Marco Rubio Is Plenty Conservative... By Jim Geraghty

[mystery-ak]

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/29/identity-crisis-marco-rubios-straddle-conservative-moderate/

by Matthew Boyle 29 Dec 2015Washington, DC

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)is having a bit of an identity crisis: He, his campaign, and his friendly scribes over at National Review claim that he is a “conservative”—but an establishment Republican in Nevada just endorsed him as a “moderate.”

“The below piece from National Review’s senior political correspondent is essential reading for anyone & everyone following the 2016 campaign. Please read all of it & then share with your favorite conservatives,” Rubio spokesman Alex Conant said in an email blast on Tuesday afternoon with the full text of and a link to a story from National Review’s Jim Geraghty.

The headline of Geraghty’s piece is: “Marco Rubio Is Plenty Conservative.” It makes the case that Rubio is conservative, despite his 2013 decision to abandon the promise he made Floridians back in the 2010 U.S. Senate race that he would never support amnesty for illegal aliens if elected and become the lead pitchman for the Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) led “Gang of Eight” amnesty effort.

continued

[flowers]

I'm sorry but actions speak louder then words. Rubio's promising to fight the Omnibus Spending bill with every possible procedural tool on Wed and then no showing for the vote on Friday invalidate any of these efforts to white wash his record by the GOPE media.

He is as conservative as Jeb is.  By the way his immigration stance alone makes him dead to me.

[Fishrrman]

This be the only thing that Rubio be "straddlin':

[Fishrrman]

Need I say more...?

[Sanguine]

The puzzle piece you're missing is the biggest piece on the board, it's: THE BIG PICTURE.

If you're happy with America as it is, rather than what it should and could be, well then Rubio is your establishment guy. By all means, support him, vote for him.

But, if you are dismayed by the direction America has taken since Reagan, and the lack of any discernible push-back from republicans against leftist bullying, then Rubio is just more business-as-usual and unacceptable to most conservative/libertarian minded Americans.

Well said.

[Jazzhead]

The puzzle piece you're missing is the biggest piece on the board, it's: THE BIG PICTURE.

If you're happy with America as it is, rather than what it should and could be, well then Rubio is your establishment guy. By all means, support him, vote for him.

But, if you are dismayed by the direction America has taken since Reagan, and the lack of any discernible push-back from republicans against leftist bullying, then Rubio is just more business-as-usual and unacceptable to most conservative/libertarian minded Americans.

"Leftist bullying"?  That's the "big picture"?    This is the sort of navel gazing that makes a lot of the nation laugh at conservatives and their penchant for fratricide.   

Rubio's not my first choice, but it is madness to proclaim that he's not conservative.   Or to suggest his "actions" don't match his words,  and then turn around and support Donald Trump,  who is nothing but words and hasn't a principled bone in his body.   

Children react to bullying by stamping their feet and convincing themselves the whole world revolves around them and their "problems".   Let's think like adults for a moment.   Republicans - conservatives - already control the Congress,  although its rules provide for minority rights intended to force the joint consideration of policy.  (Ryan negotiated the recent budget deal with Democrats because they were willing to talk, whereas the "Freedom Caucus" will not).  What we need and don't have is the White House,  which has been a disaster for eight years, leaving the Dems historically vulnerable.  And they're running a weak candidate,  who is the very definition of cronyism and corruption, and who few people trust.

And we're going to throw it all away,  because we'd rather have a hissy fit about the so-called "establishment" in our party, even those with 98 percent lifetime ACU ratings.   No, let's cut off our noses to endorse a game show host just because he vocalizes our "anger".   It's all about us and assuaging our sacred, selfish anger, not about the nation.  No wonder Trump supporters are mocked - they deserve to be.   

 Progress doesn't occur because of hissy fits, it occurs as the result of planning, hard work and knowing when to negotiate and deal.   

[GAJohnnie]

Find it odd that the same people who post so snide, condecending reposes to the "Children stamping their feet" lack the intellectual sophistication to look at the last 20 years and find the evidence clearly available to them why these should change, not cling to,  their long held blind faith in the GOP Establishment

[GAJohnnie]

Progress doesn't occur because of hissy fits, it occurs as the result of planning, hard work and knowing when to negotiate and deal.


Ah no no no cannot have it both ways. Cannot claim "Trump lacks any principals" while hyping Rubios "ACU rating of 98%" then turn around and claim progress come from "knowing when to negotiate and deal."

So which is it you are claiming for Rubio? Rigid ideological purity (i.e. 98% ACU rating) or "knowing when to negotiate and deal?"

Face it, this has nothing to do with any thoughtful comparison of the two but merely is an attempt to intellectualize an emotional distaste for Trumps speaking style and mannerism

[Bigun]

Progress doesn't occur because of hissy fits, it occurs as the result of planning, hard work and knowing when to negotiate and deal.


Ah no no no cannot have it both ways. Cannot claim "Trump lacks any principals" while hyping Rubios "ACU rating of 98%" then turn around and claim progress come from "knowing when to negotiate and deal."

So which is it you are claiming for Rubio? Rigid ideological purity (i.e. 98% ACU rating) or "knowing when to negotiate and deal?"

Face it, this has nothing to do with any thoughtful comparison of the two but merely is an attempt to intellectualize an emotional distaste for Trumps speaking style and mannerism

Negotiating is not unilaterally surrendering (as in "there will be no government shutdown") before the negotiations even begin!

[aligncare]

Progress doesn't occur because of hissy fits, it occurs as the result of planning, hard work and knowing when to negotiate and deal.


Ah no no no cannot have it both ways. Cannot claim "Trump lacks any principals" while hyping Rubios "ACU rating of 98%" then turn around and claim progress come from "knowing when to negotiate and deal."

So which is it you are claiming for Rubio? Rigid ideological purity (i.e. 98% ACU rating) or "knowing when to negotiate and deal?"

Face it, this has nothing to do with any thoughtful comparison of the two but merely is an attempt to intellectualize an emotional distaste for Trumps speaking style and mannerism

You put the red dot, like a laser beam, squarely on the heart of the matter: 'emotional distaste' for the man. Forget he's proven himself a strong, effective leader in the business world: Trump is hated for being insufficiently political in his speech and demeanor. He doesn't do political kabuki.

He's despised precisely for not using the proper political weasel words; for refusing to lie to us. He won't whisper sweet political nothings in our ear. He tells it like is, how he would like to see America return to what it once was--political correctness be damned.

And for that, he must be mocked, ridiculed, disparaged.

[Jazzhead]

There is much to mock, disparage and ridicule about Donald Trump, and I will continue to do so.   His coarseness is bad enough, but it is in the service of dividing this country,  appealing to bigotry and prejudice and, in the process,  making conservatives look like vile cranks.  THAT IS NOT WHO WE ARE.   

[Relic]

There is much to mock, disparage and ridicule about Donald Trump, and I will continue to do so.   His coarseness is bad enough, but it is in the service of dividing this country,  appealing to bigotry and prejudice and, in the process,  making conservatives look like vile cranks. THAT IS NOT WHO WE ARE.

I'm tired of Democrats and liberals trying to tell me who I am, and who I'm not.

[Jazzhead]

Progress doesn't occur because of hissy fits, it occurs as the result of planning, hard work and knowing when to negotiate and deal.


Ah no no no cannot have it both ways. Cannot claim "Trump lacks any principals" while hyping Rubios "ACU rating of 98%" then turn around and claim progress come from "knowing when to negotiate and deal."

So which is it you are claiming for Rubio? Rigid ideological purity (i.e. 98% ACU rating) or "knowing when to negotiate and deal?"

Face it, this has nothing to do with any thoughtful comparison of the two but merely is an attempt to intellectualize an emotional distaste for Trumps speaking style and mannerism

I'm not claiming anything for Rubio, other than that he is most certainly a conservative.  Rubio is not my choice for the nomination,  and his distaste for actually showing up to vote is a big negative to me.   (Cruz voted against the recent budget,  but Rubio didn't bother to render a verdict).

Paul Ryan didn't get a better deal because of a rump caucus within his own party that refuses to negotiate.  He was therefore forced to deal with the Dems in order to cobble together a majority.  As with any negotiation,  he gained some things (e.g., the end of the ban on oil exports) and compromised some things.  But if he'd had the forty votes of the Freedom Caucus,  he would have needed fewer Democrats, and would have had to make fewer compromises.   

In fairness, Ryan needs to be judged on next year's budget, not this year's that he inherited at the last minute from Boehner.   Given the constraints he was working under,  he did a fairly decent job, but he's got to do more to advance conservative priorities next year.   The biggest help he could get is for conservatives to stop dicking around and support a real conservative who can win the Presidency.   Playtime's over, folks - put away your Trump dolls and let's get serious about taking advantage of the opportunity we have.     

[Jazzhead]

I'm tired of Democrats and liberals trying to tell me who I am, and who I'm not.

My mistake - I should have said "that is not who WE CONSERVATIVES are".   I'm no liberal,  and in forty years of voting have never pulled the lever for a Democrat.  But I'll not mince words - Trump appeals to the worst in us.   

[Sanguine]

My mistake - I should have said "that is not who WE CONSERVATIVES are".   I'm no liberal,  and in forty years of voting have never pulled the lever for a Democrat.  But I'll not mince words - Trump appeals to the worst in us.

So, you are saying that not having voted democrat within a time period makes one a conservative?  It takes a bit more than that, Jazzhead.

[Bigun]

So, you are saying that not having voted democrat within a time period makes one a conservative?  It takes a bit more than that, Jazzhead.

We have seen already that people can call themselves republicans and vote with democrats all day long! It is the same with conservatives!  The proof is in the pudding!

[GAJohnnie]

Negotiating is not unilaterally surrendering (as in "there will be no government shutdown") before the negotiations even begin!

 

[Jazzhead]

So, you are saying that not having voted democrat within a time period makes one a conservative?  It takes a bit more than that, Jazzhead.

So what does it take, smart guy?   

Seriously, I'm an old man.  What conservatism means to me probably isn't what it means to you.   My conservative heroes were Goldwater, Reagan and Kemp.   Those are the cats I fought for years ago.   What I oppose is the TEA party, and the nihilist vision of conservatism that's replaced what those giants believed in.   Goldwater, Reagan and Kemp would all be labled RINOs today.   And so, I guess, will I.   But I will keep fighting for the liberty-centric, public-spirited conservatism I grew up and still believe in.   And I will NOT give up the label - YES, I am a conservative - even if you seek to purge me from the ranks.     

[Bigun]

So what does it take, smart guy?   

Seriously, I'm an old man.  What conservatism means to me probably isn't what it means to you.   My conservative heroes were Goldwater, Reagan and Kemp.   Those are the cats I fought for years ago.   What I oppose is the TEA party, and the nihilist vision of conservatism that's replaced what those giants believed in.   Goldwater, Reagan and Kemp would all be labled RINOs today.   And so, I guess, will I.   But I will keep fighting for the liberty-centric, public-spirited conservatism I grew up and still believe in.   And I will NOT give up the label - YES, I am a conservative - even if you seek to purge me from the ranks.   

So am I an old man! An old man who spent forty+ years in the trenches to put the GOP where it is today and who is SICK TO DEATH of being patronized and lied to by campaign conservatives!  TEA for me ALL the way!

[Scottftlc]

So what does it take, smart guy?   

Goldwater, Reagan and Kemp would all be labled RINOs today.   

No, they would not...there's not a single person here, including all of those who have been debating with you on this thread, who would call of those old stalwarts RINOs.  But, you know, those men are all dead and they haven't been active in politics in a generation...more than that in the cases of Reagan and Goldwater.  Times have changed.

Now, George HW Bush, Bob Dole, George W Bush, John McCain, Mitt Romney (the kinder gentler "spendier" Republicans of the last SIX presidential elections)...and John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Paul Ryan...those of the latest $1.8 Trillion total sell-out to the Communist Obama and the fascist Pelosi and Reid with a wink-wink toward big oil making their Christmas List come true.  These are the Republicans that get called RINOS and for damned good reason.  In truth, these people ARE the Republican Party now.  And that is why so many here, including myself, are thinking in a paraphrase of Reagan from the early 1960's (more than half a century ago) that we haven't left the Republican Party, the Republican Party has left us.

[alicewonders]

So what does it take, smart guy?   

Seriously, I'm an old man.  What conservatism means to me probably isn't what it means to you.   My conservative heroes were Goldwater, Reagan and Kemp.   Those are the cats I fought for years ago.   What I oppose is the TEA party, and the nihilist vision of conservatism that's replaced what those giants believed in.   Goldwater, Reagan and Kemp would all be labled RINOs today.   And so, I guess, will I.   But I will keep fighting for the liberty-centric, public-spirited conservatism I grew up and still believe in.   And I will NOT give up the label - YES, I am a conservative - even if you seek to purge me from the ranks.   

So, call yourself a conservative and quit insulting others you don't agree with. There's no one-definition of it.  Sure, Rubio is plenty conservative, but I don't trust him anymore - I used to.  Anyway, I think you should lay off insulting Trump supporters.  We all love our country and want to restore her to her rightful glory. 

Cruz is my first choice, but I'll gladly vote for Trump.  I want someone who will stand up to the Washington DC Establishment.  I'm tired of them wasting my hard-earned money and destroying this once great nation.  I think we all feel this way, some of us are more angry about it than others.  Don't put it down as a "hissy fit", don't come here with condescending remarks directed toward a lot of us and expect to have civil discourse about it.  This is the mistake many make - instead of unity, it causes division. 

[Jazzhead]

So, call yourself a conservative and quit insulting others you don't agree with. There's no one-definition of it.  Sure, Rubio is plenty conservative, but I don't trust him anymore - I used to.  Anyway, I think you should lay off insulting Trump supporters.  We all love our country and want to restore her to her rightful glory. 

Cruz is my first choice, but I'll gladly vote for Trump.  I want someone who will stand up to the Washington DC Establishment.  I'm tired of them wasting my hard-earned money and destroying this once great nation.  I think we all feel this way, some of us are more angry about it than others.  Don't put it down as a "hissy fit", don't come here with condescending remarks directed toward a lot of us and expect to have civil discourse about it.  This is the mistake many make - instead of unity, it causes division.

Glad to hear you're supporting Cruz and not Trump.   The former's a conservative; the latter's a demogogue and an opportunist.   The former can unite conservatives of all stripes in common cause against a common enemy; the latter will divide conservatives irrevocably and be responsible for the election of Hillary Clinton.   

I don't doubt that most Trump supporters mean well, but they are fools.  I understand - and share - their anger at Washington, but they should be smart enough to direct that anger constructively towards support of someone like Cruz (or one of the other solid conservatives running this year, like my gal Carly).

Anger isn't enough.  A child can get angry, and what good does it do?   An adult will channel his anger constructively, and not cut off his nose to spite his face.   Trump simply cannot be the GOP nominee - it would be a disaster of the first order for conservatives.   He lacks the temperament to be President.   Megalomania is not a good attribute in a leader, especially when it manifests itself in needlessly insulting the very people ANY Republican candidate has to attract to win a national election. 

Now I know some Trump supporters who are, quite honestly, nihilists.   They aren't fools, they deliberately seek the destruction of the GOP even if that means a liberal hegemony.   Their "logic" is heap more misery on the American people in hopes of sparking a revolution.   I don't want a revolution,  I want the return of good, competent government informed by conservative principles.   I'm a main street conservative,  and do not want the choice in 2016 to be one between two unacceptable evils.   

[DCPatriot]

Find it odd that the same people who post so snide, condecending reposes to the "Children stamping their feet" lack the intellectual sophistication to look at the last 20 years and find the evidence clearly available to them why these should change, not cling to,  their long held blind faith in the GOP Establishment

'

Bkepley or Godzilla ring a bell?  Gimme a break.

'Jazzhead' is nothing more than a retread member here.

He got his butt canned, and although he's been trying real hard to temper his angst and hatred for all things "Trump",  his slip is starting to show.

....as I knew it would.   

[truth_seeker]

'

Bkepley or Godzilla ring a bell?  Gimme a break.

'Jazzhead' is nothing more than a retread member here.

He got his butt canned, and although he's been trying real hard to temper his angst and hatred for all things "Trump",  his slip is starting to show.

....as I knew it would.   

How exactly can one member know that about another?

[DCPatriot]

How exactly can one member know that about another?

PM me.....