Although MSNBC host Joe Scarborough seems to be convinced he lit himself “on fire politically” this morning, he’s certainly said much worse. Via The Hill:
Of course, as Scarborough notes, Marco Rubio has stated publicly time and again that he has no desire to be Vice President of the United States. In fact, he’s denied rumors that he wants to be Mitt Romney’s running mate so many times that I’m actually starting to believe him. The Florida lawmaker, after all, is only in his first term in the upper chamber of Congress (he was elected in the 2010 cycle), so it’s not wholly inconceivable that he wants to continue serving the people of Florida and finish the job for which he was elected.
Scarborough, meanwhile, makes some interesting points, but fails to mention one of Rubio’s most significant weaknesses as a vice presidential candidate: he has no executive experience. Furthermore, the rising superstar is only forty years old, which raises serious questions about whether or not he has the experience and ability – if called upon – to be President of the United States.
Incidentally, Guy appeared Your World With Neil Cavuto earlier this week to weigh in on the presidential veepstakes. When asked by the Fox News host to appraise Senator Rubio, he called him perhaps the most “effective conservative communicator” in the Republican Party. After listening to this, this and this, it’s hard to disagree. Then again, there’s a whole crop of Republican talent out there (we explore a number of different candidates in the May issue of Townhall Magazine), to choose from. The question, then, is who can both strengthen the Republican ticket for the 2012 general election but is also ready to be leader of the free world? These are not easy questions to answer, which is one of the reasons I expect a protracted VP vetting process this year.
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Exit questions: Do you think Marco Rubio is ready to be President of the United States? If not, who should presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney choose as his running mate?
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