Scary Rubio, successful Walker
I keep reading articles that refer to the other Republican candidates as being most scared of Rubio among all their rivals.
John Podhoretz thinks it’s not just because of his youth and Hispanic ethnicity (although those help), it’s because “He is, without question, the most naturally gifted off-the-cuff political speaker I have ever seen,” and that, although real-world accomplishments are more important than the gift of gab, gab is what campaigns are almost all about.
I agree that there’s something about Rubio, although a great many conservatives cannot forgive him his stance on immigration, even though he’s disowned that position.
It strikes me that Rubio and Walker are somehow joined as two sides of a similar coin. They are both young and look young, boyish even. They are both relatively conservative but appeal to the middle as well. But Walker is less smooth as a speaker and his big claim is to exactly what Rubio lacks: action, and in particular executive experience.
And, interestingly enough, although other Republican candidates are not often described as being scared of Walker (although the left is sometimes described as being afraid of him), maybe they should be, because at the moment he’s leading the field:
Walker is alone in first place in the poll with 17 percent, followed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 15 percent, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) at 13 percent, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 12 percent and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 11 percent.
But look at where Rubio leads:
Rubio stands out among the top tier of candidates for having the best favorability rating in the field. Fifty-nine percent of GOP primary voters said they have a positive view of Rubio, compared to only 16 percent who have a negative view.
And then there’s Hillary Clinton, whose supporters don’t seem to care how crooked or secretive she is:
Clinton leads all of the Republicans in head-to-head match-ups, with Rubio and Carson coming the closest, trailing the former secretary of State by three points each.
Clinton leads Walker, Bush and Christie by four, Huckabee by five, Cruz and Fiorina by six, and Paul by seven points.
That’s actually pretty poor for Clinton, considering the Republicans aren’t even close to having a frontrunner, most of the candidates are not well-known, and Clinton probably already has all the support she’s going to get.
I hope that voters will look beyond the gift of gab, and the ability to speak Spanish, and demand proven leadership ability and the experience of weathering political fights.
Maybe it is because Pundits gush over him, but Rubio leaves me decidedly cold. I really don’t care that his parents came from Cuba (and his mother tried to return) or that his father was a bar tender. He is a career politician, albeit with a rather short career at this point. His experience is entirely in the legislative arena. I want a tested leader. Even Jeb can make that claim; as can Scott Walker, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, and John Kasich.
Polls that compare this or that GOP hopeful to Hillary at this point are ridiculous. Right now, it is about name recognition; and that will change. However, those polls are one reason I would like to see Fiorina balance the ticket, and force women to choose who represents them best.
If one just were only interested in identity politics, Jeb with his Mexican wife at his side, speaking to Hispanics in Spanish; and Carly speaking to others of her gender as a woman with real accomplishments in the “good old boy” world should be a dream ticket.
Oldflyer – I don’t get your point about identity politics in the case of spouses.
I seriously doubt Mexicans would be motivated to vote for Bush because of his wife. If they cared at all, they might question her taste in men.
Which is to say, I don’t think Mexicans vote on the basis of who married who. At least not the ones I associate with. Just like you wouldn’t vote for Barack Obama if he were married to a white woman, or a black person would vote for Jeb if he was married to a black woman. I don’t think you’re assuming too much about minority voting habits.
Jeb Bush is just too boring to listen to for more than 60s, even for conservatives. And he’s not sure he’s a conservative, until he wants to be elected.
” “He [Rubio] is, without question, the most naturally gifted off-the-cuff political speaker I have ever seen,”
Really? Does he give any examples… or is this a pundit’s mancrush?
Perhaps this is of a calculation of “if he says everything, he’ll seem smart to most people”. Rubio is as obvious a fourflusher as O was an obvious… subjectively appropriate derogatory epithet here _________.
As far as identity politics with spouses, it is a factor !
The rational being “That candidate ( in Bush’s case a
WASP ) could have married anybody & he chose a
Hispanic Lady & became Catholic as well”
The Spanish are proud people *they* are flattered by that, it translates to votes .
I came to like Walker during the uproar in Wisconsin. I’m patient, and I’m content to wait. Lots of flavors of the week will come and go before things shake down.
I also by no means rule out something crazy happening here in the USA connected with ISIS.
(It’s funny how when I mention the last, even as a longshot hypothetical, my hardcore liberal friends just DO NOT want to go there.)
Molly NH – I disagree.
Have you looked at Jeb Bush? I’m sitting on the wrong side of the fence, but based on appearances, I don’t think he’s in position where he can have any woman he wants. He’s a big goofy looking clod.
And…I think you’re kidding yourself if you believe that minorities are flattered by a white guy marrying a minority. My brother married a Mexican. I have other relatives who have, and they vote for different people, just like you and me. The last thing on their minds is who they married, just like in their own relationships. People get married because they’re attracted to the other person. Jeb fell in love with a Mexican American woman, not all Mexican Americans. They’re smart enough to know the difference.
In all of these mixed families I’m associated with, the Mexicans aren’t running up to us white members gushing with pride because we stooped so low. You probably don’t realize how the implication sounds to a Mexican American- that they’re impressed with white person for lowering themselves to accept a Mexican when they could have had something else. I know you don’t mean it, but it sounds that way. Many of them are Republicans, and many are Democrats, for all the reasons white people are both.
And again — have you looked at Jeb Bush? I’m just saying. He looks like a big doofus. Hardly the ladies man.
I like Rubio so far, but I’ll wait until the debates to make up my mind. Ted Cruz is probably the most brilliant of the group but may not have the political skills like Rubio. Walker is good and I admire his stance as governor but I’m not sure if he will be a big presence on the national stage.
Does Podhoretz give examples of Rubio’s extemporaneous policy prowess? Podhoretz does say this:
His fluency on subjects ranging from conflicts in the South China Sea to flexible community-college credits is, quite simply, dazzling.
I have no deep personal knowledge of the subject, but Podhoretz has always struck me as highly knowledgeable and a straight shooter.
I say the following with no disrespect intended for Rubio or Fiorina:
The American electorate is highly propagandized and manipulated. There is a high degree of superficiality. The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.
The awful disastrous economy and Romney’s comparative extraordinary competence should have decided the last election.
Carly/Rubio, Rubio/Carly is not at all my preference.
But it would be more difficult to demonize them than all the others. They both seem to understand how they cannot be punching bags, and they both seem to be able to deal with it.
They might have a deep appeal to segments of the shallow.
Picture the relentless leftist garbage hurled every hour of the day for months on end. How much will the ignorant buy and how much will they let roll of their backs?
How effective will the parry be?
Too bad, the totalitarians and the black shriveled souls who run things are not going away. They have succeeded brilliantly for many, many years.
We all know, much worse than a traffic ticket, we are a joint or blowjob or nasty statement or divorce filing or harassment accusation away from electing HC at any moment during the campaign.
Marco and Fiorina atm look to be prepared for the inevitable.
The others, who knows. But not Jeb, Perry, Huckabee, Christie, Trump, Graham. Alas, sadly, probably not Cruz.
Walker? Eh … maybe.
These opinion polls are way early. No debates yet.
The only polls that count now are NH, IA and SC.
This race is already exhausting me.
Starlord, Yikes !!!
Have you heard of women looking for a guy with money ????
Do you realize JEB has *old money* belongs to a
WASP family similar to the Kennedys, Roosevelts,
Cabots, & Lodges….
Yeah, he can probably get any trophy wife he wants
while not exactly an *adonis* he dosen t exactly need a paper bag. (His bank account makes him irresistably attractive )
Molly NH: “Yeah, he can probably get any trophy wife he want while not exactly an *adonis* he dosen t exactly need a paper bag. (His bank account makes him irresistably attractive )
Yep, he’s got “Pesonality.” 🙂
Rubio’s appeal is that he reminds you of the whip smart kid next door who is aiming high, but without too much arrogance. Comes across as very earnest. That said, his resume to be President is a thin as tissue paper. But LIVs don’t care. They voted for Obama didn’t they?
Walker also has that likability. But he also has a resume as a successful governor in a highly unionized, mostly progressive state. That ain’t chickenfeed.
Now we have the Donald. I like a lot of the things that Trump is saying. The question is, “Can he deliver?” He’s got an ego as big as New York and Texas, but his belief that he can persuade Mexico to pay for building a wall on the border sounds like a Carny Barker trying to get the rubes in the tent to see the freak show. He’s been a big success, but he’s also had some big time failures. The MSM will be on his record like vultures on carrion. He will certainly add some color for as long as he lasts.
Carly is a non-politician like Trump, but without the showmanship – just quiet competence. I agree with her and the Donald when they say that many Americans are tired of the political class screwing things up. I believe Fiorina is a real dark horse. IMO, she will add a lot to the campaign, but if she starts polling too well, the MSM will certainly try to Palinize her. It may not be so easy this time.
I’m still keeping an open mind. It’s way early.
Starlord the essential point was that Jeb could make an entire speech in credible Spanish. The fact that he has a Mexican wife by his side is simply an embellishment. But certainly a favorable one.
I wasn’t going to belabor the point, but there are now 37 million Spanish speakers in the U.S. (Pewresearch); their impact at the polls will be enormous going forward. Rubio and Cruz are playing the Hispanic (or is it Latino?) card for all they are worth. Bush, even with that name, can play it just as hard as they can. Unlike them he actually moved to Mexico, did business and married. The other two were accidentally born to Hispanic parents.
While it’s interesting to follow things at this point, you can bet there are many out there looking for anything that might derail the campaign of anyone that would be a challenge to the left and that includes the Republican left. We’ll have to pick from the survivors.