Would Marco Rubio be the toughest GOP nominee?

[WI_DEM]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Agschmid (a host of the 2016 Postmortem forum).

My friend (also a Dem) and I were watching the GOP clown debate last night and afterward she said to me that she thought they were all unqualified to be president (with the possible exception of Kasich) but that the one who she feared the most was Marco Rubio--for a variety of reasons 1) young/fresh, whatever 2) compelling story 3) might cut into cuban/latino vote...I said his positions weren't new or progressive and she agreed with me, but said a lot of people just take into account looks and personality and if that were the case she is the one she thought would be the toughest.

Do you agree? Do you think Rubio would be the toughest the GOP could put up? Has he ever fully explained that issue of his using a state Republican party credit card for personal use?

[underpants]

1. I still think Rand Paul would be

Even after last night.

[WI_DEM]

2. I know one thing the FL primary may be the end for either Rubio or Bush

Who will win that primary? The sitting U.S. Senator or the former two-term Governor? I'd say the one who loses the primary would have a hard time getting the nomination.

[katmondoo]

3. The Cubans are not the same as the latino's from Mexico and do not vote with them

Mostly I laugh at him, he try's so hard to be taken seriously

[ericson00]

4. if he weren't a senator, he would be

but those votes seem to kill them (unless both candidates like Obama v. McCain are senators). JFK was the only senator in the 50 years before Obama to be elected. Probably a trove of those too. What did Rubio do with the shut down?

Hillary's been out of the senate for long enough, thankfully, and aside from Iraq, her record was great anyway there.

Christie would've been the toughest Republican. He woulda been the GOP's version of Bill Clinton. Thing was, Clinton waited 1988 out knowing how the party was still unknowingly in the wilderness, and ran for 1992 as the Dems knew they needed to leave the wilderness. Christie decided to run as the Republicans are still in the wilderness and too conservative to nominate him. Plus bridgegate.

[COLGATE4]

5. I don't think so. He's just not ready for prime time yet.

With his very first answer he blew the whole charade by demonstrating that he (at least) had been fed the question - he was so eager to give his scripted answer that he stumbled over himself getting it out. The whole cadence and tone of his voice was wrong for a spontaneous answer.

I agree that his "compelling story" may get a little less compelling when the irregularities of his use of the Florida Republican Party's credit card get new attention now. He has never explained those away and they are significant. Regarding the benefit of his ethnicity, Latinos aren't a monolithic block and, generally speaking, most Latinos in the US aren't wild about Cubans to begin with so I doubt there's much danger there. In addition, his 'spiritual evolution' (from Catholic to Mormon to Evangelical back to Catholic) may create some discomfort from his Fundie constituency.

[Agschmid]

6. Locking.

This post seems to be more about Rubio than the Democratic Primaries and therefore does not meet the SOP for this forum.

This would be better suited for GD, thank you.