Posted on 07/22/2015 12:05:46 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Via Mediaite, his strategy here is obvious. What I didn’t realize until Benjy Sarlin reminded me on Twitter was that Rubio’s not the first Republican to draw this comparison. Jeb Bush did it last week:
Mr. Bush, the former governor of Florida, told an audience in Iowa on Tuesday that voters ought to forget about tiny little things like “race and ethnicity and income.” And he attacked two people who he said were trying to scare and divide Americans – Mr. Trump and, incredibly, President Obama.
“There are people that prey on people’s fears and angst as well,” Mr. Bush said. “Whether it’s Donald Trump or Barack Obama, their rhetoric of divisiveness is wrong.”
If you want a much, much fuller treatment of the analogy, see Victor Davis Hanson’s latest piece for NRO, “Obama and Trump: Two of a Kind.” For the past month, the CW among establishment Republicans was that Trumpmania would burn itself out quickly and had to be endured with patience until it did. (Rand Paul made that very point as recently as yesterday.) Now, with Trump in the mid-20s in national polling and getting saturation media coverage, people like Bush and Rubio are grasping for ways to pop the balloon so that it’ll deflate more quickly. You can call him a RINO, truthfully, but he’ll just call you one back. You can say he’s vulgar, but his fans like that about him. You can say that he wouldn’t stand a chance against Hillary, also truthfully, but no one cares about electability 16 months out and Trump can always retort that his polling is better than theirs right now.
The quickest way, in theory, to breed contempt for Trump among his admirers is to compare him to the most contemptible figure in the GOP’s political cosmology. He’s another Obama. It won’t work — their styles are too different, even if the sizes of their egos aren’t, and Trump’s birtherism established him squarely as an Obama antagonist — but you can see why Bush and Rubio might think it’s worth a shot. The odd thing about what Rubio says here isn’t the analogy itself but how superficial it is. The key similarity between Obama and a guy who’s supported all sorts of left-wing policies in the past, and who told CNN in 2004 that he probably identifies more as a Democrat, is that they’re both … not classy? C’mon. If you’re not going to hit him on policy, at least hit him on the fact that he and O are, in different ways, the consummate “celebrity” candidates. As one GOP strategist said to the Hill, “He’s the Kardashian of the Republican primary.”
What makes the “no class” attack especially weak is that, per today’s new Morning Consult poll, Trump has paid no price among voters for his classless moment over the weekend goofing on McCain. Trump fans don’t care about that. Why would they? He put the boots to a RINO. That’s what matters.
A new Morning Consult poll finds Trump leading the Republican field with 22 percent of the vote, well ahead of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who clocks in with 15 percent, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, in third place with 12 percent…
There is no evidence that Trump’s numbers have slumped after comments he made questioning Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) war record. Though most of the rest of the Republican field — and even the Republican National Committee — loudly criticized Trump after he made the comments on Saturday morning at an event in Iowa, voters interviewed afterward weren’t any less likely to say they support him.
In fact, Trump has gained ground since a Morning Consult poll earlier this month, when he trailed Bush by a 19 percent to 17 percent margin. This week Trump is the second choice of 12 percent of voters, behind Bush’s 18 percent.
Criticizing Trump for his lack of decorum is like criticizing Bernie Sanders for being radically left-wing. It’s why their fans love them. It’s evidence that they haven’t been coopted by D.C.’s political culture. Really odd that Rubio thinks this would cost him votes, even if it’s dressed up in an Obama analogy.
What has Rubio done other than be the bargain GOPe?
When did Rubio point out Obama has no class? I don’t remember it.
You might have seen this story today about how we've already got a president with no class, why would we want another one. Aside from the obvious dangling racist card floating in the breeze which liberals are wont to use, you've again managed to keep Trump in the headlines, and, well, your agenda and campaign out.
How does it feel to just be a sideline jester who every once in a while who makes a quip on someone else’s campaign?
If this is not a great feeling, how about you instead limit your remarks to, you know, that thing you're paying yourself $400,000 a year to do - campaign for president.
Just a thought from a concerned voter.
I agree.
Trump may not be a Conservative, but when you see who is against him, it’s like a whose who of every Leftist in the United States and beyond.
Look at the GOPe out themselves for exactly who they are.
Rubio is just one example of why I’m sick and tired of the GOPe and the usual suspects.
Could Trump be worse than them? Perhaps so. He’d sure have to work at it.
Trump was nice to Rubio this am. But that was Trump give what amounted to a big “whatever”.
Rubio is a non factor in the primary.
Trump serves a useful function of eliminating the low end candidates who gets paired down to two or three.
“I am not a fan of Rubio, but he nailed Donald on this one.”
You got that right. Money does not buy class. Trump has plenty of the former and none of the latter.
So do many of Trumps supporters on here..
Funny, how supporters mirror their candidates.
But, I agree...Trump is egotistical and lacks class. The minute he start poking fun at Perry for his glasses, I knew this guy had no class.
I know, exactly. Who is he pandering to? K Street lobbyists? Rich RINO donors? The liberal media? There is no reason to add that in.
I think that soon he'll be lowering his sights and will be content just to be Little Schmoe Veep on a Jeb Bush ticket.
Baa to them both !
Leni
U MAD BRO?
We don’t hire Presidents for class. We hire them to preserve our way of life...something you’re refusing to do, and not admitting.
Rubio, just quit now. You just ticked off the GOP base. It’s over.
because we are tired of little weenies like Rubio
Can’t be Leni. They can’t be from same state. Remember who moved back to his second home/ranch in WY.? P & VP must be from different states
Rubio: Where’d you get your clothes... from the... toilet store?
(at least the guy who can’t think said something)
Wow. These guys really are stupid. They never learn. STILL don’t discuss the issues. Glad little Marcon and doofus Grahamesty are at 0%.
President with no class. Why another?
Substitute ‘balls’ for ‘class’.
Gets to the substance of the problem, on many levels.
Ah, Rubio is taking a shot at Trump only because he is a panderer rather than saying what he thinks of Trump’s outbursts. good conspiriacy theory.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.