Posted on 02/02/2016 3:10:43 PM PST by presidio9
TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: I have to say one thing, one more thing, one more time. I do not like -- and I've got a Reuters story: "Marco Rubio Emerges Champion of Battered Republican Establishment." Another Reuters story, headline: "Republican Cruz Calls Iowa Win a Victory for Conservative Grassroots." I do not like, speaking for myself, I don't like this idea that Marco Rubio is all of a sudden being labeled as an establishment candidate.
I know that Rubio's got the baggage of that Gang of Eight bill and I know that in many people's minds he's got the baggage of wanting to grant the current number of illegals citizenship. I understand that. But Marco Rubio is no moderate Republican centrist. I could sit here like anybody else could and try to make explanations for you for why he did the Gang of Eight. I'm not even gonna try to put words into his mouth. I don't want to be seen as making excuses. I'm just telling you, I don't see Marco Rubio as anything other than a legitimate, full-throated conservative. Nobody's pure, and nobody is ever free of making mistakes.
I know Senator Rubio. It's like I was telling you last week: I know these people. I know that Senator Rubio in the Senate... In many ways, he agrees with Cruz about things. He's worn out with the Senate. The Senate... I heard this from Allen West when he left the House. I've heard, "The incumbents, that's all they care about is being reelected. You go there to make a difference and you run into brick wall after brick wall after brick wall." I don't think... You know, Rubio, I don't think he wants to stay there 30 years to break through the wall to get a committee chairmanship or whatever.
I just don't like this idea that all of a sudden we're gonna make Rubio the establishment bad guy, as though Rubio is no different than the McCains and the Bob Doles and the Romneys and the others that have come along and been nominated by the establishment. He just isn't. He has not been talked out of his conservatism. He does not abandon it. He had the best end-of-the-evening speech of anybody last night. He had the best end-of-the-evening speech of anybody. And even the media was dazzled by the fact that he did it without a teleprompter.
They continue to be dazzled by that. (chuckling) Of course, Barack Hussein O can't do anything without a teleprompter. I just don't want to... We had three genuine Reaganites triumph last night, and Rubio did better than a lot of people thought he was gonna do -- and to me, that is very important. It is crucially important for conservatism, for Reaganism, for the future of the Republican Party. I'm just not comfortable here sitting and watching somebody end up maybe being destroyed because of a characterization of being "establishment."
Yeah, the establishment may embrace him because they hate Cruz and they're not gonna embrace Trump, and their real preferences can't get any traction. (That would be Jeb and Kasich and Christie.) So they've gotta go with somebody. But I'm never gonna be one that sees Marco Rubio as the establishment, as we talk about it every day here on this program.
END TRANSCRIPT
Sorry Cats Pajamas, I am almost deliriously dizzy these days posting through this mire of election year posts.
Had to chuckle when you said Hillary was your choice for prison! yep.
I think the jury is still out to lunch on Rubio.
There are most definitely two camps of thinking.
I know I was livid with him when he joined the gang of 8...
I just have not done enough homework on Rubio yet. But I listened intently to Rush today and really feel he spoke sincerely and from his heart.
I’ve listened to Rush for about 20 years now. My husband has been a avid Rush listener and for the longest time I didn’t like him! But that was because I never truly took the time to listen to what he said.
No worries girlfriend. Us pollywogs have to stick together. It was reverse with us, I listened first to Limbaugh and my husband started hanging around when I did.
Now Rush is the bad guy. Figures.
Maybe Rubio should try to explain his Gang of Eight vote.
I remember Ann Coulter comparing Rubio’s academic credentials with Schumer’s and asking “who’s smarter?” as nice guy Schumer took the newbie under his wing. She thought Rubio was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. Seems like she was right. Did Marco at least learn anything from the experience?
I do think Rubio is more conservative than most of us give him credit for. That said for many conservatives immigration is more important than other issues, making weakness on it a more unforgivable crime than say being willing to fund some random social welfare program. I do disagree with Rush though when it comes to the Establishment. Rubio may or may not be a full fledged member of it, but I think of the top four candidates he’s the one most likely to do what they want.
Good question to mull on...
I hope it hurts the establishment and the trumpanistas and helps the cause of conservatism, which seems to be getting lost in the bluster and bullying.
I won’t vote for Trump in the primaries, I’ll vote for whoever the GOP nominates in the general, and if he/she wins, those who got him/her nominated will own the results, for good or evil.
My observation is that the support for Trump is a thinly veiled attack on conservatives and conservatism, which can only help the establishment of both parties.
Yes, I know, we can disagree about what is real conservatism,and who is the real conservative, and whether conservative candidates have some unconservative positions.
On one hand we have the Hillary and Bernie supporters, who believe that a big government will lead us to the promised land and vanquish the bad guys, and the GOP establishment that enables them. On the other the populism of Trump supporters, who are following a strong man hoping he will lead us to the promised land and vanquish the bad guys.
All of them are relentlessly attacking conservatives and conservatism.
What will be right is if we get a true conservative in, but saying that I will vote for Trump or Cruz in order to defeat socialism and communism.
Adding sly remarks against the other set of voters only helps the socialists and the establishment and we have now seen Rubio coming in with the help of FOX.
Sly remarks are a lot more civilized than the bullying conservatives have had to face from the targets of my sly remarks. How helpful is that bullying of conservatives by the Trumpanistas?
SIGH
Rubio’s problem isn’t his ideology; it’s his lack of conviction and immaturity. He was sent to DC with a fire in his belly that was extinguished on first contact. He was elected due to extensive grass-roots conservative and Tea Party efforts, and he abandoned them as soon as he saw the bright lights and power games.
He is a player now, but make no mistake, he is a junior player who will listen to the powers-that-be and not his constituency or conscience—if he still has one. He sold us out without even getting a good deal. He speaks well, and can spin a good yarn, but he cannot be trusted.
After Romny, I am done playing nice with the GOPe. Supporting the GOPe is worse than electing Democrats as has been proven repeatedly over the past decades. I would never support Rubio in the primary, and frankly am not sure that I will even show up if he’s “our” candidate. I’ll take my lying, duplicity, and cowardice straight up and preferably from the other side of the aisle.
Me either, but helping Hillary get the presidency and allowing her to appoint enough radicals to the Court to eliminate the second amendment, among others, helps us how?
I agree with all of that.
I like Rubio and I’m really sick and tired of people on this board who I think are dem plants attacking our candidates. I will crawl over broken glass to vote for anyone who is running against either crazy Bernie or evil Hillary and if you won’t then you want a solidly liberal Supreme Court. Rubio made the best pro life speech on Jan 22nd. Trump didn’t even open his mouth.
Thank you.
Stop shooting. It makes you look like an idiot.
What confuses me is the utter hatred I see for Rubio on this website. Did he make a mistake trying to find common ground on immigration reform? Yes, and he has admitted it. As much as I admire Carson, I have to admit that his candidacy is unrealistic at this point. Too many hills for him to climb over.
The other two remaining viable candidates have also reversed serious mistakes on immigration. Only Rubio gets held accountable. Of the three candidates, in terms of what a president can actually DO (as opposed to campaign grandstanding), their current immigration policies are essentially the same.
As I have said, I have serious problems with Rubio. He's not my candidate. But I still believe that we should be at a stage where it is beneficial to hear the ideas of more than on or two guys. The reaction that I see to Rubio stinks of closed-minded tribalism.
Amen
Seabiscuit was engaged in a one-one horserace. Ted Cruz is someone that a majority of voters have made their mind about, that they will never consider voting for him under any circumstances.
He may indeed change some minds along the way. Thus far, he hasn't done enough to convince me that he can do so.
When they're coming for Rush, this "conservative" website has serious problems.
The conservative movement cannot disqualify smart people based on whether they're sufficiently committed to banning entire religious groups or growing the government to streamline deportations -and I happen to agree with both of those ideas.
By the way, the FR moderator moved this thread to chat just as soon as he didn't like the way the conversation was going.
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