Free Republic

On newspaper pages and online, the pundit primary is heating up in the Republican Party. The views of conservative columnists such as George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Bill Kristol, Stephen Hayes, and Jonah Goldberg will shape the way donors and party leaders view the 2016 candidates. HereÂ’s a look at the GOP hopefuls who, for better or worse, are getting the most attention from these influential thinkers: Marco Rubio The Florida senator is running away with this contest. The buzz for Rubio began back in 2012 as Republicans sought to regroup after President ObamaÂ’s diverse coalition delivered him a surprisingly easy...

It certainly seems so. This week has been very revealing in terms of what conservatives actually think and what progressives imagine we think. The “big” question that kicked it all off was “would you attend a gay wedding?” This was, apparently, supposed to separate the knuckle-dragging haters on the right from the sophisticated and pious leftists. John Nolte writes: "Another Republican presidential hopeful, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, made all kinds of headlines when he said something that would not surprise anyone who has spent any amount of time with a conservative Christian — that he would attend a same sex...

WAUKEE, Iowa — When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker took the stage at 9:30 p.m. Saturday night, the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition's spring summit was an hour behind schedule. He promised the crowd of more than 1,000 at the evangelical Point of Grace Church he would keep his remarks brief so everyone could get home, get to bed and get up for church in the morning. He'd be doing just that, he added, back home in Wauwatosa. Wearing a suit — with no mention of whether it was from Kohl's — and pacing the stage, Walker was at ease, peppering...

Presidential hopefuls Marco Rubio and Scott Walker exchanged fire over foreign policy in Iowa on Saturday, hours before the two are scheduled to appear together at a Faith and Freedom Coalition summit outside of Des Moines. Speaking to The Des Moines Register editorial board on Saturday morning, Rubio said his seat on the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees lends him a distinct advantage on “the most crucial obligation the president faces, as commander in chief.” “Governors can certainly read about foreign policy, and take meetings and briefings with experts,” the Florida Republican said, “but there’s no way they’ll be...

Marco Rubio had changed his mind. It was December 2012. The Senate gym. Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) was making the ask. “You ought to be a part of this,” Durbin told Rubio (R-Fla.), as Rubio rode a stationary bike. Durbin and six other senators wanted to rewrite U.S. immigration laws. In the process, they wanted to give illegal immigrants a way to become legal residents and — eventually — citizens. Just two years earlier, Rubio had been against doing that. “It is unfair,” he had said, as a tea party candidate for Senate, “to create an alternative pathway for...

There's an understandable tendency not to take Donny Deutsch too seriously. He can come across not as a credible political analyst but as a guy more interested in his abs and biceps and the next lady at the next Hamptons cocktail party. But let's give Donny his due: as an ad man, he at times offers interesting insights on politics seen in terms of brands and marketing. He also serves as a credible bellwether for a certain segment of the East Coast Dem donor class. And so it was noteworthy that on today's Morning Joe, Deutsch declared that the string...

“Marco gives the same speech with donors that he does in public,” one Rubio advisor assured BuzzFeed. I’m sure he’s right. After all, when has Marco Rubio ever said different things to different audiences about his stance on immigration? I do think it’s safe to say that Rubio’s 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. He’s the safest pick in the field precisely because he’s not prone...

Marco Rubio runs best against Hillary Clinton among all Republican 2016 contenders, according to a new Quinnipiac University national poll released Thursday. Clinton has a clear lead over all potential Republican opponents in prospective matchups, with the exception of Rubio, whom she leads by just 45 percent to 43 percent — within the margin of error. Story Continued Below . . The numbers suggest that the Florida senator has received a slight boost by formally entering the race. In March, before either Rubio or Clinton had officially announced their candidacy, 46 percent said they would back Clinton. When the question...

This week at the The University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, long-time immigration activist Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) said the potential Republican president he could work best with to pass comprehensive immigration reform is Jeb Bush. Gutiérrez said, “We would have to stay with the Bush family,” explaining George W. Bush tried twice to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

In a Gravis Marketing poll released today Jeb Bush leads fellow GOP rivals among Republican Party Iowa voters while Senator Marco Rubio and former brain surgeon Ben Carson have increased their popularity while Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has taken the largest fall. In a telephone survey conducted April 13, former Governor Bush (R-FL) led with 16 percent of voters surveyed with Walker coming in at 13 percent, followed closely by fellow Floridian Rubio at 12 percent. The poll was conducted the same day as Rubio's announcement of his 2016 Presidential bid. The biggest gainers were Marco Rubio, who improved five points from his...

More than other 2016 presidential entrants Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) seems to have positively affected, even excited, Republicans. Ross Douthat writes, “Rubio more than most candidates fits the way most Republicans want to think about their party and ideology and cause.” There is much to that, and certainly Republicans want to get away from the dig that they are “grumpy,” “angry” or downright “mean.” So how does Rubio do it? Arthur Brooks, head of the American Enterprise Institute and arguably the godfather of reform conservatism, likes to say: “My movement shouldn’t be fighting against things. My movement should be fighting...

NEW YORK - Marco Rubio, the youthful Republican presidential hopeful who touts himself as the candidate of his party's future, has been making moves to court a socially liberal faction of his party that represents gay conservatives. The Florida senator's staff have held quarterly meetings with the Log Cabin Republicans "going back some time", their executive director, Gregory Angelo, told Reuters. The meetings with the advocacy group were to discuss legislation, issues and opportunities to "partner on," Angelo said. Rubio's office declined to comment on the meetings. The discussions highlight the tricky electoral math for Republican presidential aspirants like Rubio....

A Republican congressman ripped congressional leadership for their inaction on President Obama’s executive amnesty plan for illegals and pointed a finger at Sen. Marco Rubio for U.S. problems with open borders. Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks was a guest on Tim Constantine’s “Capitol Hill Show” on Tuesday and the conversation was dominated by the topic of illegal immigration and the effort by the Obama administration to circumvent existing law and grant amnesty to millions. “What I am very disappointed in is the House and Senate leadership,” Mr. Brooks explained....

Which Republican presidential candidates support amnesty? I have analyzed all the major Republican presidential candidates (except Ben Carson and Rick Sanctorum, who are long shots, and Donald Trump, who has undocumented hair). I have found that all the major presidential candidates support amnesty for illegal aliens, except for one. Can you guess which one?

The presidential contender says "we need to enforce our federal laws" in states with legal pot -snip- Hewitt: A lot of people are criticizing the President for not enforcing the immigration laws. He's also not enforcing the drug laws in Colorado and Washington State. If you're the president, will you enforce the federal drug laws and shut down the marijuana trade? Rubio: Yes. Yes, I think, well, I think we need to enforce our federal laws. Now do states have a right to do what they want? They don't agree with it, but they have their rights. But they don't...

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) today issued the following statement condemning the espionage charges filed by the Iranian regime against The Washington Post reporter, Jason Rezaian: “It appears that Mr. Rezaian is being persecuted because of his profession as a reporter and his American citizenship. Freedom of press is a right that should be guaranteed to all individuals regardless of their nationality. We urge the Iranian government to immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Rezaian. “This case is just the latest example of the true nature of the Iranian regime. The Obama Administration should demand...

“I don’t believe that your sexual preferences are a choice for a vast and enormous majority of the people. The bottom line is I believe that sexual preference is something people are born with.” ~ Sen. Marco Rubio, April 19, 2015 Marco Rubio has become the latest GOP presidential candidate to stumble badly over the issue of homosexuality. Sen. Rand Paul hurt himself by saying that gay “marriage” is okay, as long as it’s a matter of private contract, a view which will satisfy no one. Dr. Ben Carson hurt himself by asserting that people do change their sexual orientation...

On Monday's edition of The Laura Ingraham Show, the nationally-syndicated host talked about an e-mail she received from a friend that got her thinking: what's the difference between declared Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is considering a run. LAURA INGRAHAM: We seem to have a topsy-turvy thing going on in the Republican field, okay? Rubio Is now the darling of the Republican Party. And, look, I’m just going to tell you where I see things. And, I like all these people personally a lot... I like Marco. But, you know, a friend of mine...

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 20, 2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Are you now, or were you ever, willing to attend a same-sex “wedding”? That seems to be the question lighting up the Republican presidential field, as GOP hopefuls who may one day have their finger on the nuclear button are asked the query over and over again.So far, the Republican hopefuls' answers are yes, no, I have (sort of), and...unclear.The media began by asking Florida's U.S. senator, Marco Rubio, if he would attend a homosexual 'wedding' ceremony, especially if he were invited by a relative or close friend.“If there’s somebody that I love...

Senator Marco Rubio has been criticized by many Tea Party activists for his stance on illegal immigration, but that doesn’t seem to hold him back in the polls. Look at these results from CNN’s latest poll among Republican voters: "Overall, 17% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents back Bush for the GOP nomination, while 12% support Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Paul and Rubio stand at 11% each, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 9% and Cruz at 7%…" Remarkable: Bush and Rubio both poll at 18% when respondents are asked which candidate best represents the future of the Republican Party....