Posted on 02/05/2016 3:48:01 PM PST by conservativejoy
Marco and the K St. Restoration: I went to see Marco Rubio's town hall this afternoon in Salem, New Hampshire. It was only a few miles from my hotel-I really had no excuse. I wanted to find out: Was Rubio really as slick and insubstantial in this setting as John Edwards? Answer: No. He’s slicker. He's slicker, in part, because he at least seems a bit spontaneous, with a slightly goofy, human quality. I admit this is hard to judge seeing him once — maybe he always lets his 8-year-old son sit on his stool during his stump speech. But it's hard to deny the appeal.
When it comes to substance, Rubio draws on an inventory of well-prepared rhetorical modules, with just enough policy to sound sophisticated, that can be inserted where necessary to handle, say, the how-would-you-handle-ISIS question (Sunni ground army!) or disability benefits (get rid of phony claims!).
There's not much sacrifice involved in any of Rubio's proposals - even avoiding budget apocalypse, which he claims to be very concerned about, is just a matter of raising the retirement age and slowing benefit hikes for the well-off. Nothing that hasn't been floating around Washington for years. There's a heavy emphasis on electability. Big, difficult questions (like robots taking everyone's jobs) are ignored. Tellingly, however, Rubio has added a Trump Module, where he alludes to anger at stagnant wages.
He's got an immigration module too. It ignores Rubio's "Gang of 8" amnesty push while adopting what seems to be an Enforcement First framework, in which "nothing" happens, amnesty-wise, until the border is "secure." Everything depends on what "nothing" and "secure" mean, of course. But those crucial seams are effectively buried. Rubio prefaces all this with a digression on ISIS, and how it’s changed the immigration debate: Because our top priority has to be to "keep ISIS out of this country." It's an absurd, transparent attempt to put off confronting the Gang of 8 and the effects of a low-skilled influx on living standards. But the audience loves it. The ISIS digression gets the biggest applause of the day.
All of this is mildly terrifying. If Rubio's a "robot," as many have charged, he's a sophisticated new model robot with simulated humanistic elements and a charm algorithm. And if he still seems insubstantial-which he does-it's a higher level of insubstantial than you expect: You don't get the impression he's actually thought through these problems, but he knows his modules. He's the ideal choice for Student Body President of America, the best band at Band Camp. And-as those who remember Gary Hart's 1984 post-Iowa surge know-that may be good enough for Rubio to do very, very, well in New Hampshire, unless someone rudely interrupts him.
Why isn't that someone Trump? Trump's been attacking Ted Cruz lately, and leaving Rubio alone. Why? Cruz isn't going to win New Hampshire. Rubio has a chance–certainly a chance to come so close he's proclaimed the winner by the press. And Cruz isn’t going to destroy the nascent, effective populist insurgency that anti-amnesty activists and trade skeptics, led by Sen. Jeff Sessions, have built over the past three year–and that Trump is demonstrating has substantial, intense support among voters of both parties. Rubio will.
Electing Rubio, after killing the Gang of 8 bill, is like marching against the Vietnam War in the 60s and winding up with Richard Nixon running things.
This is a more difficult case to make than, say, arguing against Jeb Bush. Bush is explicit about his support for mass immigration and amnesty. Rubio has now effectively wormed his way into a position where championing mass immigration and amnesty would involve breaking what seems to be an explicit policy pledge. But anyone who has followed Rubio knows that's exactly what he'll do.
a) He's done it before, having opposed amnesty when seeking his Senate seat only to become its front man on arriving in Washington; b) He dissembled when necessary to push the Gang of 8 bill, why not dissemble now? c) The GOP establishment thinks that's exaclty what he'll do; d) His retreat from the Gang of 8 has been grudging and weaselly, always giving as little ground as he thinks he can get away with until he discovers he has to give a little more; e) He still hasn't repudiated the bill, let alone apologized for it; and most important, f) actually achieving an Enforcement First solution would mean standing up to the Democrats, who will demand quick legalization, and the bulk of the GOP Congressional caucus, who will be happy to settle for a fig-leaf of enforcement they can try to sell their voters (not unlike the fig leaf added to the Gang of 8 by the for-show-only Corker-Hoeven "double the border patrol" amendment). The current flash mob of GOP representatives streaming into Rubio's camp suggests they recognize him as someone who won't make their lives difficult - when that's exactly what is required.
Rubio's not going to drive Jeff Sessions from the capital. But you can count on the combination of President Rubio and Speaker Ryan to quickly pass an amnesty bill that (like the Gang of 8) contains only the most chimerical guarantees of new enforcement measures. You can also expect them to promote and defend trade, including "trade in services" that involves foreign workers performing those services on American soil. And what about the Sessionsesque suggestion that immigration levels actually be lowered? "We have a better chance of discovering time travel than getting Rubio-Ryan to take up immigration-reduction bill," one Senate immigration advisor told me. Corporate lobbyists will be in the saddle, and the promising Sessions movement will have effectively been defeated - probably permanently, given how mass immigration creates ethnic lobbies for more mass immigration.
Historians will get tenure trying to explain how this happened so suddenly. Was it similar to what happened to the Bimetalists? Maybe Trump can become a columnist for the Washington Examiner. Dave Brat will be a trivia question.
In short, for the Sessions movement-and a particular vision of America, in which even unskilled, non-bright citizens can work a full day and earn a respectable living-Marco Rubio is a state-of-the art K-Street kill shot, a sudden existential threat. We may have only a few days to recognize this.
There was a snowstorm in the forecast yesterday. After some lame joking by Rubio about how he was not responsible for the weather, an audience member suggested it was Trump's fault. "Make America Snow Again," Rubio giggled. If that was pre-planned, then I really am a total patsy in the hands of stage managers.
The Trump cult is keeping Cruz back from defeating the Rubio menace.
Way to go cultists.
Not too late to wake up and back a real conservative with guts.
Trump has to beat the fake christians in the SEC primary.
Jeff Sessions & maybe Vitter need to endorse Trump.
Trump’s the only person who can destroy Rubio in NH and also his general election claim.
You can’t prevent folks from taking a bite out of the apple. We make our general calling, as it were, Then move on. If folks have an ear they will hear. I’ve been a Trump fan because I believe it’s time to give a private citizen a shot. Surely, Cruz would be better. Rubio is a disaster. But we cannot prevent what the population will do, especially since they elected Obama, twice.
Cruz supporters aren’t helping their candidate when they insult other voters.
Rubio is as slick as Slick Willy
Cruz and his followers need to take some personal responsibility. His face is out there and so is his message. Personally, I would go to Carson rather than Cruz. And, you really should reconsider the 'conservative with guts' meme. Rings hollow.
I’m guessing sleazebag commentators like Kaus are being paid by someone’s PAC?
The Cheap Labor Express candidates must be stopped.
Yeb!, Kasuck, Christie, Fiorino, and Young Yeb!
Nominate a cheap labor importer again and you will have another Designated Loser.
Millions of us will not endorse national suicide with our vote.
If you support Trump and can say that with a straight face you are a better actor than Rubio.
I admit Trump is a crapshoot.
The sewer in the District of Corruption is so deep I think only an outsider has a chance of changing anything.
I said it all along, Trump is a “Hail Mary Pass.”
Yeah sure. Voters are in charge. We have 1 vote. Your candidate is doing plenty of screwing up himself. He doesn’t need any help from Trump supporters. All his problems are self inflicted wounds. Nobody in the Trump camp forced him to do the things he has done. Everyone has 1 vote. I again say we are on state number 2 so why are you yelling and screaming about Cruz losing already. Trump supporters have 1 vote and that is it. So use your vote carefully and we will do the same. The reason Rubio is of interest right now is because his fellow Senators are all endorsing him........Is that Trump’s fault? Or is it Cruz’s fault? Yep Cruz’s fault.
Carson? I think he has been getting too much of a pass. I'm not sure that Carson has ever been running a serious campaign. His campaign financing operation appears to only function for making more money. It put's little into the actual campaign. Most goes back into it's fundraising operation. It appears that is serves to grow mailing list and selling access.
When Carson was at the height of his surge, leading in the polls, what did he do? He temporarily suspended his campaign to go sell his book. Sound like something a serious campaign operation would do?
This week, 15 minutes before the Iowa caucus starts, his campaign incompetently puts out that Carson isn't going to NH or SC. Instead he's going home to rest and get a change of clothes. His next stop, according to the story, would be the National Prayer Breakfast the occurred yesterday. Next thing we hear is that his first stop after getting his rest and clothes would be a fundraiser/campaign stop in NC. NC? Really?
Let's not forget - way back when - that Carson's foreign policy adviser leaked that Carson was unwilling to do the homework. And if that wasn't enough, how about his staff, both on the campaign and PAC's, bolting and going to other campaigns?
This week we learn - after Iowa is over (no voter manipulation there) - that Carson is canning almost half of his staff.
None of these things are indications of a campaign that was ever serious. It appears more likely that the campaign's intent was really about self promotion, book sales etc.. If true, then his campaign has been a fraud. None of this appears like something that deserves any support.
You are delusional. Trump isn’t going to be the one that takes out Cruz. The GOP is the one that is taking him out. He never had a chance so keep your Trump hating going and say hello to your nominee Rubio.
Agreed.
LOL! Good one! Think of all the foam parties Rubio could have. Say, they could even have a bath house in the hotel!
foam par·ty
noun
plural noun: foam parties
a party, especially in a nightclub, at which guests dance and play in foam or soap suds.
I had to look it up.
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