Marco Rubio's fending off lots of slings and arrows these days, for reasons that should be obvious: He's viewed as a threat by his Republican rivals and Democrats alike. There have been a
Advertisement
Rubio resembles the Republican Party’s answer to John Edwards rather than a genuine reformer, like Clinton. Both Clinton and Edwards banked on their meager Southern upbringings—the man from Hope and the son of a mill worker, respectively—to appeal to culturally conservative, Republican-leaning constituencies. Clinton, who ran at a time when the Democratic Party needed to widen its appeal, and on a platform that genuinely deviated from party doctrine, became president. Edwards first ran as a second coming of Clinton in 2004, when Democrats were haplessly trying to out-warrior Republicans. He ran again four years later, at a moment when Democrats were ascendant, as a doctrinaire progressive with a Southern accent. He lost both times.
Former Obama mouthpiece Dan Pfeiffer amplified this message in the lead-up to Wednesday's debate...
Remember when someone calls Rubio the "Republican Obama" tonight, he is actually the "Republican John Edwards"
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) October 28, 2015
Recommended
Advertisement
...followed dutifully by former Obama staffer Tommy Vietor (of "dude" Benghazi fame):
Marco Rubio is the Republican John Edwards. Trust me I worked for Edwards. #CNBCGOPDebate
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) October 29, 2015
Trust me! I worked for John Edwards! On Thursday, Democrats' churlish troll-in-chief joined the party:
His admirers often describe Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla) as the Republicans' Barack Obama: a young senator with a few years of service, an inspiring life story, and an itch for higher office. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sees in Rubio echoes of a different Democrat. “He reminds me of John Edwards,” Reid said, referring to the former senator from North Carolina who flamed out in his run for president. “Not because any of the [personal] stuff...[Edwards] was so fixed on becoming a national figure that his Senate service was basically over. That’s what I see in Marco Rubio.”
The smear merchant of the Senate goes out of his way to clarify that of course he's not referring to the "personal stuff" in making this invidious comparison; he's merely talking about the whole blind ambition thing. Of course, Reid leveled no such complaint against then-candidate Barack Obama in 2007, who launched a highly ambitious presidential bid after spending even less time in the Senate than Rubio has, and after stating publicly that he wouldn't seek the presidency due to his own
Advertisement
Advertisement
Harry Reid knifes Jeb Bush by backing him up in calling on Rubio to resign https://t.co/XGKNKrXbsm
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) October 29, 2015
For what it's worth, Jeb's doubling down on his failed attack, as his campaign is deluged by calls from freaked out donors.
UPDATE - According to leaked documents, Team Jeb is evidently prepared to rehash Charlie Crist's attack on Rubio, calling his ethics into question and casting him as a "risky" choice. A Bush aide told a reporter that a vague swipe in this playbook is a reference to the Romney campaign's vetting process, which he suggests turned up disqualifying dirt on Rubio. Not so, says the woman who ran that operation for Romney, who also happens to be...a Jeb supporter:
in @politico Playbook this am this truthbomb from Beth Myers, storied Massachusetts political hand & fmr Romney COS pic.twitter.com/58HN0XZzfY
— Robert Caruso (@robertcaruso) October 30, 2015
Join the conversation as a VIP Member