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It really shouldn't be news that all potential picks have a variety of downsides. But, here are some of the more obvious issues regarding Rubio.
*No foreign policy experience. Governors almost invariably take someone with notable foreign policy experience.
*Rubio's claims of Cuban exile. Rubio has previously claimed that his parents were forced to flee Cuba when Castro took power. He later admitted that his parents actually came to the United States in 1956, three years before Castro overthrew the Batista regime.
*His drug-trafficking brother-in-law would present obvious problems.
*His brief Mormonism as a child. There's a reason Mitt Romney talks about 'my faith' but almost never mentions it by name. Picking a running mate who is arguably a 'closet Mormon' (and the prevalence of birthers should be ample evidence that there is a significant population of potential Romney voters who will believe inane conspiracy theories such as that) would present serious fodder for the Mormonism-is-a-nonChristian-cult! crowd.
*His support for the DREAM Act. In a primary where a candidate (Cain) who talks of putting alligator-filled moats along the Mexican border is cheered, and a candidate (Perry) who speaks of compassion for the innocent children of illegal immigrants is booed, supporting the DREAM Act is toxic.
I'm not saying that these issues are all fair. Where his parents took him to church when he was a child isn't something he could control, nor is his sister's choice of a husband. But in the real world of politics, these are issues that will get attention. The prime directive of running mate selection is "do no harm".
And when you look at some of these, you begin to understand why Rubio is so adamant that he will not be Romney's running mate. You can, of course, blame all of this on the liberal media boogeyman. But such excuses won't change reality.
There are simply picks with better upside/downside ratios. And I expect Romney to make a careful and cautious decision.
I am not going to take time to argue all of these so called facts with you, but briefly I will address a couple: as for VP his views on the dream act mean nothing, absolutely nothing, even is he were running for Pres, it would not be a breaker, but he is running for VP: the Mormon issue, is amtoher nothing. How often do we know or care about the religion of the VP?
since when does foreign policy enter into anyone's decision on voting for the Pres because his VP chioce does or doesn't have foreign policy experience and last but not not least what his brother in law has or hasn't done doesn't enter into anything either:Carter, who, as far as I know was elected Pres with an alcoholic brother and Obama has an aunt living here who is illegal. He is adament about not running more because he doesn't have the experience and has said more times than not, he has a job to do in Florida first. No, I don't think he will run, no I don't think he is ready or old enough but I don't think any of the reasons you have given amount to a hill of beans. The only issue of all those you have listed might be his ability to pull many if any hispanic voters.
I don't know about other states but they don't run as a team in California. It is entirely possible to have a governor and LTG from different parties. Perhaps it would be better if the Veeps ran for the office independently instead of being attached to a presidential ticket.
I am not going to take time to argue all of these so called facts with you, but briefly I will address a couple: as for VP his views on the dream act mean nothing, absolutely nothing, even is he were running for Pres, it would not be a breaker, but he is running for VP: the Mormon issue, is amtoher nothing. How often do we know or care about the religion of the VP?
since when does foreign policy enter into anyone's decision on voting for the Pres because his VP chioce does or doesn't have foreign policy experience and last but not not least what his brother in law has or hasn't done doesn't enter into anything either:Carter, who, as far as I know was elected Pres with an alcoholic brother and Obama has an aunt living here who is illegal. He is adament about not running more because he doesn't have the experience and has said more times than not, he has a job to do in Florida first. No, I don't think he will run, no I don't think he is ready or old enough but I don't think any of the reasons you have given amount to a hill of beans. The only issue of all those you have listed might be his ability to pull many if any hispanic voters.
Got it -- you think Rubio is a magical candidate with no downside.
I don't think it was a Freudian slip, just a slip. Rubio probably realized running with Romney could be political suicide for him, but he still might feel a sense of loyalty to his party. Rubio knows he'd only be chosen to attract the Latino vote, but Romney cannot erase his past that easily.
His past? What exactly is so bad in his past? How does his past go against Barack Obama's first term? Most people would probably agree that it compares favorably.
His past? What exactly is so bad in his past? How does his past go against Barack Obama's first term? Most people would probably agree that it compares favorably.
Utterly irrelevant.
Mitt Romney won't be weighing Marco Rubio against Barack Obama, he'll be weighing him against other potential running mates.
They all have downsides (despite the bleats of certain posters who can't stand having this pointed out about any politicians from 'their' party -- and, no, I'm not talking about you). It is a calculus of potential upside versus potential downside with a given individual, and then comparing these calculi amongst the various running mate candidates.
The "Hispanic" vote is not monolithic. How can the GOP expect Rubio to "deliver" the Hispanic vote when Rubio is a Cuban who doesn't want to be treated/seen like a Latino. Ask Andy Garcia if he is a Latino actor and see what he says.
There are plenty of Mexican Americans who are Republicans and I can almost guarantee that they will vote against Rubio because the non-Cuban Latinos cannot stand that crowd in South Florida.
I think we are in agreement, except that I am not sure there are really a large number of Mexican Americans that are actually Republicans? In Arizona alone 77% of Mexican Americans are Democrats. I do think they are swing voters to some extent though. The percentage of their vote that George W. Bush got tells us that.
I think we are in agreement, except that I am not sure there are really a large number of Mexican Americans that are actually Republicans? In Arizona alone 77% of Mexican Americans are Democrats. I do think they are swing voters to some extent though. The percentage of their vote that George W. Bush got tells us that.
Well, I don't know who was doing the counting or who they counted, but based on entirely anecdotal evidence at work and in my neighborhood, the Mexican Americans I know are mostly employed or have their own business and they are Conservative Republicans. They voted for Bush twice.
A lot of them don't know too much about the sweetheart deal Cubans have enjoyed with the Cuban Adjustment Act. When they all find out, a lot of caca is going to hit a few fans.
It doesn't make a difference either way. Rubio doesn't bring anything more or less than anyone else that he could choose. VP choice won't make or break Romney regardless.
So i don't see what the big deal is. Rubio is just as good as anyone else he could choose.
It doesn't make a difference either way. Rubio doesn't bring anything more or less than anyone else that he could choose. VP choice won't make or break Romney regardless.
For reals. VP picks can only hurt a candidate if they're just plain awful; they never really help.
I am not going to take time to argue all of these so called facts with you, but briefly I will address a couple: as for VP his views on the dream act mean nothing, absolutely nothing, even is he were running for Pres, it would not be a breaker,
Are you kidding?
How many die hard Republicans do YOU KNOW that support the Dream Act? Just look at the response hear on these forums by Conservatives. Mitt Romney support among hard line conservatives is already tepid at best. Rubio's support of the Dream Act would be his undoing.
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