh yeah, let’s get a LOT more of that kind of thinking in the electorate.
monkeyboy on February 15, 2013 at 5:03 PM
Some well-placed criticism of Rubio, senators usually make for lousy presidents.
thebrokenrattle on February 15, 2013 at 5:04 PM
I may sound like a broken record – but the future of conservatism and the GOP is WOMEN
The GOP masses must find and support WOMEN.
The MEN OF THE GOP are total f-ups
jake-the-goose on February 15, 2013 at 5:08 PM
So you’re a Martinez fan?
Illinidiva on February 15, 2013 at 5:11 PM
Cheney likes Rubio. I voted for Cheney, twice.
John the Libertarian on February 15, 2013 at 5:12 PM
Mike Pence, Scott Walker, Bob McDonnell, Ken Cucinelli (needs to get elected gov first)… The GOP bench is deep with conservative governors who’d make great candidates.
Only Rubio has going for him is that the GOP establishment and conservative media in the tank for him… so he’ll be the candidate.
sauldalinsky on February 15, 2013 at 5:14 PM
Not Rubio, but Cruz.
Oil Can on February 15, 2013 at 5:17 PM
No.
portlandon on February 15, 2013 at 5:24 PM
Rubio has certain advantages that the others mentioned don’t. (And not just ethnicity.) Charisma and charm matter alot along with the really appealing backstory.
Illinidiva on February 15, 2013 at 5:25 PM
No, Susanna Martinez would be “hispandering” and they never ever ever vote GOP.
He means Jan Brewer.
/
Marcus on February 15, 2013 at 5:35 PM
The right credentials, as opposed to accomplishments (intellectual or otherwise), passes for success within the Democrat nomenklatura. And that is why the country has been in decline for so long, sadly.
What we need are new elites like Scott Walker, Ryan, and even Rand Paul at the helm. This obsession with electing unqualified Ivy grads who spent their entire lives running for Class President has got to stop for the sake of our country.
Punchenko on February 15, 2013 at 5:37 PM
liberals hype him up as the GOP’s “savior” and some GOP people are doing the same thing but i think liberals want to hype him up so much that he can’t live up to it. so GOP, don’t fall for the liberals’ tricks here.
Sachiko on February 15, 2013 at 5:43 PM
ROFLMAO!
Barky’s a brain-dead idiot of the highest order. He’s an idiot who I wouldn’t trust to tutor 8 year olds in math … or anything else, for that matter. Barky was a token at the Ivies. He certainly didn’t break 920 on his SATs and surely did even worse on his LSATs. The guy is a total joke. Anyone who calls the Indonesian Imbecile an “intellectual” of any sort is just showing their own stupidity.
The guy who spoke about “profit AND earnings ratios” and promised that his health scare would “reduce premiums by 3000%!!” and tried to make fun of conservatives by laughingly stating, “What do they think stimulus is? Spending IS stimulus!!!” is anything but an intellectual. Barky operates at around the level of a SLOW 8th grader. His math skills are barely up to that.
Rubio’s an idiot and a worm but to compare his intellect (even the idiot that he is) to the Indonesian is as low as it gets, especially to imply that he comes up short. Frogs are deeper thinkers than Barky. And nicer, too.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on February 15, 2013 at 6:18 PM
He’s never had any real job outside of being a legislator … and he’s working now to destroy the Rule of Law. Kinda funny when you think about it. Pathetic and dangerous … but funny.
I wish Rubio would just GTFA, already. He annoys the hell out of me.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on February 15, 2013 at 6:23 PM
It appears that the GOP establishment has already chosen Rubio as their 2016 candidate – Rubio is a typical BIG GOVERNMENT “progressive”, and an obama-style opportunist. If the Republican Party does not quickly shift gears and return to its conservative roots – there is no future for the party, and no hope of defeating democrats going forward.
Repealing obamacare, shrinking the size and scope of government and securing our borders must be top priorities – Rubio is a nonstarter.
Pork-Chop on February 15, 2013 at 6:45 PM
I don’t know if he can live up to the hype or not but I am betting he will give it his bet shot..
Dire Straits on February 15, 2013 at 6:52 PM
Sorry..
Dire Straits on February 15, 2013 at 6:53 PM
That is definitely a plus in my book..
PS..Thanks for the tip on Argo..Pretty good movie..
Dire Straits on February 15, 2013 at 6:56 PM