ARE NIKKI HALEY’S NATIONAL ASPIRATIONS ALSO DONE?
These days they call it “suspending the campaign,” but the presidential aspirations of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida are officially done … making him the latest and greatest of the establishment “Republican” flameouts this election cycle.
What destroyed him? (Well … aside from the populist uprising fueling the front-running candidacy of Donald Trump).
It could have been any number of things …
Rubio was terrible on immigration, on energy issues, on trade, on the free market, on liberty, on foreign policy … you name it.
And while he showed flashes of brilliance during the various “Republican” debates, Rubio’s eloquence ultimately became his undoing when it was revealed the extent to which his talking points were pre-programmed.
“Let’s dispel once and for all with this fiction that Barack Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing,” Rubio said during a debate in New Hampshire. “He knows EXACTLY what he’s doing. Barack Obama is undertaking a systematic effort to change this country, to make America more like the rest of the world.”
Rubio was right … and the line was brilliant.
But then he had a synaptic misfire … some sort of “Milli Vanilli” moment in which the tape in his head started to skip. As a result he repeated the line – twice. That’s when New Jersey governor Chris Christie pounced – delivering a devastating critique of the Rubio campaign (one from which the candidate never really recovered).
“You see everybody,” Christie said. “I want the people at home to see this. That is what Washington D.C. does. The memorized 30-second speech where you talk about how great America is at the end of it doesn’t solve one problem for one person.”
Exactly … and let’s not kid ourselves. There are problems in need of being solved. ASAP.
Rubio tried to package himself as something new, something different, something diverse … and something electable. But at the end of the day there was no “there” there. GOP voters saw through it – and saw through the party’s feeble attempt to turn the 2016 campaign into a Benetton commercial.
Which leads us to S.C. governor Nikki Haley … whose endorsement of Rubio in early-voting South Carolina was supposed to be the establishment firewall against Trump. Haley didn’t just lend her support to Rubio, she poured a steady stream of venom on Trump – part of her ongoing collaboration with the national “Republicans” (and perhaps others) to sink his candidacy.
Not only that, she appears to have deliberately misled one-time GOP frontrunner Jeb Bush (here) and evangelical favorite Ted Cruz (here) about her intentions with Rubio – creating major rifts within the establishment wing of the party.
Where does that leave Haley on the national stage?
Nowhere, that’s where.
When Rubio bugged out of the race, Haley’s national aspirations evaporated … which may explain her recent frustration levels in returning to the unmitigated disaster that is her home state of South Carolina.
Rubio and Haley were billed on the national stage as the salvation of the “Republican” establishment – attractive minorities pre-programmed with focus group-tested talking points intended to take down “The Donald” and reclaim the mantle of “conservatism” for the They had the GOP donors and the media in their pockets, too.
They couldn’t lose … but they did.
With Haley leading the way, Rubio stormed into Super Tuesday on March 1 with designs on solidifying his status as the GOP’s “anti-Trump.” Two weeks later, though, he’s out of the race – humbled and humiliated following a drubbing in his home state of Florida.
Let Rubio’s collapse be a lesson: Substance matters. Policy matters. Positions matter. What doesn’t matter? Lofty rhetoric, good looks … and diversity for diversity’s sake.
18 comments
MARCO RUBIO DROPS OUT – Six weeks too late.
There, fixed it for you.
Now if Rafael will drop out we can start getting this election to where it needs to be. Concentrating on Hillary.
Our stock holders are going to miss Narco Lubio.
:(
To paraphrase the compliment to Cawdor: Nothing in his campaign became him like the leaving of it.
Mr K is done with her. He realizes that sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs to find your princess. Next please.
Guess such a thin resume won’t get you as far as you think it will, Rubio. When you criticize Obama (perhaps rightfully so) for his lack of a meaningful resume, it makes you look far worse by comparison. Now slither back to Florida and either become a lobbyist or run for another office. Marco Rubio – the Andre Bauer of Florida. Egomaniacs who just can’t stop running for office.
Damn. Guess we will never hear the details about that mistress rumor now.
We won’t get to see Trump swinging around water bottles anymore either.
“What destroyed him.”
Let’s keep this in perspective. Rubio was a relatively unknown first term senator, who came in third in a 17 person race. That is hardly the definition of destroyed. The Gamecocks’ 3-9 season including a loss to the Citadel is an example of being destroyed. Oklahoma may have suffered a beat down to Clemson in the Orange bowl, but they did get there.
Think of when Rubio took a dive-the Haley endorsement.My sources in Florida told me that sealed his fate.
Sources . HaHa
Another bowel movement no doubt.
I heard it was his utter failure:
1. Ticked off Nuts with Gang of 8 flip
2. Ticked off Hispanics when he threw them and Gang of 8 under bus
3. Failed to keep funding for aircraft carrier for Jacksonville
4. Never got any good appropriations for the State
5. Senate staff and field offices unresponsive
6. Started running for President in 2011
Actually there are three people still in the race, so that would put Rubio 4th. I’ll grant you that he did better than Lindsey Graham and Jim Gillmore.
Couldn’t win his own state – not very strong. I know people in FL and they just detest him. He managed, in 5 years, to anger both sides of the aisle in his own state.
So much for our first robotic president.
So what does Trey Gowdy do now that he won’t get a gig in a Rubio White House?
SC Supreme Court or just run for Congress again?
Nikki can always hitch her wagon to Hitlery’s campaign. They do seem to have a few things in common. Of course, I’d much rather see Nikki and her family fade into political, social, and economic, obscurity. Hopefully no birthright, “my mommy crooked you people for eight years and now its my turn”, several years down the road.
But then, we haven’t done so great with this when it comes to Campbells, Thurmonds, etc.