When attempting to walk a fine line, it’s vitally important that every word is precisely parsed before delivery. Although Rubio is a master at hitting his talking points, but getting this perfect is vital, inasmuch as it amounts to the most important and biggest hurdle that Rubio will have to clear on his way to the nomination.

In an eloquent and ballyhooed speech that forces the press to pay attention and inoculates Rubio from future attacks, he can lay out the case for why America is a nation of immigrants, why we must secure the border and insist on assimilation, and why doing so is both wise and compassionate. And in doing so, he can make that Senate bill he supported old news.

Just as President Obama has frequently talked about the “false choices” that confront us, the notion that the GOP is either an open-borders party that incentivizes lawbreaking—or a nativistic Know-Nothing party that preaches white identity politics—is a bogus notion. Americans can be secure and safe and prudent and simultaneously compassionate and humane and welcoming of diversity.

In fact, Marco Rubio’s candidacy represents the rejection of false choices. You don’t have to go with the establishment moderates—Jeb Bush and John Kasich—or the populists—Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and Ben Carson. You can just go with Rubio.