Interesting how quickly the Republican establishment–and its Fox alter ego–have jumped on the Marco Rubio 2016 bandwagon. It goes something like this: Since “demographics are destiny” and Latinos are the fasting growing demographic in the country and the GOP has an exponentially growing Latino-vote problem, Marco Rubio could be electoral manna.
What?
This is beyond miscalculating. This is insulting. It’s as if all Hispanics are the same. Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, it doesn’t matter. Recent arrivals or third generation, not an issue. Political prism, no problema.
Rubio is of Cuban parentage, which is problematic. The “wet foot, dry foot,” immigration exemption, for example, doesn’t play well with all other immigrants who have to wait in line or sneak in. And there are those among the Cuban community, per se, who don’t appreciate his calculated, contrived back story that his parents fled Fidel Castro, not Fulgencio Batista. It matters in Little Havana. Rubio also has a problem reconciling his various immigration stands and that recent nod to Earth creationists. Then there’s that party credit card. And more. The vetting would be tougher next time. Glibness, charisma and an Hispanic surname only take a candidate so far.
If the GOP is serious about its party introspection and appeal beyond 1 percenters, fundamentalists and the Confederacy, it is kidding itself if it thinks Rubio–ostensibly in Iowa last week for Gov. Terry Branstad’s birthday party–is their designated, anointed answer.