If Marco Rubio Is 'Establishment' Then 'Establishment' Has Lost Its Meaning

National Review ^ | 01/06/2016 | David French

[arthurus]

He is pro amnesty. His other positions are totally meaningless given that one enthusiasm. Amnesty negates every other conservative appearing position. What good is being pro 2Amd when you are increasing the Democrat constituency by at least 20% on a rapidly rising slope?

[arthurus]

If Amnesty happens anchor babies become a mere footnote.

[Gaffer]

Understand. They would be new anchor citizens and so-called sponsors. Out country’s population would likely double in 20 years and we would be living in a third world shithole.

[Kenny]

This author didn’t mention Rubio’s betrayal of the Tea Party. Stabbed them in the back multiple times after elected.

[Borderline]

Rubio is perfect if you want the US to be a third world country.

Never forget. No way I’ll forgive.

[vette6387]

“...and dealt a serious blow to Jeb Bush. “

That’s not a conservative move, it’s simply a self-serving move. Little Yebbie is in his way. He’s already given up working in the Senate because as he says: “he’s tired of it.” I wonder just how long it would be before he “got tired” of being president if he were given the chance? The Cabana Boy is through. He will have to find another way to pay for his home and his boat.

[Lazamataz]

Cannot deny that his rhetoric has changed, but I am reminded of John McCain, who becomes a rainy-day conservative every six years. Then he returns to his natural state, that of an ultra-leftwing Globalist/Elitist.

Let’s just say my choices are Trump, then Cruz, then Rubio.

And Rubio only barely makes the cut.

[Lazamataz]

Yes, National Review is a total mess these days.

It seems as though every single thing becomes co-opted over time.

I’m expecting the NRA to go this way at some point, and start championing for gun bans.

[jjsheridan5]

I still have vivid memories of the tea-party revolution of 2010, when insurgent conservative candidates toppled incumbents and establishment favorites from coast to coast. This was the year of Rand Paul in Kentucky, Ron Johnson in Wisconsin, and Nikki Haley in South Carolina.

I know that this won't be the most popular opinion, but I think the author's evident confusion stems from a misconception in this opening paragraph. The Tea Party was not a conservative insurgency. It was an anti-establishment insurgency, by people who have common sense (distinguishing it from the OWS "insurgency"). It happened that it appeared conservative because it was an insurgency grounded in common sense. But it was not ideological.

In tea party events, most of the people I met were not ideological conservatives. They were practical, generally middle-class, Republicans, Democrats, and independents, who are sick and tired of the entire DC establishment, which includes most "conservative" publications. These tea party citizens are, generally speaking, the same citizens who formed the Reagan coalition, who considered, or even voted for, Perot as an alternative to Bush Sr., who voted overwhelmingly in '94, '10, and '14. But it is not an ideological movement. And Trump, an anti-establishment pragmatist, who generally has conservative positions because he is a pragmatist, and can recognize good ideas when he sees them (hint: conservative solutions), is the natural candidate for this broad coalition of voters.

[arthurus]

Sponsors will be irrelevant with Amnesty. It would be logistically impossible to bring in more than will flood across the borders anyway.

[Gaffer]

That depends on what kind of “provenance” Obama tries to give them when their sponsors are legitimized. They might just find that they have a leg up on the paperwork to entitlement with an anchor relative. It’s been that way here traditionally.

[USS Alaska]

I must confess that I'm confused.

You'll can stop reading right at the first sentence.

The asshole is a lawyer and he is confused and then spends many more paragraphs telling you why you are stupid. Piss off lawyer, rubio is not a conservative, he is a cuban puta.

[steel_resolve]

A tea party stalwart would never become the lead sponsor on the monstrosity known as gang of 8. Is there really anything else to be said beyond this?

[Shery]

Rubio’s conservative bonafides are losing ground every day. He doesn’t vote on items that would put him in the spotlight that shows he is not so conservative, and only votes on those things (when he feels like it) that makes him look conservative. His scores have gone below 80%. If you cannot hold at 80% then you are not so conservative. When I was in nursing school, 80% was a D. What’s so great about a D?

[Teacher317]

He said the correct things to woo us in 2010. Since then, he has shown that he doesn't back it up with his actions.

What's so tough to understand, and why does it matter to you so much that he not get the GOPe label?

[arthurus]

Yes. That makes a difference to them but not to the nation. Take a step back so you can see that there is a forest there and the characteristics of an individual tree don't matter a hell of a lot.

[x]

I don't know about Rubio. I can see calling him "Establishment" (if "Establishment" still meant something). Bush is Establishment and Rubio is competing for the same votes and campaign contributions.

But "Establishment" did lose its meaning a long time ago. Guys like Giuliani, Christie, and Pataki aren't "Establishment" or "country club" Republicans.

They probably couldn't even get into the country club. They'd have a harder time getting in than some long-time conservative icons. They're just from the east coast.

[kidd]

1) The Chamber of Commerce owns the GOP establishment because of the large donations it makes

2) The Chamber of Commerce likes the cheap labor that is provided by illegal aliens

3) Marco Rubio would provide legal status to illegal aliens. A de-facto slave class.

Therefore:
=> The Chamber of Commerce likes Marco Rubio, thusly the GOP-e must like Marco Rubio.

[Fightin Whitey]

Rubio is a terrified little college Republican student senator who pees himself when the cameras are trained on him.

Can’t imagine the effect a 9/11, a Fort Hood, a San Bernadino or even a panty bomber would have on his girlish nerves.

[poconopundit]

...stopped reading National Review when they fired Ann Coulter.

Yes, and they got rid of Mark Steyn too!   Stupid people.