There’s something of a scuffle going on in Florida right now over the 2010 election of Marco Rubio and the hiring of Charlie Crist’s Florida staff by the Romney campaign. Newt implicitly is tying Romney to Crist.
Rubio, who has not endorsed anyone, in response, says that Romney is not Crist, and asserts that Romney was “one of the first national Republican leaders to endorse me….”
It’s probably not a good idea for any Republican candidate in Florida to cross Rubio, even indirectly, but the reality is that Romney and Newt endorsed Rubio within days of each other in late April, 2010.
By that time, Rubio already had been endorsed by Tom Coburn, Rudy Guiliani and Mike Huckabee, had been leading in the polls for well over a month, and Crist’s approval rating among Florida Republicans was down to 28%. Newt already was touting Rubio prior to that and also formally endorsed Rubio within days of Romney, as did Dick Cheney and many others.
Neither Romney nor Newt deserve credit for helping launch Rubio.
That credit goes to the folks at Not One Red Cent and a handful of other bloggers who started backing Rubio in 2009, when no one believed.
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So, Romney bought Rubio and Rubio’s staying bought.
It doesn’t matter who endorsed Rubio. If the TP hadn’t supported him with their votes, he’d be nowhere. He’s forgotten that. Just like Nikki Haley.
You have earned the first “thumb” I ever have given here (for the second sentence). And it was a thumb up.
(3 bows) Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
This is Off-topic, but how can Newt expect to win enough delegates if he is not even on the ballot in Virginia and Missouri? Virginia especially is a large state.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Ron Paul wins VA as the only Not-Romney.
MO is a beauty contest, per the Kansas City Star: “But the results of the Republican primary — the only one with any suspense — won’t play a role in how the Missouri Republican Party selects delegates to attend the nominating convention in Tampa. That will be determined in a party caucus scheduled March 17.
How quickly Marco Rubio forgot what it is like to run as an Insurgent Conservative in the Republican Party.
Romney hired the guys who were hired to defeat Rubio’s Insurgent Conservative campaign.
When I heard Marco Rubio say during a fundraising speech in Atlanta GA Aug 2009 “I cannot believe I have to run as an Insurgent Conservative in the Republican Party” I thought he genuinely meant what he said.
Now he is just another status quo politician positioning himself into the Ruling Class Republican’s Party so he can move on up the chain of established power.
I cannot decide which party is more despicable, The Democrat Party of Evil or The Republican Party of Evil Enablers.
Rubio’s original boosters are Jeb Bush, family and associates, Ros-Lehtinen, Karl Rove, Ann Herberger, et al. They are supporting Romney.
(However it’s probably fairest to say that the person who should get credit for Marco Rubio is Marco Rubio.)
Jeb said he’s staying neutral. Not a very courageous stance if he favors Romney.
Our problem is simple, we have two GOP frontrunners that do, or have in the past, given reason to question their authenticity.
The Left loves their Obama because he is clear about who he is… a man of the left that embraces statism, believing material inequality is the number one evil in the world.
We loved Reagan because he embraced the greatest values the world has ever seen, E Pluribus Unum, in God we trust and Liberty.
Gingrich and Romney, at times, provide doubt. This is our problem.
There’s as nothing like the smell of money, power, and political influence early in the morning. if y’all expected Rubio to be sincerely insurgent with that wafting in his nose then you bought into the act. Sorry, I didn’t.
nd the smell of cordite. Anytime.
Your right about the credit belonging to the Bloggers. And of course..once in power, why remember anything about grassroots? That particular problem effects all politicians, regardless of party.
After all, look at the way we defer to the politicians… everything we do (the way they travel, the way they can roll into town and immediately the town leaders line up, and more and more)…well.. it isn’t long before they believe they ARE the royalty we ALLOW them to be treated as.
A politician proud of his grassroots heritage must be something like DC’s version of “Beverly Hillbillies”….good, now that you are here.. its time to get polished and quit acting like a hick.
DocWahala – always wonders why we allow ANY politician to treat us like we are the lowly serfs, just waiting for their beck and call.
Late April 2010? Wasn’t that just days before Crist’s long-awaited announcement that he would run as an independent?
Sounds like both Newt and Mitt were among the last to climb aboard the Rubio bus.
But I’ll give Newt credit for “most improved” after having endorsed Dede Scozzafava just six months earlier.
1. A hit, a very palpable hit.
2. Hearing his eloquent speech when he won his against-all-odds election, I realized that young Mr. Rubio is someone to watch. I am watching him even more closely now that he co-sponsored PIPA. He was shocked, shocked to learn about the collateral damage and withdrew his support when the bill became politically toxic.
Did Gingrich actually campaign for Rubio? I can Google stories of Romney being out on the campaign trail for Rubio, but not Gingrich.
Romney was already running for president; Gingrich wasn’t. 🙂
Marco….POLO!!! Marco…..POLO!!! Marco….POLO!!!!
[…] [];}by SmittyMarco Rubio is a GOP celebrity whose nod would be a real help in the Florida primary. Legal Insurrection points out that:Neither Romney nor Newt deserve credit for helping launch Rubio. That credit goes […]