However, watching Rubio today going scorched earth on Trump is making me like him less...
It isn't that his strategy is bad...But after months of being Mr. Nice Guy, Rubio is suddenly transformed into a gutter player, mocking Trump and suggesting he peed in his pants last night. It does have a smell of desperation.
Maybe it is because of the way liberals always use petty ridicule and mocking to attack conservatives rather than logic?
But Rubio's act today makes him seem like a Bill Maher wannabe to me. If he would stick on message about Trump being too risky as both candidate and President, I'd agree.
But instead he just feels like he is trial ballooning the attacks Democrats will launch on Trump.
"I've dealt with so much tougher than Rubio. In fairness, Ted Cruz is pretty tough. He is a lot smarter than Rubio. No he is...Ted Cruz is a whole lot smarter than Rubio. And Ted Cruz is pretty tough. But Marco Rubio is a baby."
He then picks his water and starts splashing it around saying, "Look...I'm Rubio." Then he makes a choking noise and desperately grabs at the bottle in a mocking reference to Rubio's water mishap after Obama's SOTU.
And I find myself laughing....
No matter how many times I read a sentiment like this, I still really don't get it. By the time March 15/Florida comes around for a vote, almost half the other states will have voted by then. If Rubio doesn't have a strong couple wins by then, what are the chances that he wins Florida (especially when he is down by 15 and 20 points in 2 different polls there in last 2 days), and even if he does, he is likely to be so far back in the delegate race, it would take a minor miracle to catch up before the Convention? Rubio is very likely to get a lot of 3rd places finishes on 3/1, except for some of the northeastern states, where it appears he will still be blown out and may not get any delegates.
"However, watching Rubio today going scorched earth on Trump is making me like him less...
It isn't that his strategy is bad...But after months of being Mr. Nice Guy, Rubio is suddenly transformed into a gutter player, mocking Trump and suggesting he peed in his pants last night. It does have a smell of desperation."
For starters, I would disagree that he has been Mr. Nice Guy when he has been lying non-stop about Cruz. Now, if you mean that he hasn't attacked Trump, then yes. I said to my kids in real time when we were watching the debate live last night and Rubio was just throwing stuff against the wall, that he looked a little desperate, flailing. At least some of that stuff had policy implications, but the way he was doing it, it did seem desperate. But this morning he's really getting personal, and really getting down on Trump's level with the schoolyard insults. "I know you are but what am I" type stuff. That's why I said I thought Cruz looked more Presidential last night with his attacks on Trump, because they were policy based distinctions.
I think that Rubio is very likely to regret attacking Donald on such a personal level, and soon. Rubio has a very, very checkered history of close associations with some very shady characters in South Florida. I can see it as a very good possibility that in the next few days, Trump, on his twitter account (probably at his rallies, also), may start peeling back the layers of the Rubio Florida Corruption Onion. Slowly. Publicly. Probably going to make an issue of what a hypocrite Rubio is on the illegal immigration issue, also. I'd imagine Rubio's team had to have taken that risk into consideration before they decided to go down this path starting last night at the debate. So, I have to surmise that the reason the Rubio attacks against Trump last night and this morning looked Desperate, is because he is getting Desperate.
There was a story yesterday about a private meeting Rubio's campaign manager had in New York with big donors a few days ago. At the meeting, he laid out their strategy to win the GOP nomination through a brokered convention. Does that sound like someone who is confident of winning the nomination the good ol' fashioned way? You know, getting the voters to vote for you? Sure doesn't sound like it to me.
I know one thing for sure: The Cruz campaign team is popping the corks on some champagne bottles this morning because Rubio is likely to get the full force of Trump's fury the next few days and for the foreseeable future. Cruz just got pushed to the back of the stove for Trump.
There are two big reasons:
1. Rubio has a far better shot at consolidating the anti-Trump establishment vote. Establishment players have already hinted that they will back Trump over Cruz. Polls suggest that Trump benefits more from Rubio exiting the race than he does from a Cruz exit.
2. The winner take all primary states that come later tend to be the purple states where Cruz does not poll well. Rubio has a much better shot against Trump in these moderate states than Cruz does.
IMO, Cruz needs to kill it on Super Tuesday and have the momentum of a front runner going into those winner-take-all states where Trump is beating him decisively....But it isn't happening.
I think you're conflating D.C. GOP Establishment political figures, with voters who may prefer a GOP Establishment type candidate. If it comes down to Trump vs. Cruz, will some of the D.C. GOP Establishment figures back Trump over Cruz? Yes, I think some will. But the GOP voters in the 50 states are a different thing entirely. Do you really think most people that preferred Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio, are going to vote for Donald Trump over Ted Cruz? I have a hard time seeing that.
"The winner take all primary states that come later tend to be the purple states where Cruz does not poll well. Rubio has a much better shot against Trump in these moderate states than Cruz does."
I'm aware that that's the Conventional Wisdom about Cruz, and has been ever since he got in the race. However, if you'll go to realclearpolitics.com and look at the poll numbers for the different states that have already been polled, I think you'll see that Cruz is holding his own pretty well in a lot of blue state polls (and is 2nd only to Trump in some, ahead of Rubio) in states like California, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio and others. Cruz has had some good polls in North Carolina, and a poll out in Virginia today shows him in 2nd there, ahead of Rubio. There was a poll from New Mexico a few days ago where Cruz was in 1st place, then Trump, then Rubio. Is Cruz going to do well in Mass. and New Jersey? No, not likely, but there are plenty of blue and purple states where I think he will do well, especially if he has a strong March 1 and if Rubio ends up dropping out. Rubio is also lagging waaaayyy behind Trump in some of those blue state polls, even the ones where he's in 2nd place.
By the way, just out of curiosity, what would be your definition of Cruz "killing it" on Super Tuesday, other than winning Texas?
It is more than just entertaining...It is deeply strategic.
Trump's biggest threat is Rubio. Rubio wants to position himself as the guy who can take on Trump and consolidate the anti-Trump vote. And so Rubio is taking the gloves off and attacking hard, trying to be the champion of the anti-Trumpers.
But Trump brands Rubio as a choke artist. Last night Trump reminds of Rubio's "meltdown" against Christie (whose endorsement was the next days news dump.) Today he one ups it and *visually* reminds us of Rubio's choke job after Obama's SOTU. Now it is really hard to get that memory of Rubio's choke job on the big stage out of our heads. It is as if our subconscious is screaming, "Trump is right! Rubio is a choke artist!"....As if we came to the realization ourselves!
Meanwhile he points out that Cruz is much smarter and tougher than the lightweight Rubio (and that also feels true...)
He is denying Rubio a chance to position himself as the anti-Trump candidate by branding Rubio a choke artist who doesn't measure up to Cruz.
I doubt Christie helps Trump get any votes he isn't already getting, however....He may well hurt Rubio and actually help Cruz in the process. Guarantee you Trump brought Christie on in part to be a surrogate attack dog against Rubio, and he already started this morning. He did a pretty effective job of hitting Rubio at the NH debate. Trump and Christie are going to be doing a tag-team to skin Rubio the next few days, at the very least.
What wouldn't help cruz in your mind would be a shorter list to compile. LOL!!!!
Yes, I think most of them will. These are the pro-establishment voters. They are the voters who are most likely to follow endorsements from the establishment...The ones who fall in line. They aren't going to suddenly become anti-establishment and buck the party elders.
what would be your definition of Cruz "killing it" on Super Tuesday, other than winning Texas?
Winning most of the races, taking the delegate lead and becoming the clear GOP frontrunner...
He needs to be the frontrunner and have people wondering if any other candidate can consolidate the anti-Cruz vote and overtake him.
Yep....Take out the establishment threat and position Trump as next-in-line for establishment vote at the same time.
Here's the thing, though....If the race is down to Trump and Cruz, and the Establishment D.C. GOP political figures start falling in line behind Trump and giving him a very warm embrace....Don't you think Trump loses some of his "mad as hell and can't take it anymore" voters who all of a sudden become disillusioned with Trump's giving up his "outsider" status...and vote for Cruz instead?
Trump can't credibly be both the Establishment candidate and the ANTI-Establishment candidate at the same time.
Rubio hasn't won a state and very likely won't. He is losing Florida badly to Trump in polls. The establishment may tell him to get out before March 15 to help Kasich win Ohio.
Trump is sitting pretty...I think a Trump-Kasich ticket is likely.
No. Polls suggest Trump's supporters are the most loyal. Trump supporters are not going to have an emotional change of heart because he is winning over the establishment.
Trump can't credibly be both the Establishment candidate and the ANTI-Establishment candidate at the same time.
He can too. He is honest and dishonest. This contradiction is minor compared to so many other contradictions of his campaign.
Besides, establishment support will indicate that the establishment is surrendering to Trump, not that Trump is surrendering to the establishment.
He already started this morning. You want more evidence, you'll have plenty of it by Tuesday.
Just 2 days ago Christie sold his mailing and donor list to Marco Rubio.
Today Christie endorsed Trump.
Read more at http://iotwreport.com/#MqIWyrck1EVdR3Cg.99
If one thinks about this, it says much about a "President Rubio"...sort of like Obama and his foreign policy.
I assume you never voted in the past. Correct? That or your shoulders are not that wide.
The Rock
Rubio is the establishment's hero luchadore... Cruz is the Uber conservative religious zealot... and Trump is the unpredictable nationalistic populist.
The establishment won't let Rubio quit, Jesus won't let Cruz quit, and given that scenario.... Trump is too smart to quit
They are stuck in a 3-way demolition derby and Trump's got the car with loudest goldplated pipes. If they keep running as three, Trump wins.
Its a slow motion car wreck...you can't stop it and you can't look away.
Condensate of joshuaf's posts:
poll(!!!)
Cruz good
Trump bad
Any mention of Trump indicates support and low intelligence.
;o)
Sadly, this election proves the old adage:We reap what we sow.
That is just it and I agree. The people have had enough of doing that. We are always getting lied to and fooled. After a while you just say I am going the other way and see what happens. How could it be worse? What can another four years hurt with the bruises I have.
The Rock
Lol. Let me just say again - Lol. Surely you are not just now coming to this conclusion? Please tell me that's not what you're saying....?
A little late to the party bud.
What are Trump's "pros"?
btw, you will note I did not say anything about Cruz in my post right above yours. I would be ripping Trump just as hard if I was a supporter of Kasich or Rubio or Carson.
It's just incredulous to me that someone who at least seems to claim they're paying attention to the race is just now drawing the conclusion that Trump might not be the greatest guy to be President.
Via Weasel Zippers:
The Voicemail From Rubio That Led Christie To Back Trump
That didn’t work out very well.
Via NY Post:
A perceived insult by Marco Rubio fueled Gov. Chris Christie’s bombshell endorsement of Donald Trump, The Times reports.
Rubio placed a condescending call to ask for the governor’s backing after Christie dropped out of the presidential race. The 44-year-old candidate all but patted Christie, 53, on the head in a voicemail message, saying he “had a bright future in public service,” sources told The New York Times.
The message infuriated Christie, who blamed a Rubio-boosting super PAC for a spate of negative ads that dashed the governor’s White House hopes.
That McRubio is a sharp politician!
Take Henry's advice. It is not like you have some track record calling these things that you can be proud of. Lol!
orionsbrother's Link
Ha! How's that endorsement feeling now? Glad you let yourself get pimped out? Starting to feel like a prostitute yet?
Reuters video wouldn't embed. Click on the link if you don't want the Young Turks spin.
orionsbrother's Link
“Boy, were we wrong,” Union Leader publisher Joseph W. McQuaid wrote in an editorial. “Watching Christie kiss the Donald’s ring this weekend — and make excuses for the man Christie himself had said was unfit for the presidency — demonstrated how wrong we were. Rather than standing up to the bully, Christie bent his knee. In doing so, he rejected the very principles of his campaign that attracted our support.”
The public humiliation didn’t end there.
After introducing Trump at a press conference in Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday night, Christie stood awkwardly behind Trump — and was widely mocked.
orionsbrother's Link
"Since New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has endorsed Donald Trump, he has been:
Humiliated by video showing Trump ordering him onto the plane and telling him to "go home."
Condemned by his former finance co-chair and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Meg Whitman. ("The Governor is mistaken if he believes he can now count on my support, and I call on Christie's donors and supporters to reject the Governor and Donald Trump outright. I believe they will. For some of us, principle and country still matter.")
Excoriated for his disastrous TV interview on Sunday. Phrases like "train wreck," "off the rails" and "disaster" were used to describe his appearance.
In other words, if it had not been obvious to him before this weekend, his political career is essentially over."
"Just thinking about the photo with Trump, and Christie in the background, with Christie (maybe) considering: If he wins, and I'm VP, I could hire a NJ mobster to take him out and I'd get the whole stromboli. Total megalomaniacal narcissism and opportunism. Weird fantasy, huh?"
