“Voice of the GOP” is what Marco Rubio may be becoming. He is “articulate” like President Obama. He is gaining more experience than the President had before running for office. He is demonstrating effective leadership, so far.
One question, is he in the right party? What is it about the GOP that attracted Rubio to align with it?
Like Obama, he wrote a memoir: “An American Son, a memoir.”
“Few politicians have risen to national prominence as quickly as Marco Rubio. At age forty-one he’s the subject of widespread interest and speculation. But he has never before told the full story of his unlikely journey, with all the twists and turns that made him an American son.
That journey began when his parents first left Cuba in 1956. After Fidel Castro solidified his Communist grip on power, Mario and Oria Rubio could never again return to their homeland. But they embraced their new country and taught their children to appreciate its unique opportunities. Every sacrifice they made over the years, as they worked hard at blue-collar jobs in Miami and Las Vegas, was for their children.
As a boy, Rubio spent countless hours with his grandfather, discussing history and current events. “Papa” loved being Cuban, but he also loved America for being a beacon of liberty to oppressed people around the world. As Rubio puts it, “My grandfather didn’t know America was exceptional because he read about it in a book. He lived it and saw it with his own eyes.””
http://www.amazon.com/American-Son-Senator-Marco-Rubio/dp/1595230947
Many Cuban Americans were aligned with Republicans because they believed that Democrats left them stranded on the beaches at the Bay of Pigs. That is historically true. Many Cubans who made it to South Florida became business people and are fiercely independent. When Marco Rubio was conversing with his grandfather about history, there is little doubt what spin he was receiving.
From what one can witness so far, Rubio is effective in initiating bipartisanship, especially with regard to immigration reform. Let’s see where this goes because he is in the position to fill a leadership void.
“Marco Rubio to deliver GOP response to Obama’s State of the Union
Posted by Ed O'Keefe on February 6, 2013 at 4:05 p.m.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). (Lynne Sladky – AP)
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), will give the formal Republican response to President Obama’s State of the Union address next week.
Republican congressional leaders signaled in a statement announcing the decision Wednesday that they expect the Florida senator — and potential 2016 presidential candidate — to expand on his well-received speech to the Republican National Convention last summer that weaved the tale of his family’s immigrant history with his quick rise through the political ranks.
In a modern-day first, the bilingual Rubio plans to deliver his remarks in English and Spanish — an added bonus for Republicans eager to reach the nation’s burgeoning Hispanic population. Aides said they are still coordinating logistics of dual English-Spanish versions of his remarks with Spanish-language television networks, but that Rubio’s remarks likely will be pre-recorded to permit the simultaneous broadcast.
Rubio said Wednesday that he is honored to have the opportunity “to discuss how limited government and free enterprise have helped make my family’s dreams come true in America.”
In the same statement, House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) called Rubio “one of our party’s most dynamic and inspiring leaders. He carries our party’s banner of freedom, opportunity and prosperity in a way few others can. His family’s story is a testament to the promise and greatness of America.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Rubio “embodies the optimism that lies at the heart of the Republican vision of America,” adding that the senator “will contrast the Republican approach to the challenges we face with President Obama’s vision of even-bigger government and the higher taxes that would be needed to pay for it.”
The State of the Union regularly draws one of the largest television audiences for any national political event, meaning Rubio may face his largest crowd ever. The ability to also deliver his remarks flawlessly in Spanish adds to the potential reach of his remarks. The speech may also give him a chance to tout his role in the ongoing bipartisan negotiations over how to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws."
Comments