Is Rubio the most “electable” Republican?
Mr. Rubio’s most persuasive pitch to Republican Party insiders may well be that he is more popular than other, ideologically similar candidates. Some of those candidates, like Mr. Ryan, can probably offer a richer intellectual defense of conservatism, or can claim to have been better vetted. Several others, like Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, have more executive experience. Mr. Rubio’s relatively favorable public image represents his comparative advantage. (There are also the facts that Mr. Rubio is Hispanic and is from Florida, but these advantages boil down to electability as well: the possibility that he might help Republicans make gains with Latinos, and that he could give them a lift in an especially important swing state.)
What makes matters tricky for Mr. Rubio is that, at the same time he is hoping to persuade Republican party insiders that he deserves their support, he will also need to maintain a reasonably good image with the broader electorate lest his electability argument be undermined. This may lead to some strange positions, such as when Mr. Rubio recently critiqued President Obama’s immigration proposal despite its many similarities to his own.
When the wider electorate learns that Mr. Rubio’s positions are in fact hard to differentiate from those of other conservative Republicans, will his favorability ratings revert to being mediocre, as Mr. Ryan’s now are?
Blowback
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The son of an illegal immigrant asks his dad, “Dad,
what’s democracy?”
“Well, son, that’s when the British work and we
get all the benefits from it!”
“But Dad, aren’t the British people unhappy
about that?”
“Sure they are son, but that’s called racism.’
Schadenfreude on February 19, 2013 at 7:43 PM
He is a great guy, do what Romney should have done, run on the Democrat ticket! Instead of giving the democrats a win win election for the third time in a row, give the republicans a win win election cycle.
astonerii on February 19, 2013 at 7:45 PM
Concern troll concern trolling.
crrr6 on February 19, 2013 at 7:47 PM
Yes.
terryannonline on February 19, 2013 at 7:54 PM
Ryan’s are currently mediocre because he is the losing VP candidate. There is nothing to suggest that those won’t rebound. Rubio’s are good because he wasn’t.
Also the case study is Florida. Rubio’s ratings increased when people got to know him. Remember we’re talking about a guy who beat the incumbent governor by double digits and nearly hit 50% in a three way race.
Illinidiva on February 19, 2013 at 7:55 PM
No. That would be a resume enhancer for leftists.
sharrukin on February 19, 2013 at 7:56 PM
Well almost… he is the most ‘electable‘ right after Mitt Romney.
sharrukin on February 19, 2013 at 7:57 PM
Not since he’s started pushing amnesty. If you think a lot of conservatives stayed home during the last election…
RoadRunner on February 19, 2013 at 7:57 PM
The Doles, McCains, Romneys, Rubios, and Ryans all need to fade away. They are nothing but pandering party-men who care more for their own careers than the Republic.
Panther on February 19, 2013 at 7:59 PM
Electable. Probably yes. “Most”electable?” Idiotic characterization. We should not play that game.
Warner Todd Huston on February 19, 2013 at 8:02 PM
Oh God! Lets not start this electability crap again! This is how we got McCain and then Romney. The Media along with D.C. Insiders start to choose their preferred choice for president to the public before there is even a vote cast and pound it into too many heads that “these” are the only ones that can win and they eventually usually end up not winning anything
journeymike on February 19, 2013 at 8:02 PM
It has been interesting to watch obama’s state-run media “evolve” in their opinion of Rubio.
When Rubio was mistakenly considered a “conservative”, obama’s media hated and feared him. But now that Rubio has started pushing obama’s amnesty plan, and has proven himself to be just another “progressive” opportunist, obama’s media has discovered just how much they really like him.
Funny that.
Pork-Chop on February 19, 2013 at 8:09 PM
Rubio couldn’t deliver Florida and Ryan couldn’t offer up Wisconsin…maybe they have a different meaning for the word electable.
Panther on February 19, 2013 at 8:17 PM
I’m not sure how building an algorithm to crunch poll numbers qualifies someone to pontificate on such matters. Or, more importantly, why I should give his thoughts any more weight than I would to a hobo standing on the street corner holding a “will work for food” sign.
besser tot als rot on February 19, 2013 at 8:37 PM
can we just not talk about “electability” anymore? ever? thank you. if we stopped this “electability” stuff then i would be very happy.
how do we know who really is “electable” and who isn’t? some people want to predict that but, how do they truly know?? they don’t. example: they went on and on about how “electable” romney was. that did not turn out well.
these people just want to sound like they are “experts” and so smart that everyone should listen to them. but it’s pointless.
Sachiko on February 19, 2013 at 8:47 PM
hey nate! how did some “ohioans” get to vote for obama eight times
renalin on February 19, 2013 at 8:57 PM
Is Rubio electable? Absolutely. Most electable? No. There are many other republicans who are equally electable.
tommy71 on February 19, 2013 at 9:02 PM
He’s the Bush Family choice..
idesign on February 19, 2013 at 9:10 PM
You folks are crazy. If Rubio is the nominee, all Hispanics will vote for him….twice. The great brown hope will win in a landslide.
/sarc
xblade on February 19, 2013 at 9:15 PM
In the midst of a Tea Party tsunami. Rubio was one of Romney’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders and Mitt sill lost FL.
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 9:16 PM
Hear, hear. Especially from people who keep foisting losers on us under that “electability” banner.
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 9:18 PM
“Electable.”
You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.
CurtZHP on February 19, 2013 at 9:37 PM
This is interesting. Mark Krikorian weighs in with this little squib:
So, the appeal of Obysmal and his merry band of Dems is not citizenship at all but more presents from the Preezy. But we knew that.
onlineanalyst on February 19, 2013 at 9:43 PM
Another tidbit of news from “The Corner”:
Rubio is currently out of the country, in Israel, in fact. He received a telephone call from Obysmal today in which the WH conniver is checking in about how the immigration bill is coming along.
onlineanalyst on February 19, 2013 at 9:51 PM
Well.. If we don’t win Latinos… how the hell do you expect to win??? M’kay. Why should I even vote?
Obamacare is going to end up a disaster for Latinos along with everyone else. The point being is that working class people don’t get their health care subsidized up front. It is a tax credit. So Joe Schmo Latino is going to be paying thousands a month but they’ll get it back on taxes. I’m sure that that’ll go over great.
Illinidiva on February 19, 2013 at 10:36 PM
Ummm.. Rubio endorsed Romney in late March so not seeing enthusiasm there.
Illinidiva on February 19, 2013 at 10:38 PM
Oh, and did he ever get those pom poms out then!
And right on cue, just as predicted, “Latinos” become the “indies” and “moderates” of 2016. Look, Rubio would still lose the Latino vote. Just as 60% of “moderates” voted for Obama. And in pandering for one group you alienate your base. That’s…brilliant. Has “Stupid Party ™ ” written all over it.
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 10:41 PM
I didn’t know he was running..But it will be intersting if he does..
Dire Straits on February 19, 2013 at 11:01 PM
Ding ding ding….winner.
Meat Fighter on February 19, 2013 at 11:01 PM
See this is what the hard right doesn’t get… Only 35% of the country is conservative. A majority is not. To win an election you have to win over the majority that aren’t conservative.
It seems that this is a result of cognitive dissidence because everyone you know agrees with you. That isn’t the case in other parts of the country. I live in an urban area… No one agrees with me. They are all liberal Democrats and are as confused about the existence of conservatives as you are about the existence of liberals. To win a majority, you somehow have to win over squishy moderates. If Marco Rubio wins over low information people by being young and hip, then I’m all for it. He is a conservative Republican. But hey, we want people who agree with us 100% all the time. This will allow us to continue winning the Senate seats in Alabama and Oklahoma, but nothing else.
Illinidiva on February 19, 2013 at 11:12 PM
And you don’t do that by mimicking the 20% that is liberal. We’ve tried your way. It failed. Discredited. Find a new hobby. Politics ain’t it.
ddrintn on February 19, 2013 at 11:45 PM
This “most electable” sh!t again? We are doing this?
HerneTheHunter on February 20, 2013 at 3:26 AM
History shows us the most successful Republican candidates are the least “electable”.
tommyboy on February 20, 2013 at 6:35 AM
Your analysis of the problem may be correct, but your proposed method for resolving this problem is incorrect. We have tried “moderates” and the most “electable” and lost over and over and over again. We win when we put up articulate conservatives with strong philosophical and policy descriptions.
Marco Rubio has the tools to connect, but he going down the wrong path by leaning left in order to grab the middle. He should use his strengths to argue against the liberal narrative with strong conservative positions.
Meat Fighter on February 20, 2013 at 7:13 AM
descriptions = prescriptions
Meat Fighter on February 20, 2013 at 7:13 AM
Is Nate Silver brain dead or what? Jeb’s Waterboy is less conservative than “I never let a vote for Big Government Pass Me By Ryan.” You can’t make this crap up!
Looks like the Waterboy is the one they want to run against which means cross him off they already have their game plan on him.
I’m not voting for someone who has no executive experience. Waterboy should have run for governor if he had POTUS dreams, especially since Crist was leaving. I don’t believe in Affirmative Action and if Waterboy throws his hat in the ring he is asking us to do just that, reward him for no executive experience governing.
Jayrae on February 20, 2013 at 7:36 AM