Monday, January 30, 2012

Rubio on immigration

Marco Rubio, the main name being tossed around for Republican VP and who finally figured out his own immigration story, namely that his family fled Fulgencio Batista rather than Fidel Castro, is talking about immigration as the Florida primary nears. However, he has done so in a fashion that answers very little:


Rubio stopped short of calling for comprehensive immigration reform. 
"How about everybody else? I don't have a magic answer for you," he said. "There is not political support for the notion of granting 11 million people citizenship or a path to citizenship. It's just not there. On the other side you can't deport 11 million people."

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/27/2611305/immigrant-advocates-target-rubio.html#storylink=cpy



This, as you might guess, is not particularly helpful. But when you want to be chosen then platitudes framed as complex truths are what the doctor ordered, especially when the favorite has already come out against immigration reform. Rubio says he won't be the nominee, though of course that's also the perfect thing to say when you want to be the nominee. No presidential candidate really wants someone dying to be VP. In fact, I don't want a VP who really wants to be VP.

To be fair, even though he offers no real policy suggestions, Rubio goes much farther than any candidate in recognizing reality:


"You find it in the faces of the men outside of Home Depot ... the women who work long and hard hours sometimes without documents," he said. 
Speaking to a potential audience far beyond the mostly Hispanic crowd of 600, he added: "I ask you what if you were them? Let me tell you-if I was there, there are very few things I would not do. There is no fence high enough; there is no ocean wide enough that most of us would not cross to provide for them what they do not have."

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/27/2611305_p2/immigrant-advocates-target-rubio.html#storylink=cpy



Rubio's chances have to be good for getting the nod. Republicans want the Latino vote and they want Florida. They also want tea party supporters, who tend to like Rubio. Add young and telegenic, and you're looking at a five-tool player.

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