Marco Rubio is a political insider who's whole life has been politics. He has the look and feel of a manager trainee who's not really ready for the GM's job.
Traditionally, guys like Rubio work their way up. Maybe a Senate leadership position, maybe a Cabinet appointment, maybe even VP. But the top job? Why Marco Rubio; what has he done, really, that's all that special?
It hurts Rubio that he's Hispanic because his youth and lack of experience at the higher levels of politics make it seem as if he's being boosted beyond where he's really at. If he weren't Hispanic, he wouldn't be in the position he's in, and even he knows this. At a certain point, the "Affirmative Action" aspect of those boosting him is going to hurt him. I will say, however, that this may not kick in until AFTER he's the GOP nominee. He's the most likely "establishment" candidate to grab that brass ring.
The fact that Marco Rubio has been a political insider is actually a big reason he's my second choice and Jeb Bush is my first - I think for these times, we need a Governor with private sector experience. I believe experience in a state legislature prepares one to be in congress or the U.S. Senate, it only prepares one for certain aspects of the presidency. With that being said, Marco Rubio has shown time after time that he is a thoughtful leader with a strong grasp of a host of issues. Unlike Ted Cruz, he isn't just about giving speeches or getting on television, he is also serious about policy. He won as an anti-establishment candidate and has won the respect of both the establishment and the grassroots.
Also, Rubio can't change his heritage, though I'm sure some Trump supporters won't vote for him because he's hispanic but to be fair, I won't vote for a skinhead or white supremacist like the Donald.
Marco Rubio is a political insider who's whole life has been politics. He has the look and feel of a manager trainee who's not really ready for the GM's job.
Traditionally, guys like Rubio work their way up. Maybe a Senate leadership position, maybe a Cabinet appointment, maybe even VP. But the top job? Why Marco Rubio; what has he done, really, that's all that special?
It hurts Rubio that he's Hispanic because his youth and lack of experience at the higher levels of politics make it seem as if he's being boosted beyond where he's really at. If he weren't Hispanic, he wouldn't be in the position he's in, and even he knows this. At a certain point, the "Affirmative Action" aspect of those boosting him is going to hurt him. I will say, however, that this may not kick in until AFTER he's the GOP nominee. He's the most likely "establishment" candidate to grab that brass ring.
Pretty much everything you wrote was said of Obama in 2008. Ultimately Rubio's youth, with the right message, is the best contrast against any of the senior citizen aged Democratic candidates he'll be up against. Appearances matter, and appearing younger makes you look and feel more like an outsider than you really are. Obama was a perfect example of that. It'll ultimately serve as an advantage instead of a disadvantage.
I think Ted Cruz is the GOP candidate who can best be compared to Obama on experience, though Trump is the closest to Obama on policy by far. People are in awe of Cruz within the Republican base because of what he says, he has zero accomplishments and is just an ideologue who says no to everything without proposing alternative policies. Marco Rubio is far more serious than Barack Obama and Ted Cruz and additionally, he was an effective legislator in Florida, Barack Obama consistently voted "present" as an Illinois legislator.
