What Mitt Romney can teach Marco Rubio

In this 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks to the media before a town hall during a campaign stop with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. in Aston, Pa. / Jessica Kourkounis / Getty Images

This post originally appeared on Slate.

What's worse for your political ambitions, being labeled a wimp by Newsweek or a savior by Time? Marco Rubio, the freshman senator from Florida, has been stuck with the savior label and it has several disadvantages. It makes allies suspicious, irritates your rivals, and perhaps worst of all: When you're a savior, people expect you to perform miracles.

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Marco Rubio gives GOP response to SOTU

After Rubio delivered the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union Address, commentators said he had simply mouthed standard GOP talking points. How was he going to expand the Republican electorate by doing that? A particularly damning charge was that he sounded too much like Mitt Romney. As Jonathan Martin pointed out, Rubio's speech--thick with references to his humble origins and common touch--was designed to send the signal that he was the polar opposite of Mitt Romney.

The story of Rubio, his ambitions, and how they play out is about more than just the fortunes of one charismatic Republican. Rubio is one of the architects of the Republican future. Like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Rep. Paul Ryan, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, his ambitions are linked to his party in a way that is different than figures with greater power like John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. Every day Rubio is taking soundings about what the GOP will allow and what the larger electorate will allow. The risks he takes and the reactions they provoke from his fellow-travelers will tell us something about where the party is headed.

• Rubio's Republican response to State of the Union
• Rubio trying to capitalize on water bottle bungle

Still, the criticism of Rubio's State of the Union response asks too much too soon. The GOP is not ready to announce a sweeping new direction, (it may never be ready) and Rubio isn't in a position to launch a thorough rebranding right now anyway. Even if he was, 10 minutes after the State of the Union would be the wrong time to do it. Still, if Rubio is going to add new energy to the GOP, he'll have to find a venue where he can make a much more compelling case for the party's signature principle: the promise and glory of smaller government.

For many conservatives, the criticism of Rubio's message on Tuesday night is meaningless. The media apply labels in part to then remove them. So build up Rubio and then take him down. It's meaningless for another reason too: They don't think the party needs much tinkering. So when Rubio reads from the traditional GOP script it sounds good to them.

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[TJphoto]

33 times the GOP tried to overturn "Obama Care". Not once did they ever offer any concept of a replacement. "The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many". Welcome to the implosion of the Greedy One Percent AKA "The GOP" Bye Bye Boys!

[mikesfilms]

Rubio's the new Republican ace. The only intelligent thing in political life he's done is not joining the Romney ticket. "Cada vez que habre la boca la caga." Now he talks about the things Repubs should've done when they had the WH: balancing the Budget, lowering the Debt, lowering oil imports, jobs. They did neither. Crying babies.

[outback_jackson]

RZARC2 replies:
"As an Independent my guess is that the libs are rolling on the floor in laughter and joy. If the GOP shuts out solid candidates like a Huntsman and goes for the rubes like Rubio the Dem's have nothing to look forward to except occupying the WH for many years to come".

"Even McCain and Romney were OK until they fell under the spell of the far, far right nutcases (TPer's and religious fanatics) that run the "modern" GOP".




Yes, it was obvious in the 2012 election, that the GOP primary was a race to see who could move to the extreme right the farthest. I'm willing to bet that tea potty darlings like rand paul and ted cruz will be fighting for a piece of the action in 2016!

[outback_jackson]

Ted Cruz slanders war hero, embarrasses Texas and violates Armed Services Committee tradition

The hearings to consider the nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) began with two great statesmen endorsing Hagel and ended with a freshman Republican senator embarrassing his state and the Armed Services Committee with a performance that illustrates why Republicans have lost three of the last four national elections and why Texas Democrats have good odds of a historic revival.

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/lawmaker-news/282819-ted-cruz-slanders-war-hero-embarrasses-texas-and-violates-armed-services-committee-tradition-

[facinfun]

In South Florida, the state GOP has seen to it that we Hispanics cannot afford to drink bottled water. Like us, Rubio should have had tap water or sought out the nearest puddle. He isn't one of us!

[outback_jackson]

Heck no, marco rubio talked big about his middle class neighbors in his SOTU rebuttal speech, but now we find out he's selling his $700,000 home and moving to Washington, to be with the elitists!

[BENJ0RD0N]

Outhouse, we know there are no democrats that own a house as expensive!

[rzarc2]

What can Romney teach Rubio?

How to lose the Presidential election when at any other time in history you should have won with an economy that is poor as the one Obama has.

Maybe Rubio should study how Reagan, Clinto and Obama won.

[logictoo]

Obama convinced the majority that he not only can drink water but can walk on it. That is what a Rebublican Candidate must be able to do. After all, thirst is not acceptable for it is only human.

[Think4times]

What can Romney teach Rubio?

"A closed mouth gathers no feet."

[sockpuppet2011]

It is obvious from this article and the libs reaction to this speech that Rubio makes them nervous.

[erickson55345]

It is obvious from your reply that you are a hopeless partisan.

How is a non-partisan constructive criticism any evidence of what you say?

[rzarc2]

As an Independent my guess is that the libs are rolling on the floor in laughter and joy. If the GOP shuts out solid candidates like a Huntsman and goes for the rubes like Rubio the Dem's have nothing to look forward to except occupying the WH for many years to come.

Even McCain and Romney were OK until they fell under the spell of the far, far right nutcases (TPer's and religious fanatics) that run the "modern" GOP.

[rwassel]

If Rubio is the 2016 nominee, I wonder if the GOP crazies will be demanding to see his birth certificate, since he, like Obama, looks different from them?

[OldTimeTruth]

"Rubio is one of the architects of the Republican future". Well count me out. He is after two things, Power and Money which equals pain for the middle class.