Posted on 04/23/2015 6:48:35 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Marco gives the same speech with donors that he does in public, one Rubio advisor assured BuzzFeed. Im sure hes right. After all, when has Marco Rubio ever said different things to different audiences about his stance on immigration?
I do think its safe to say that Rubios choosing his words carefully on this subject, even among friends in private settings. All it would take to blow him up for good on the right is a hidden smartphone recorder catching him crowing about amnesty, and he knows it. Hes the safest pick in the field precisely because hes not prone to huge unforced errors.
According to a half-dozen Republican fundraisers and contributors who have been courted by the Rubio camp, the candidates aggressive advocacy for the Senates 2013 immigration bill has proved to be a substantial draw within the GOP money crowd and his campaign has shown little hesitation about cashing in. Even as Rubio labors to publicly distance himself from the legislation so loathed by conservative primary voters, he and his aides have privately highlighted this line in his resume when soliciting support from the deep-pocketed donors in the partys more moderate business wing
It isnt only committed Rubio donors who are swooning after hearing the candidates immigration spiel. During a press call in February with other pro-immigration figures in GOP fundraising, California-based fast food CEO Andrew Puzder said that regardless of whatever public murkiness might surround the senators position, Rubio had personally assured him he was still dedicated to the cause.
I actually have spoken with Sen. Rubio on the issue and he has not backed away from wanting immigration reform at all, Puzder said. He does think its very difficult to do it unless you address illegal immigration first so there may be a step process to doing this. But hes still a very strong advocate for getting immigration reform thats effective and helps people, and hes one of the leaders in our party on this issue.
[E]very source interviewed said that no matter how radioactive Rubios immigration record might be to the right, it has done nothing but help him in this early stage of the primaries, when filling the campaign war chest is the chief concern. Two Republican fundraisers who have met with Rubio requesting anonymity to candidly assess his efforts even expressed surprise at how enthusiastic the candidate has seemed in private to promote his work on the Senates immigration bill, given his strong reluctance to do so in public.
Its true that legalizing illegals has remained part of Rubios immigration platform even after the Gang of Eight debacle. When Bob Schieffer asked him last Sunday if hed sign the Gang of Eight bill as president, not only didnt Rubio rule it out, he talked specifically about legalization as the third step in his new plan. (Step one: More security.) Norman Braman, whos shaping up to be one of his biggest donors, told BuzzFeed, He believes we have to secure the borders first, and I believe we have to secure the borders first. But then you read that bit about how surprisingly enthusiastic Rubio has been in talking up his Gang of Eight work with the pro-amnesty donor class and you wonder how committed he can possibly be to holding the line on security as president if Democrats push hard, as they surely will. If this guy ends up winning backed by hundreds of millions of dollars from the GOPs pro-legalization wing, how much can he dig in realistically once Chuck Schumer insists that a comprehensive bill is the only way to beat a Senate Democratic filibuster? President Cruz might be willing to hold the line on security because his base is on the right. Rubios base, increasingly, will be the center-right and monied establishmentarians. See why he couldnt give Schieffer a straight answer?
But look. This is why Ive said all along, contrary to conventional wisdom, that he did himself more good than harm by joining the Gang of Eight. Back in late 2012, when he was mulling whether to join the Gang or not and risk his goodwill among conservatives, I think the sort of pander that BuzzFeed is describing today is precisely what he had in mind. He thought about 2016, realized that no one wins the GOP nomination without having lots of donor-class money behind him, and calculated that the surest way to impress that class would be to go to bat for their pet issue notwithstanding the beating hed take from tea partiers for it. He took his lumps and his polls dropped, but he knew when the time came that the people who really mattered in choosing a president would remember. And so they have, with Rubio himself happy to refresh the memory of anyone who might have forgotten. This is why I say hes a smart tactician even when you hate the moves hes making. He plays the long game, and its paying off. I wouldnt bet against him.
In fact, between the goodwill hes built with billionaire amnesty fans and the goodwill hes built with billionaire superhawks, I wonder how much of a money edge Jeb will end up having over him. Therell be some advantage, no doubt, but probably without the knockout potential that Jeb was counting on. Imagine the irony if Bush ends up losing the primary because another guy in the field convinced the donor class hes more like Dubya than Jeb is. Speaking of which, in lieu of an exit question, a tribute to my two favorite flip-floppers:
Allahpundit
@allahpundit
A Walker/Rubio ticket would encompass,
like, six different positions on immigration
Rubio will mess up eventually. He’s way too green to be president, seems to be easily corruptible and is a little to slick in my opinion.
I don’t trust Rubio at all. But I trust ‘Allahpundit’ less.
Just like Obama and John Kennedy. I predict here and now that Rubio will be the nominee. I'm marking it down and will be back after the convention to either eat crow or to gloat. I'm not saying btw that I support him. It's just a prediction.
Tooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnny
Mehhicccccccccccccccccccans
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrredddy!!!!!
Lett’em waste their cash.
He ain’t gonna be anybody’s nominee, much less President.
He and The First Mexican President can just do the Amnesty conga across the countryside, ain’t gonna get them anywhere.
” Rubio will mess up eventually.” ...
Eventually? I thought that was the point of the article— that he just messed up.
Didn’t read it cause not surprised.
Didn’t read it cause not surprised.
Didn’t read it cause not surprised.
How much are stalking horses going for these days?
tree fiddy
In fair defense of Rubio, he was speaker of Florida House for 7 long years. And has been a senator longer than Rand Paul & Ted Cruz, both of whom never held any prior ELECTED office. He is slick alright, but not as green in politics as you might surmise.
I did not know that. Very interesting. Maybe I will look at him a little differently now.
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