By Alyssa LaFage | The Save Jersey Blog
This has been a strange Republican primary to put it mildly, Save Jerseyans. Candidates that many people expected to be in the lead at this point are trailing in the polls. Others we thought had a fighting chance and would be in it for the long haul, have long since dropped out. And the front runner that we thought was a joke, or at a minimum, thought was going to be a flash in the pan, is still at the top in most states notwithstanding last night’s defeat in Iowa.
The field is relatively large but while we’ve got plenty of options on paper, for conservatives who want a real shot at taking back the White House this November, there’s only one candidate worth supporting: Senator Marco Rubio.
Here are just four of the reasons why…
An Objectively Conservative Track Record
Beginning at the very lowest rung of elected politics in local government, Rubio was a member of a 5-person City Commission in West Miami. He worked his way up to the State House in Tallahassee Florida where he became Speaker of the House.
We don’t hear much about his Florida legislative accomplishments and it’s likely by design; voters are fed up with politicians in general this election cycle, and seven of Rubio’s nine-year tenure in the Florida House overlapped with Jeb Bush’s governorship which could easily bring credit to Bush – – something Rubio obviously wants to avoid doing.
It would do the Senator some good to talk more about his accomplishments as Florida Speaker of the House. From fighting for private property rights to being a part of tax cuts that were touted as “the largest tax cut in Florida’s history,” Rubio has a strong record of advancing conservative causes.
In the United States Senate,
- Served on the Committee on Foreign Relations; strong on foreign policy/keeping America safe
- Co-authored Economic Growth and Family Fairness Tax Plan, with Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) which is a pro-growth plan that seeks to simplify the tax code into 2 brackets. It would also lower tax rates, broaden the base and eliminate loopholes that reward cronyism.
- Pro-Life through-and-through
- Began his career in the U.S. Senate by taking out the traitorous Charlie Crist
- “Stealthily” laid the groundwork to gut Obamacare
- Unique ideas on tackling the cost of education: Rubio offered up legislation that would create an alternative to student loans. From Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-rubio-education-idUSBREA380BJ20140409) “private investors or organizations provide students with financing for their education costs in exchange for a percentage of their future earnings.”
I could go on and on pointing to his principled, conservative positions. But moving along…
Winning Independents to Our Cause
I know some of you are concerned with his highly criticized attempt at working on immigration with Democrats in the Senate in 2013. I was as well and looking back, it still irks me. But his poorly conceived effort to find middle ground on this issue actually can be spun into a positive. First, his willingness to reach across the aisle is a good thing and will be perceived as such by independents, even if this particular instance wasn’t good.
And unlike most politicians, Rubio admitted his attempt was misguided and has since clarified what he would like to see happen moving forward.
I realize some of you are one issue voters (which is silly but an issue for me to address at another time) and immigration might be that issue. But I would caution you not to fail to see the value of a candidate who is with you on the majority of issues because they got it wrong on one. Side note: if Donald is your candidate, take into consideration his own strange immigration evolution and the fact that he has been more than cozy with amnesty touting Democrats for years and has donated big money to their campaigns.
The same people who are stuck on Rubio’s immigration blunder are quick to say he is not a conservative. That couldn’t be further from the truth for all the reasons I’ve already listed. But if you’re a numbers minded person, here are a few you should take into consideration. He has a 98% rating from American Conservative Union and a 93% from the ultimate standard bearer of conservative measures, the Heritage Action for America scorecard. Not bad at all!
Destroying the Latino Vote Gap
We aren’t the Left so identity politics is something we generally cringe at BUT in an election year where the Democrat candidates include a washed up criminal grandma and a Marxist grandpa, having a vivacious young Latino on the Republican ticket is something we can be proud of!
The Best Communicator Since Reagan?
And of course I must point out the obvious: Rubio is an excellent orator. This matters! He can convey optimistic conservatism in a way that leaves you wanting to hear more. With a media that is largely slanted against us and the likely opposition candidate a first rate liar, we need an oratorical talent. Versus Hillary on the debate stage? Kennedy vs. Nixon, Part II. A principled, unifying conservative that can bring people in, win independents, unify the party and most importantly, the country… and explain it all without stumbling all over himself?
Is it any wonder why Marco is my guy?
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The two people I have supported did VERY well last night – Cruz and Rubio. I was just hoping a little more air was going to be taken out of Donald by Rubio overtaking him for 2nd, but I knew that was a long shot.
Overall I think it was a great night for the road to restoring this country BACK to the principles of what this country was founded on – small governmemt and self responsibility. Not to mention of course the restoration fo the US Constitution which is the bedrock our government is founded on.
Rubio is just another RINO, he went along with the Gang of 8 on immigration.
I love Alyssa Lafage
Was Rubio a RINO before or after the TP took credit for electing him ?
It’s amazing how people go from Tea Party darlings to RINOs seemingly overnight.
Rubio is more of the safe, establishment, more of the same type. I’ll take Cruz for the real change that’s needed. Think about Calvin Coolidge and what he did, that’s what we need.
Rubio as a Tea Party member:
“I will defeat Charlie Crist’s illegal amnesty”
Rubio after being elected to the Senate:
“We need illegal amnesty to be like the Democrats so bad, I’m willing to team up with Chuck Schumer and Barack Obama against Jeff Sessions Ted Cruz and Mike Lee.”
I loved Marco coming up but he turned his back on us, not the other way around
Lightweight. #GangOfEight
Gang. Of. Eight.
My two cents: if you’re angry at Rubio over flip-flopping, then why is Cruz spared the same angst? http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/12/17/fox-challenges-cruz-on-immigration.html I’ve yet to get an explanation as to why one is a RINO on this point, and the other isn’t, other than the goofy “poison pill” argument. At least Rubio admitted he was wrong; Cruz says we’re remembering incorrectly? But there’s a tape…
My personal opinion is that we need to take a broader look at these candidates, and more importantly, the general election.
IMHO, if it is Cruz and Hillary, we get 4 more years of D. While that, in and of itself, sucks, let’s not forget that the next president will most likely be naming a few, up to 3, judges to the SCOTUS. Imagine what happens to us, if there are more liberal judges on that panel.
Marco Rubio, stands a much better chance in the general election. He has a great story. He is good looking, young, son of immigrants, who is self made. That cancels out a lot of the advantages Hillary would have over Cruz.
My 2 cents, and probably not worth that much.
This is a good case for Rubio.
I still have disagreements with him on things like NSA metadata and a no-fly-zone over Syria.
His actions on Cap and Trade in Florida worry me deeply. Not because I think he supports it. I don’t think he did or does, but the idea that a state could get ahead of the federal government and “preempt” their pending action with a local version of the same thing illustrates poor political strategy and a fundamental misunderstanding of confrontational politics.
Rubio’s actions on immigration represent a massive betrayal of the conservative base. Any way you slice it. He knows he did wrong and has apologized, but this is just more evidence of the influence of Jeb Bush on his political upbringing.
All this being said, when Marco Rubio was a few weeks into his term, I was in DC and attended a speech he gave at the Brookings Institute. He was introduced by retiring Senator Lieberman and it was widely heralded as his foreign policy debut. I had some disagreements with him then too, but it was very clear that he was a committed, articulate statesman with a bright future ahead of him.
Rubio is just like Paul Ryan, if elected he will be as Liberal as any Dem elected. Might as well just vote for crazy Bernie so Larry David gets more SNL skits
While Rand Paul is my guy, I am not delusional and think that he is going to somehow make a come from behind win. I also like Ted Cruz. But I recognize the only one that will beat Hillary Clinton is Marco Rubio. Let us not forget, the most accurate predicting poll to determine who will be president asks the question, “Who would you rather have at your barbecue?” When this question is asked of Americans after the primary, you can bet that in a choice between Rubio and Hillary, they will want Rubio.
Rubio LOL!!!! Creepy little toad reminds me of a young Robert Menendez
Fork tongue
Rubio is still suspect in my book I’m afraid of his imagration stand he seems weak and flip flops. I think he part of the rhino establishment
The conservative view, fwiw, is pro immigration. Check out some of the Reagan primary debates for his view on immigration. Didn’t like Reagan either? Okay, well then there’s no pleasing you…
Bernie
Someone mentioned appointing justices to SCOTUS and what would happen…… nothing will happen…… the laws of the land will stay the laws of the land. Abortion will not be threatened….. LGBT community will stay intact…… we might even see citizens united overturned which in my opinion would be an extremely good thing. Ted Cruz offers too much religion in his politics. Marco Rubio is a first term senator much like your hated president currently residing in the White House. You were all so dead set against Obama because he was a first term senator why would you choose another one immediately after his term? Trump is a lunatic and not worthy of anyone’s attention. Bush is…. well…..a Bush…..no thanks. Chris Christie is just a bully in a rude ass hole and is not doing well here in New Jersey with his hometown crowd. Rand Paul isn’t bad, but to me ….John Kasich would be a good choice. He seems reasonable, he seems to understand the word compromise and he doesn’t come across as an ass hole.
Rubio is for amnesty and Cruz is for increasing H1-B1 visas that will take away your job if you are in the technical field. If you are in a trade amnesty will take away the other. The passage of TPP will increase the likelihood of increased job loses for American citizens. So if you want more jobs for Americans than vote Trump, if you want to increase corporate profits vote Rubio or Cruz they are both the same candidate.
Screw This Guy. I am not ready to adopt a family of illegal Latinos. We don’t have enough ammo for the Muslim scum these asses are letting come here.
Bought and paid for
Cruz is a liar. Plain and simple. Now the media is pushing him because he is establishment. Open your eyes everyone
Mmm…Huge Liar! Coke head brother in law…Friend’s dealing with gay porn! Met his wife at a foam party! I don’t think so!
Rubio? I don’t think you understand some of his policies. He wants full illegal amnesty as well as 800,000 “refugees”, he’s a R.I.N.O. I’d take Cruz or Carson over him any day.
No. He is in favor of amnesty and he is weak in every way. Cruz is the man.
If Trump is being judged for saying he would cut deals with Reid and Pelosi. Rubio already has a proven record of deals,and not the people’s benefit.
” Republican candidate Marco Rubio, in a chat with Jorge Ramos, in Spanish, made it clear that, on this issue,(Unilateral Amnesty) any differences between a President Rubio and President Obama would be insubstantial.”
Here’s the link.
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/02/02/candidate-marco-rubio-tells-jorge-ramos-in-spanish-that-obamas-unilateral-amnesty-is-a-good-thing-and-should-be-part-of-permanent-amnesty-solution-2/
Suck it, GOPe jackwagons.
Rubio is a wind up toy.
Rubio is like a wind-up toy.
Wind him up, set him on the floor or table, and out spew high-speed pre-recorded lines of the political expediency based on that day’s opinion polls.
He avoids questions about policy discrepancies by launching into patriotic diatribes extolling family values, hard work, sacrifice, ideals, without ever connecting any of these to the original issue.
It would be impossible for anyone to self analyze one’s thoughts at a speed comparable to his rehearsed canned lines, which probably aids in the deception.
In trying to account for his popularity as the second choice or alternate candidate, which role he seems to fill, I have a theory. To the late comers, those who haven’t been paying attention and don’t recognize the pathologic discrepancy between the conviction of his speeches and his many contradictory actions, he may come across as genuine. He skillfully portrays himself as being unaware of his inconsistencies by the tactics described above.
On the one hand, he might actually be the best candidate to defeat Hillary, because he will have no problem shifting as far to the left as needed, without ever once noticing that he has done so. On the other hand, there might not be that much difference between a President Clinton and a President Rubio (it was very hard to type either of these names), other than at least a poor outcome of the former could be blamed on the opposition party.
Jeb Bush is the only conservative in the race who has a chance to stop Berllary. The rest are a pack of losers who will hand the keys to the White House over to the Democrats.
NEVER, GANG OF 8.
Cruz and Trump are losers. One is too extreme, and the other is a loose cannon. Marco Rubio is the only consistent, compassionate and pragmatic conservative in the bunch. Fortunately the smart money is moving to Marco Rubio who will win the nomination and defeat Hillary in November.
He’s willing to have America pay for educating illegal aliens. Not ok.
You said that his traitorous Gang of Eight situation could be “spun” into a positive ~ if you need to spin something, that’s not a good thing. Ever. But his position was (before G of 8) “build a wall first” ~ during it was “deal with the people here and the wall can be talked about later” ~ after he was soundly defeated, he went back to “build the wall first” ………. Secondly, his work in Florida being hidden by design. Since he is losing badly in his own state, it seems as though even Floridians don’t know of all the great things he’s done. Third, “Destroying the Latino gap” ……… while the sampling was small, he failed to beat an old grumpy guy (Trump) with these very people in Nevada. Again, small sample means you can’t say Trump did great, ummmm, Rubio couldn’t even beat him in a small sample. Nuff said