Marco Rubio Staff Leak Inane Strategy to Politico

Breitbart's Big Government ^ | December 18, 2015 | Mike Flynn

[2ndDivisionVet]

A Politico cover story perfectly encapsulates the bizarre, insular world of the D.C. political establishment. The article purports to take readers behind the scenes of the strategic machinations of the Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) campaign.

Although Rubio’s staff clearly cooperated, and possibly instigated, the story, the only sensible conclusion one can draw is that the Rubio campaign is struggling to adjust to the big leagues of Presidential politics.

It is a fairly basic rule of thumb that campaign staffs should always make political stories about the candidate, not themselves. Barely 100 words into the story, however, the reader introduced to no fewer than three top aides to Rubio. Worse, the story is devoted to chronicling an allegedly brilliant trap the three had set for one of Rubio’s rivals.

It ought to go without saying that campaign staff should ascribe any positive developments in a campaign to the candidate’s strengths or insights. Obviously, staff have a large role in developing and executing a campaign, but publicly this should always be subordinate to the candidate. Did the staff who leaked this story want to profile Marco Rubio or themselves?(continued)

[hoosiermama]

The more Rubio and Cruz fight the higher DT’s numbers will go!

[cripplecreek]

A backhand across the chops from Justin Amash.

[Grampa Dave]

We love it when $inators go at each other. Throw Paul into the ring, and we can have a 3 way.

[LS]

I certainly don’t think he meant to, but Cruz allowed himself to get derailed into a five-day-long mud-wrestling contest with Rubio, which will benefit neither.

[Popman]

I’m embarrassed Rubio is my Senator...

Wish I could take my vote back...

I really had high hopes for Rubio...

Gang of Eight was a real tip off, he wasn’t the guy I thought he was...

[HamiltonJay]

To date my opinion of Rubio is he’s just another insider as much as he pretends not to be... The more I find out about him the more scummy he appears. Just another slime ball, and representing everything that’s wrong with DC.

[Calpublican]

Since Cruz’ numbers are going up and Rubio’s are going down, it seems like the mistake was Rubio’s.

[biff]

He really didn’t have a choice. The lil’ taco bender was just like a mutt yapping at his heels and he would not stop so Cruz had to respond. The attack was obviously going to take place so just as well get it out of the way now and the backblow has started for Rubio.

[Cboldt]

I don’t think Cruz could avoid the excursion. It was inevitable as long as Rubio was willing to misrepresent Cruz’s position by pointing to the proposed but rejected legislative amendment. Now that is out of the way, and Rubio is the one who lost ground.

[LS]

Not so sure. Remember polling has a lag time. Everyone assumed Cruz was in the lead in IA after the DMR poll came out . . . only to have three successive polls show otherwise.

Polling is a trick in that it is not only a challenge to accurately measure people's opinions at that time, but to properly figure out a week later when the results are released if the opinions were predictive or reactive.

I sure haven't figured it out. All I know is that there IS a lag of some sort. Let's see in a week where the two are.

[LS]

I hope so. I mean, getting Rubio out is key, because mark my words the GOPe thinks (rightly or wrongly) they are "using" Cruz to knock out Trump, whereupon they will bait and switch Rubio in.

I am not saying this, and I don't support it, but I am relying what the Guy Bensons, the Steven Hayeses, the Jonah Goldbergs, the Rich Lowery---all of them have been saying. It is clear they hate Cruz, but are supporting him now because they hate Trump more.

[biff]

I wish Trump, Ryan and Cruz would gang up on Rubio and get rid of him. Then nature will take its course and Ryan, Bush and Christy would fade, leaving Trump and the Cruz. Of course, all the little leaguers like Linda, Guitar Man, and Santorum would all be long gone, out of money.

[montag813]

the only sensible conclusion one can draw is that the Rubio campaign is struggling to adjust to the big leagues of Presidential politics.

This surprises him?

[SmokingJoe]

Yeah. That's why Cruz is soaring in the polls since Rubio started attacking him and Rubio has suffered a catastrophic collapse in the polls even in his native Orinda where he is now trailing Ted Cruz.

[SmokingJoe]

Damn spellchecker.
Should Read: Even in his native Florida.

[mad_as_he$$]

Is he going to fly up the thermal vent?

[Colonel_Flagg]

The article purports to take readers behind the scenes of the strategic machinations of the Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) campaign.

If the article shows them reading their Whiz Bang comic books, I'm sure it's accurate.

[Grampa Dave]

One problem with a five-day-long mud-wrestling contest, is after it is over, it is hard to tell the winner from the loser.

[SmokingJoe]

Not so sure. Remember polling has a lag time. Everyone assumed Cruz was in the lead in IA after the DMR poll came out . . . only to have three successive polls show otherwise.

Last 7 polls from RCP:
Poll Date Cruz Trump Rubio Carson Bush Paul Fiorina Christie Huckabee Kasich Santorum Pataki Graham Spread
RCP Average 11/28 - 12/13 26.4 25.4 12.9 11.9 5.6 3.3 2.6 2.1 2.0 1.6 0.7 0.2 0.1 Cruz +1.0
PPP (D) 12/10 - 12/13 25 28 14 10 7 2 3 3 3 2 1 0 1 Trump +3
DMR/Bloomberg 12/7 - 12/10 31 21 10 13 6 3 1 3 3 2 1 0 0 Cruz +10
Quinnipiac 12/4 - 12/13 27 28 14 10 5 4 3 3 1 1 0 0 0 Trump +1
FOX News 12/7 - 12/10 28 26 13 10 5 5 2 2 1 1 0 1 0 Cruz +2
Loras College 12/7 - 12/10 30 23 11 11 6 2 3 0 2 1 1 — 0 Cruz +7
Monmouth 12/3 - 12/6 24 19 17 13 6 4 3 2 2 3 1 0 0 Cruz +5
CNN/ORC 11/28 - 12/6 20 33 11 16 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 0 0 Trump +13

www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/ia/iowa_republican_presidential_caucus-3194.html

Cruz is leading in 4 polls, Trump in 3. And Cruz is leading in the RCP average by 26.4 to 25.4