Rubio thinking about service to country after Orlando shootings

[SirLinksALot]

SOURCE: HOTAIR.COM

URL: http://hotair.com/archives/2016/06/13/rubio-this-terrorist-attack-may-force-me-to-rethink-my-plans/

by Ed Morrissey


Could Marco Rubio get back into the race for the US Senate? Until yesterday, the erstwhile presidential contender insisted that he would remain steadfast in his decision to withdraw, even backing another candidate Rubio considers a friend. This morning, though, Rubio told Hugh Hewitt that the terrorist attack in Orlando may lead him to rethink all his plans and consider his duty to serve.

Even though he appears somewhat more open to considering it before the deadline, Rubio still sounds reluctant — but isn’t offering an unqualified no, either:

HH: Does this horror change in any way your resolve not to seek reelection, Senator?

MR: You know, I haven’t even given it thought in that perspective other than to say that I’ve been deeply impacted by it, and I think when it visits your home state, and it impacts a community you know well, it really gives you pause to think a little bit about, you know, your service to your country and where you can be most useful to your country. We live in a very dramatic moment in our history. I think we’re at a tipping point here moving into the next election. Irrespective of who the next president is, I think we’re going to face some real foreign policy challenges, given some of the things both of the candidates have outlined. So you know, obviously I haven’t thought about it from a political perspective, but it most certainly has impacted my thinking in general about a lot of things.

HH: Now that I ask, will you at least consider it again?

MR: Well, obviously I have a couple of things in play. It’s not part of our plan as a family. And certainly wasn’t part of, I have a friend of mine who is running for the U.S. Senate. So I want to be fair, Hugh. I haven’t thought about it in that context. I really don’t want to link the two things right now, because I don’t want politics to intrude in all of this…

HH: I understand, but…

MR: But suffice it to say that…

HH: …there are people who know this issue. You are one of them.

MR: Yeah.

HH: And…

MR: Well, as I said, my family and I will be praying about all this, and we’ll see what I need to do next with my life in regards to how I can best serve.

Devin Nunes has already weighed in on the question:

House Intel Comm Chair @DevinNunes urges @marcorubio to stay in Senate because of his expertise in war against Islamic radicalism

— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) June 13, 2016

Republicans have been urging Rubio to reconsider his retirement ever since he left the presidential race in March. Polls routinely show him as the best hope the GOP has for holding the seat. A Mason-Dixon poll earlier this month showed that half of all Floridians want him to run for re-election, with support from 48% of independents and opposition from only 62% of Democrats. Another recent survey from Democratic pollster PPP showed Rubio in a tie with presumed Democratic nominee Rep. Patrick Murphy, but beating Murphy 51/34 among millennials. Red Alert Politics credits Rubio with the kind of campaign that could make his comeback a success:

Older voters, many who likely support Donald Trump, do not appreciate the senator, but millennials do. That is a direct result of the type of campaign he ran: aspirational, positive, and future-focused. He talked about fixing the college affordability crisis. He related to millennials with his personal struggles growing up in a working-class family and racking up student loan debt. He inspired millennials to see that the Republican Party actually cared about their votes.

Despite the rancor between Trump and Rubio, the former could ease that issue by endorsing Rubio’s re-election, although that could have a dampening effect on enthusiasm from millennials. That might be the one point that makes Rubio most reluctant to enter the race. He’d not only have to answer Trump questions all the way down to the election, he’d have to figure out how to both embrace and distance himself from the party’s nominee for the next four months. As it stands now, he only has to do that until the convention.

Rubio only has another ten days to make up his mind. The deadline for filing for the primary comes a week from Friday. Given that Rubio isn’t saying no here, I’d say there’s at least some chance that Republicans might get their wish and have Rubio back on the ticket.

[mystery-ak]

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/283238-rubio-thinking-about-service-to-country-after-orlando-shootings

June 13, 2016, 09:46 am
Rubio thinking about service to country after Orlando shootings

By Ben Kamisar

Sunday’s mass shooting in Orlando has prompted Marco Rubio to “pause to think” about his political future.

In an interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show on Monday, Rubio said the killings have left him thinking about service to his country and community, though he stopped well short of saying he was reconsidering his decision to not run for reelection to the Senate.

“I haven’t even given it thought in that perspective other than to say that I’ve been deeply impacted by it, and I think when it visits your home state, and it impacts a community you know well, it really gives you pause to think a little bit about, you know, your service to your country and where you can be most useful to your country,” Rubio said.

“Obviously I haven’t thought about it from a political perspective, but it most certainly has impacted my thinking in general about a lot of things.”

When Hewitt, who supports Rubio running again, pressed him to consider changing his mind, Rubio noted that his friend, Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, is running to replace him.

But Hewitt followed up by arguing that Rubio, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, could bring important expertise to the Senate.

“I want to be fair, Hugh. I haven’t thought about it in that context. I really don’t want to link the two things right now, because I don’t want politics to intrude in all of this,” Rubio said.

“My family and I will be praying about all this, and we’ll see what I need to do next with my life in regards to how I can best serve.”

Rubio has long deflected rumors that he would run again for Senate ever since he ended his failed presidential bid. But the senator has repeatedly brushed aside those rumors and has fundraised for Lopez-Cantera.

A gunman on Sunday morning killed 49 people in a shooting spree at an Orlando nightclub celebrating Pride Week. The man, Omar Mateen, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria during the killings.

[Polly Ticks]

I rather hope he does.  They could do a lot worse.

MR: You know, I haven’t even given it thought in that perspective other than to say that I’ve been deeply impacted by it, and I think when it visits your home state, and it impacts a community you know well, it really gives you pause to think a little bit about, you know, your service to your country and where you can be most useful to your country.

Counting down until the gay rumors start back up in 3 ... 2... 1...

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I was all ready to castigate him for jumping on this as creating a political opportunity, but I can see how his "I'm just sick of all this stuff" attitude might have been affected by this.  I suspect he was looking forward to going into private life and making some money, because he's not wealthy, but perhaps this is making him reconsider.

I like him, but don't really have a preference for whether or not he goes back into the Senate other than I think we need as many seats as we can get, and he probably gives us the best shot.

[Cowboyway]

“I haven’t even given it thought in that perspective other than to say that I’ve been deeply impacted by it, and I think when it visits your home state, and it impacts a community you know well, it really gives you pause to think a little bit about, you know, your service to your country and where you can be most useful to your country,” Rubio said.

What 'community' would that be, Marco?  The homosexual community?

 

[Maj. Bill Martin]

What 'community' would that be, Marco?  The homosexual community?

 

Uh, no.  He meant Orlando, that just lost 50 people in a mass murder.

Is this really the time for gay Rubio jokes?

[truth_seeker]

Uh, no.  He meant Orlando, that just lost 50 people in a mass murder.

Is this really the time for gay Rubio jokes?

It seems a lot of the very worst of FR got dragged into this place, much for the worse.

[Lando Lincoln]

I like Rubio.  Snide remarks aside, we'd all be better off if he became fully committed to a political career.

[libertybele]

I like Rubio.  Snide remarks aside, we'd all be better off if he became fully committed to a political career.

Rubio sunk his ship three times.  He became a Gang of Eight mobster, stated that he didn't like his job as a Senator and he stooped to Trump's level with insults and attacks.  When Rubio first entered politics here in Florida, he was it.  He was the GOP's shining star and there was talk then of pushing him to be President because he was so articulate, charismatic and had conservative viewpoints. Rubio made some very unforgettable mistakes. IMHO the best thing he could do for the country is to retire from the political drama and serve the country perhaps in a different capacity.

[Polly Ticks]

Uh, no.  He meant Orlando, that just lost 50 people in a mass murder.

Is this really the time for gay Rubio jokes?

I like Rubio, and there was no joke intended on my part. 

My point was that the use of that particular phrase in his statement would most likely be fodder for those who enjoy painting him with that brush. 

[Emjay]

I rather hope he does.  They could do a lot worse.
Counting down until the gay rumors start back up in 3 ... 2... 1...

That had not entered my mind at all until you posted that sentence.  Where is your mind?

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I like Rubio, and there was no joke intended on my part. 

My point was that the use of that particular phrase in his statement would most likely be fodder for those who enjoy painting him with that brush.

Oh, I don't blame you.  Your prediction just proved accurate.

What always fascinates me about these kind of accusations is the remarkable inconsistency of the infantile types who do it.  Inevitably, you get the "has sex with a lot of women" combined with the "secretly gay" attacks.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I like Rubio.  Snide remarks aside, we'd all be better off if he became fully committed to a political career.

Agree -- I think he went so far so fast, even in Florida, that he was really let down when he found what the Senate is really like.  He's got to get some fire back, and a willingness to work hard.

[libertybele]

Agree -- I think he went so far so fast, even in Florida, that he was really let down when he found what the Senate is really like.  He's got to get some fire back, and a willingness to work hard.

?? That may be.  In turn he let the people down and compromised his principles and expected  people would continue to vote for him.  He was Bush's protege and perhaps running against him was yet another mistake that he made. He sold his soul to the establishment and found out that having some integrity still matters, the hard way; he lost and he lost big.

[Polly Ticks]

That had not entered my mind at all until you posted that sentence.  Where is your mind?

I spent a large amount of time listening to the news coverage yesterday.  Do you know how many times I heard the phrase "LGBT/gay community" or just the word "community" with that connotation?  I can't give you a number, but it was a LOT.   

It is not really a stretch to say people who don't like Rubio would go there, and it doesn't say anything about my mind other than the fact that I watched too much news coverage yesterday.

[Lando Lincoln]

?? That may be.  In turn he let the people down and compromised his principles and expected  people would continue to vote for him.  He was Bush's protege and perhaps running against him was yet another mistake that he made. He sold his soul to the establishment and found out that having some integrity still matters, the hard way; he lost and he lost big.

He made mistakes, to be sure.  I also believe he became complacent, even lazy. But, he is smart and generally well-principled. If he goes all in and seeks political redemption, he will find it.

At least that is my belief.

[libertybele]

He made mistakes, to be sure.  I also believe he became complacent, even lazy. But, he is smart and generally well-principled. If he goes all in and seeks political redemption, he will find it.

At least that is my belief.

If he were to leave for awhile and re-emerge he may.  His problem right now is getting the votes to stay where he's at.  I'm not quite so sure that's going to happen. There was rumor of him also being on Trump's short list of VP choices; I see that as a disastrous ticket.

[Cowboyway]

It seems a lot of the very worst of FR got dragged into this place, much for the worse.

Why don't you make a list of who you consider "the very worst" and perhaps we'll leave.

Then you can get back to your little sewing circle.

[Cowboyway]

I like Rubio.  Snide remarks aside, we'd all be better off if he became fully committed to a political career.

You mean like he was fully committed to amnesty with the Gang of Eight?

[RedHead]

Rubio thinking about service to country after Orlando shootings

Speaking as the country I say thanks but no thanks. 

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Rubio thinking about service to country after Orlando shootings

Speaking as the country I say thanks but no thanks.

Gee, and here I thought that I spoke for the country....

[Cowboyway]

Gee, and here I thought that I spoke for the country....

Go Rubio!

And take Trump with you..............................

(Now I'm speaking for the country.)

[geronl]

I rather hope he does.  They could do a lot worse.

I really don't see how this guy could be popular.