The expectations going into Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-Fla.) response to the State of the Union address couldn't have been much higher, especially coming on the heels of the "Republican savior" label. And it's fair to say the far-right Floridian didn't exactly make the most of the opportunity.
In speeches like these, it's almost inevitable that in the contest between style and substance, the former trumps the latter. It's why so many still laugh at Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) four years later. And on this score, Rubio had a very tough night -- he looked like a nervous and sweaty personal-injury attorney before taking an instantly-famous drink of water during his live broadcast.
Watching this unfold over 15 minutes, it was hard not to think that if this guy is the GOP's "savior," the party is in deep trouble.
But while it was Rubio's dry mouth that will be remembered, I hope the political world won't completely overlook the speech itself, because the far-right senator's remarks helped prove that he's quite literally not ready for prime time, for reasons that have nothing to do with his hard-to-watch presentation.
By any sensible measure, Rubio's entire pitch was incoherent gibberish. He thinks President Obama is hostile to free enterprise and wants to increase the deficit, neither of which makes any sense. Rubio thinks the housing crisis was caused by big government, which is simply idiotic. Rubio celebrates his family's history of dependence on government social programs like student loans and Medicare, while articulating a policy agenda that guts government social programs like student loans and Medicare.
Forget ideology, subjectivity, and areas of opinion -- the fact is Marco Rubio's speech was filled with a series of claims with no meaningful connection to reality. The senator even thinks combating the climate crisis means asking government to "control the weather," which is just genuinely dumb.
I know many of the folks watching Rubio's right-wing infomercial kept asking, "What's wrong with the guy's mouth?" but I kept wondering, "What planet is this guy living on?"
What's more, as someone who spent quite a bit of time studying Mitt Romney's stump speech, I can say with great confidence that there were no real differences between Rubio's remarks and the failed Republican presidential candidate's pitch to voters last year. Indeed, in some cases, it seemed like a word-for-word copy-and-paste job, up to and including, whining about "wasting more taxpayer money on so-called 'clean energy' companies like Solyndra."
And therein lies the point. Republicans are absolutely convinced that there's nothing wrong with their policy agenda, and there are no substantive lessons to be learned from their 2012 defeats. It's why they're still pushing abortion legislation, still waging a war on voting, still pushing to defund Planned Parenthood, and still refusing to compromise on fiscal issues.
And of 11 hours ago, they're still pushing Mitt Romney's platform, subtly repackaged for Marco Rubio.
I suppose this shouldn't come as too big a surprise -- GOP leaders have spent three months saying they'll get back on track with better messengers, not different ideas. So why not just hand Romney's stump speech to Rubio and hope for the best?
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Honestly, it's what I expected from Rubio. But my question is really about the perspective of his speech. Shouldn't he have outlined the Republican vision and legislative agenda instead of saying President Obama is wrong about this or that? Do they even have an agenda?
Of course, the conservative pundits will make the best of it and try to shape the performance as "standing up to Big Government" for their audience. And most of them will buy it. After all, they are the Party of Stupid.
The GOTP "agenda is what it's always been and WE rejected that nonsense in November with the re-election of the President and more democrats in the House.
GOTP vision, again: Cut taxes on the 1%, deregulate cause you know clean healthy food/water/air are so 20th century, force women back into the kitchen & pregnant, privatization of the federal government - except DEFENSE, LGBT folk need to go back into the closet, and minorities need to go back to Jim Crow and lowered wages....
Did I leave anything out, cause you know the last 30+ years of that nonsense has worked out so well for US....
I hate listening to people with dry mouth. It is gross and distracting. I thought Rubio was going to swallow his lips.
Same old GOP message with a different voice. Personally, I hope they continue to keep their heads buried in the sand and ignore what America and the American people have become. As long as they stay as disconnected as they are now, we will prevail in 2014 and 2016 as well.
Boehner said something last night that was like fingernails on a blackboard.... he maintains Americas 'mandate' to the politicians was to become bipartisan and reach agreements. Yes, in part that's what Americans expect, but the MANDATE was to more fairly tax the ridiculously rich, stop corporate graft, strengthen the middle class, to treat LGBT and all women as equal human beings, to help save our children, needy and elderly instead of letting them starve or die from inadequate health care. All those concepts were what the voters MANDATED, but the GOP just can't swallow it - sticks in their craw!
Do they even have an agenda?
Yes - in a way, they do. Their agenda is to continue to keep the economy from recovering, and then to continue to try to blame Democrats for the lack of recovery. Their agenda is to obstruct any jobs bills, any collection of tax revenue to fund any kind of program that would help the average American get back on stable footing, and keep people unhappy with 'government'. Their agenda is to live out their belief that government is the problem. (A government that is strong enough to stand up to monopolists, plutocrats, and an oligarchy that wants to personally profit from the nation's resources and treasury, is a problem for them and is what they are trying to destroy).
When, in fact, the reality of it is that the Republican agenda is the problem.
Take that, Obama! myeah.
Rubio.
The only item on the Republican agenda that Zora left out above is "to make government so small it can be drowned in a bathtub," since they want the world to be ruled by the multinational corporations that fund their political campaigns and that will pay them big bucks to be lobbyists once they have been in government long enough to understand how corporations can best manipulate government to their own ends, even if it means the destruction of millions of human lives and the exploitation of millions more.
Honestly, what can you expect from a party that, at one point, had Herman Cain, Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry leading the polls for the Republican Presidential nomination? Rubio *does* look like a savior compared to them.
To 1.1: No, they are fine with privatizing defense too, at least the big-ticket items like weapons systems and planes. And they'll privatize through mercenaries, er, I mean contractors like Blackwater and Wackenhut, too. Basically they're fine with income and tax redistribution, as long as the direction is upwards and more corporate.
he complained Obama didn't have specifics and then had none of his own.
Has anyone else ever noticed that the non-whites who become Republicans are all the kind of person who sort of reinforces white Republicans' prejudices about non-whites?
If Marco Rubio is the answer, what the heck is the question?
TC in LA @ You mean like Alan West and Herman Cain ?
Yup - they have an agenda - repay all their rich donors by cutting taxes on the top 1%!
You nailed it. I couldn't have said it better myself.
I mourn for our democracy lost...if a toad like Rubio is the best and brightest of the right, then this country is in more trouble than we thought...the fall of the GOP can not happen fast enough...the Republican folks who live in my community are still spewing lies that have been debunked long ago...this country really needs mental health care...
Saw this comment elsewhere
Senator Flopsweat and Senator Aqua Buddha.
These are the best they've got?
Re: #2
"...if a toad like Rubio is the best and brightest of the right,..."
Thank you for my morning laugh, and yes I agree with you whole-heartedly...
Yeas ,I agree 100%. The way I see it,the Republican party has re-packaged the turd in a new wrapper and is calling it a Baby Ruth.Same ole crap,different day,new wrapper,YIPPEE
OMG, just watched the entire Rubio speech. He is practicing for the next election. I'm happy for them. They will continue to lose if they can't find an honest, decent American loving, god fearing person as the repub candidate. What a pitiful speech.
Remember, Romney trashed 47% of the country and still got 47% of the vote. This is absolutely shameful. This is exactly why Republicans hate teachers and education. Their policy is "Keep them ignorant. Scare the hell out of them by making them believe "big govmont" is out to get them, keep them from voting, cheat whenever possible and lie, lie, lie." I live in the Texas Bible Belt. Most of the churches here have been practicing this strategy for years. It's brainwashing in the name of God and it works. I would not have believed it until I moved here and saw it first hand. They love FOX, Limbaugh and Beck. Nuff said.
Steve, In the finest tradition of Mitt's Mendacity, is it too early to start?
Starting the list on this guy now would only further elevate him in the eyes of those who view him as the savior. Give him a little more rope and he will soon be going the way of his predecessors for the repugnant response to President Obama's SOTU speeches. Just be glad he is the best they have for now, especially since people in FL have spent a lot of time telling us how incredibly smart he is and how much we should fear his ascendancy.
He was playing to his base folks. If he had made sense they would have torn him apart for trying to get uppity!
Oh, how to put it simply:
A bad performance of an old script! -Kevo
I love your comment! Gotta steal it for FB!!
Or: "Polish a turd, it's still a turd!"
love the title of this post
What I found ironic is that many of the topics and solutions Rubio spoke of during the speech mirrored Obama's vision of the future. I was reminded of the last debate where Romney pretty much agreed that Obama's foreign policies were what Romney, himself, planned to continue. I'm baffled by the GOP stance "We hate Obama's policies but we want to carry out the same thing".
Make take exactly
Because they have no ideas or they are saying what they KNOW the American people want to hear, even though they have no intentions of doing it. Either way its about power and shafting Americans for corporate funds and they can't exactly tell us that.
The republican plane is in a dive with no one at the yoke to level it out. All the moderates bailed or were pushed out the door long ago. No need to look for the black box here.
By the way, did he take tips from Paul Ryan on how to keep hydrated during a live, on-camera speech? Can't wait for the SNL parody!!
This is a guy who's "not a scientist, man" and had previously shown himself to know nothing about monetary policy or the function of the Fed, so it only makes sense that he'd be an empty suit when it came to everything else, too.
Typical tea party repub. They celebrate ignorance and view it as a virtue.
"Gotcher Bihbul?"
"Yup."
"Gotcher gun?"
"Yup."
"Yew agin' ev'rthang the gub'mint's doin'?"
"Yup."
"Then you's a TREW PATRIUT, man! Now putcher teeth in and let's head on over to the WalMart."
Re: #3.2
Thank you for a mid-day holla as I was rolling on the floor!!!
I loved the "giving states flexibility to manage programs" as something Obama is opposed to. I seem to recall him doing exactly that with Welfare and being lamblasted by the GOP all election for "gutting the work requirement" quote in speech at 4:20.
As I was watching last night, I thought it was a stump speech on the campaign trail. I wonder if they don't know yet that Obama won? Sorry Republicans, that ship sailed in November--catch up!
Didn't anyone think to put the little table with the water bottle on it closer to Rubio? Loved how he went for the water realfastsonoonewouldnotice and then kept his deer-in-the-headlights gaze on the camera so he wouldn't lose his place on the Teleprompter.
And he is supposed to be a front runner for 2016! If Hillary runs.....she would eat him up and spit him out!
Hillary has to run. By the time her 8 years are up all the old white guys will be dead and maybe we can fix this country.
My favorite comment on this "up-the-buttal" is from Jim Wright at Stonekettle Station: "On her worst day, dizzy from a concussion and seething at her husband’s ongoing Shenanigans, Hillary Clinton would eat this kid alive and screaming and then use his polished bones for toothpicks." I hope she runs, I hope he is the GOTP nominee. I want to see her remove small pieces of him during the presidential debates.
During the campaign, Romney candidly assessed that he would be doing better had he been born Latino, as opposed to born of American stock who once moved to Mexico. Less than a year later, a Latino American born of Cuban stock dusts off Romney's stump speech and tries it on for size. Whether we want to or not, perhaps we'll see if Romney was right (I just went to the future. Spoiler alert: Romney wasn't right).
I am continuously amazed at the cluelessness that informs the republicans when it comes to "Latinos". Cubans set foot on American soil and are granted immediate qualification for citizenship. Cuban immigrants have NOTHING in common with the path most latino immigrants face. But he's a "Latino" and the GOP expects that alone to win over Latinos. *smacks forehead*
He is trying to hard, is he in pain or something?
Rachel, just watch when he says the troops are in his prayers and his head is saying NO. Clearly his coach is not working or he is a bad student. I am latinamerican and it is insulting to witness how the republican party is using a latino man to advance it's agenda and trying to convince me that they are tolerant.
I think most of us in Florida are pretty amazed by his ignorance on sooo many topics! I don't believe his ideas - or lack-there-of, represent too many Latinos down here.
From what I've read, it's a Miami Cuban-American thing. Remember the Elian Gonzales fiasco?
Yeah, Rubio's experience of coming to America doesn't necessarily parallel other Latino immigrants. Rubio's Cuban parents were welcomed as "refugees fleeing that tyrant Castro". Rubio has NO clue how Latino's NOT from Cuba are treated upon coming here. See Marco "all Latino's not only aren't Cuban, but they don't get wrapped in warm fuzzies when they arrive on these shores.....
Senator Rube proves why Castro calls them "gusanos" (worms)
How can someone stand up and accuse the President of offering no specifics on Medicare when he had just listed a set of very specific fixes to Medicare?
Because the entire thing was written way ahead of time and on the 'prompter and there is no way he was going to extemporize.
I was living in Florida when he was elected. I voted for ex Governor Charlie Christ. AAANNNNNNHHHHHH!! (Game show wrong answer sound) Not long that after I moved to Texas. Then they elected Ted Cruz here! I voted for Paul Sadler... AAANNNNNNNHHHHHHHHHHH!
I am ready for the Bonus round please!!!
Thank GOD President Obama is in charge and is leading the country towards real long term solutions instead of hateful seniors and middle class hurting policies. Go Barack!!
Paul Sadler is a great guy. High on Education. He should have known better. Texas does not like intelligent people.
The guy was so bad I could not watch the entire speech. What on earth have the republicans become?
I know, I switched to the Daily Show halfway through.
Re: 19
The GOTP is the party of meanness, hate, and undermining working Americans in the service to the Oligarchical 1% - don't cha know.....
I wanted to turn away,really! But when a fly on the wall sees a large steaming turd...well you know. Train wrecks are fun too.
Rubio's frankly high schoolish speech just shows how much trouble the republican party is in. If this is their great latino hope to garner more votes along ethnic lines they are fools. Jindal's speech delivery was bad but Rubio's was..... (excuse me I need a gulp of water) simply horrible. It was not about what was good with the republican party but what is bad about President Obama. Did he say anything that they have'nt been saying for the last four years? No! Just more recycled talking points, more Romney, Ryan "stuff". Will he be the republican/tea parties nominee in 2016? OMG I hope so.
As soon as I heard him say "Solyndra", I knew the speech was worthless. What is WRONG with today's republicans?? They simply cannot get it together.
It was Jindal with less yuks
The entire GOP philosophy can be summed up in one phrase: I got mine, go get yours, and I'm gonna fix it so you can't get yours in order to keep all of mine.
That's a very effective summation.
By "better messengers", they meant "non-white guys spouting the same B.S." His "I got mine" attitude is typical for a Cuban immigrant. Unlike others, they merely have to make it to our shores to get a green card.
That is an excellent point. Why should Cubans have a better shot at residency than other immigrants? I am sure they are all good upstanding folks (though Rubio casts some doubt on that), but so are a lot of folks from other places.
Because they are not Mexican. It's ok if you're not Mexican. Oh, and Mexican includes Salvadorans, Colombians, Chileans, Argentinians, Panamanians, etc. If you got into the US via the Mexican border, well, by jove, you're a damned Mexican. And we don't want Mexicans, according to the GOP and associated legislation... >.<
In 50 years, I've never met one of these Batistianos I wouldn't put back on his boat, send him to sea, and then sink it. They're that part of Cuban society that thought they were on top, when they were merely being flushed.
You think when the Republicans get a younger guy from a different generation to be their spokesperson that he would ignite the party with new ideas and new direction. It is unbelievable that they keep churning the same messages that the old white haired guys used in the campaign they lost.
They act like jilted girlfriends out for revenge. What is YOUR solution Republicans? You still aren't giving us YOUR plan, just your opinions on how bad Obama is. <yawn>
They don't have a plan, just talking points.
Please don't insult jilted girlfriends. They could certainly concoct a better response than that.
More like a stalking ex. Totally lost their minds, you know...