Marco Rubio is National Review’s cover boy: ‘Yes, HE CAN’

Marco Rubio is on the cover the new National Review – a coup that should help the Miami Republican raise some national money from grass roots conservatives. The writer is John J. Miller, who has written several pieces critical of Charlie Crist:

On paper, it looks like a mismatch between an unbeatable juggernaut and a doomed also-ran.

Yet Crist may be vulnerable: He warmly embraced President Obama’s stimulus spending and is one of the most liberal politicians in the Republican firmament. Rubio is among the brightest young stars on the right. Their contest could become the sleeper race of 2010.

The piece includes flattering quotes about Rubio from the likes of Jeb Bush (“He’s got all the tools. … He’s charismatic and has the right principles”) and former Bush adviser Mike Murphy (“Finding Latino stars in the Republican party is a big deal…I don’t want to pigeonhole him — I’d like him if he was Scandinavian — but it’s a plus.”)

The good news is that Rubio doesn’t have to match Crist dollar for dollar. But he does need to hit a certain mark — enough to lift his name into the consciousness of most Florida Republicans. It can probably be done for about $5 million, give or take. Primaries are famously fluid, with lots of last-minute deciders. Candidates such as Rubio can close hard and fast in the final two or three weeks, but only if they spend a long time preparing to make the most of their opportunity.

Rubio may want to think of his task as a football game: He’ll need to play from behind, hanging in there against a stronger opponent for a full four quarters and hoping to put himself in position for a game-winning kick as time runs out. Then the nightmare will belong to Charlie Crist.

Yesterday, for the first time, I met and listened to Marco Rubio in Venice, Florida. Marco was the guest speaker at the South Sarasota Republican Club. He was introduced by Ron Filipkowski, Club Chairman. The room was filled and a standing room only crowd of about 150 attended.

Marco began his conversation by saying the Republican Party has lost its way in the forest of politics. The Republican Party is more interested in winning seats, rather than promoting the values and morals that are deeply imbedded in the hearts and minds of ordinary Americans. He said it is our values that will draw converts to the Party, not winnability. He accused the Party of wanting those seats, not to do the bidding of ordinary Americans, but rather to regain power, power they had and lost because they are not much different from Democrats. Marco said both parties are pro-big government; it is only a matter of a few degrees of separation.

He said the Presidency is not the most important job in America. The Senate is made up of Princes and Princesses. Congress is filled with people who have spent half their adult life in office. He said the right blood line and the lack of term limits is leading to a new aristocracy in American politics.

At that moment I realized Marco Rubio is running as the anti-Republican, Republican for the U.S. Senate.

Marco began his presentation by talking about America being at a cross roads – a battle between those believing big government must solve all of our problems and those who believe in the people to solve all our problems. Marco said he spent the past three days in Washington, D.C., “in the belly of the beast”.  He said he was disappointed in what he saw and heard while there.

Marco spoke about the TEA Party movement in glowing terms. He spoke about a local, regional and national movement that can reverse the trend toward big government and return power to the people. He said federal and state governments moving in the current direction “will for the first time leave my children an America that offers them less opportunity than I had”. He said he believes that it is our duty to give our children something better than we have, to not do so is against all we believe in and value.

He spoke about the need for the people to take control of government, reducing the size of government and the importance of localism versus federalism. He spoke about his back ground, his wife and four children, his parents, his time living in Las Vegas, his schooling at the University of Florida and University of Miami Law School and his passion to run for the U.S. Senate. Many in the audience did not know Marco Rubio when they walked in, even though he was Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives under Governor Jeb Bush. He spoke about turning 39 next week. They knew the man when he walked out.

After listening to Marco speak about how today’s media and technology turns every issue into a national issue – mentioning the recent Miss California debate – I was impressed by his grasp of the big picture. He lamented the loss of power by the people and the growth in power of the federal government. He spoke about how even the state of Florida and other states have become increasingly dependent on federal funding. He spoke about the loss of freedom and liberty that naturally follows the growth in government at any level.

Marco said he believed in strong families. He believes that the mother’s right to choose ends at the moment her baby is conceived. He said at that point the baby’s inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness begins.

During the Q&A period he answered some tough questions. The first was about immigration and the last about supporting local government. Marco said he is a fiscal conservative, believes government closest to the people is best, and while he is for legal immigration he is against illegal immigration and Republicans should stand up and say so. He said he wants the borders closed and a complete review of the laws regarding visas. He said many illegal’s become so when their visas expire. He said many come here fleeing oppressive regimes and looking for freedom and liberty. He is for a balanced budget amendment and Congressional term limits.

I believe that Marco Rubio is a young Cuban, who is a fiscal and social conservative with credentials. He is the greatest fear of the Republican Party. He is an anomaly. As Marco said, “given the values and beliefs of the Republican Party, I should not exist, but I do”.

To show how afraid the Republican Party is of Marco Rubio running for the U.S. Senate the Republican National Senatorial Committee and Republican Party of Florida have already endorsed Governor Charlie Crist. This is unprecedented but not unexpected. If I were Marco Rubio I would wear this as a badge of honor. Rejection by the Republican power brokers is a good thing.

As Proximo said to Maxiumus in the movie the Gladiator, “Win the crowd and you will win your freedom.”

Yesterday Marco won the crowd.

All I can say is Marco Rubio, the anti-Republican, Republican, has my vote. Welcome aboard the conservative movement Senator Rubio! We are in a battle for the soul of the Republic and Republican Party.

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