"Rubio is known ... for a kind of incurable anxiousness — and an occasional propensity to panic in moments of crisis"

But to those who have known him longest, Rubio’s flustered performance Saturday night fit perfectly with an all-too-familiar strain of his personality, one that his handlers and image-makers have labored for years to keep out of public view. Though generally seen as cool-headed and quick on his feet, Rubio is known to friends, allies, and advisers for a kind of incurable anxiousness — and an occasional propensity to panic in moments of crisis, both real and imagined.

Advertisement

This jittery restlessness has manifested itself throughout Rubio’s life, from high school football games in Miami to high-profile policy fights in Washington — and in some ways, it’s been the driving force in his rapid political rise…

From the moment the 2010 primary turned negative, the candidate needed a fainting couch every time an attack was lobbed his way, his aides recalled to me. It began when Charlie Crist’s campaign claimed Rubio had “tucked away” $800,000 in the state budget for new AstroTurf on the Miami-Dade fields where he played football. It was a relatively gentle jab as far as campaign combat goes, and the story quickly fizzled. But Rubio was positively wounded by the charge.

How can they say that? he mewed to his aides. They can really just make stuff up about me?

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on HotAir Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement