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The Race for Second?
There is no next-in-line for the GOP nomination this cycle. We had one of the least-inspiring candidates the last time around — last two times? — while the other candidates all sputtered and fell.
This means the race is wide open, and we’ve already had much better talent announced already than we’ve had in the recent past (admittedly, not the highest bar to clear). But I think the vast majority of people, whether or not Scott Walker is exactly their man, don’t see any of the senators pictured here as having what it takes to make it.
This leads to speculation of what exactly Cruz, Rubio, and Paul are trying to accomplish by running. Sure, it will expand their national profile, and that’s usually a good thing for the narcissists who think they can and should rule others. Maybe they are trying to influence debate and nudge the platform and eventual nominee in their preferred direction.
Or perhaps these talented, but less-than-presidentially-credentialed, men are aiming for something more: they want to be the runner up.
What better spot for an ambitious, younger (Cruz and Rubio are both in the early 40s and Paul is less than ten years older) firebrand then to be the party’s default choice four, eight, twelve years from now? Maybe you’ll be Vice President. Maybe you’ll have a chance to snag a governorship in the state you’ve already represented in the Senate. Maybe lightning will strike and the course of events will leave you with the nomination against a weak, decrepit, corrupt, geriatric of the in-party when people have the 7-year itch.
Either way, the most coveted prize for these individuals isn’t necessarily to catch fire and burn out in this cycle, but rather to become the parties default choice with a little more experience, a few more accomplishments, some more wisdom, and the benefit that comes from having been through the nomination process once before.
Published in Elections, Politics
Sounds reasonable. Especially if they can come back after having a governorship.
I appreciate some of the folks in that picture not for what they will get from the run, but for what they bring to it. If nobody ran but shoe-ins, we’d hear nothing but the 98% spending plans of the establishment.
I don’t need a candidate to explain glideslopes to me. I want a candidate to explain how debris fields arrive on mountainsides to the folks who are enjoying the glide.
Neither Cruz, Paul, nor Rubio has what it takes to become President. We know this because we’ve never seen a poorly credentialed, first term senator become President.
I reject the premise of your argument and suggest that perhaps these three men, however unready they may be, have looked around and said “If Obama can be President, why can’t I?” I further suggest that these three men, for whatever faults we may be able to find in their hair, or how they drink water on national television, or what books they choose to read on the floor of the Senate, have looked at the state of the nation and said “The American people deserve a choice this time. Not between the lesser of two evils. But between someone who will keep the country going in the direction it has been going, and someone who’s serious about turning it around.”
It is entirely possible, if not likely, that the next person who occupies the White House will have an all Republican congress to deal with. This person, if they are a Republican as well, need to be ready to take that first two years in office and make something of it. My gut feeling is that the three men pictured here will not squander those two years, should they get the opportunity.
I’d be nervous to have either Cruz or Paul as my #2.
Might be good for the country, though.
Of the three, I think Rubio is a likely candidate. His speaking ability is second to none, and he has the right ideas. I think it would be very, very smart to tap Susannah Martinez or Nicki Haley for Veep. This would counter Hil’s “woman” advantage.
I am very much liking the cut of Rubio’s jib, personally. Right now, I would like a Walker-Rubio ticket very much so. Or a Rubio-Walker ticket.
Rubio will have only a term under his belt as a Senator, but that’s more than Obama had before he became president. But Rubio has a lot of state-level experience as well.
After his announcement speech, I will definitely give him another look. But I won’t decide who I’m going to support in the primaries until much later. It still seems like an eon away.
I like Rubio a lot. Fine speaker, great personal story, good knowledge of issues.
Just can’t see him across the table from Putin, al-Abadi, etc.
I like Rubio, and he is my second choice behind Walker right now. I do want to say that I definitely don’t want him as the VP if he isn’t the presidential nominees, as he is too valuable holding a senate seat in the purple state of Florida.
Rubio could be president. He is not playing for second, nor should he. In fact, I think he is more qualified than Walker.
According to The Daily Shot, Rubio is not running for reelection for his Senate seat. So what now?
What scares you about them, conservatism or just personality? I don’t want (and the country doesn’t need) another R who will play the same game we’ve been playing since ’88 where the democrats ratchet government control ever tighter on individual liberty.
As to the OP, anyone who gets into this without actually desiring the office is crazy. Going through the process to put a feather in one’s cap is just plain masochistic.
Also, we had a second place finisher last time: Santorum.
The point is they are angling for it the next time around, but they’d take it now if it was handed to ‘um.
Ha!
Since Florida law doesn’t prevent him from running for the seat, then I have to say he is behaving recklessly.
I think he should absolutely be in the discussion for a VP slot. He is a good speaker and I would hope he would do well against whomever Hillary chooses as a VP candidate in the debates. I think he could play the “attack dog” role against Hillary on policy issues without seeming overly “mean” about it.
I think it’s clear from the other recent conversations and the reaction to yesterday’s announcement that the days of discounting Rubio are over. If you don’t believe me, believe Krauthammer.
Marco Rubio has the Republicans’ best shot of capturing media magic winning in 2016. Accordingly, he is the most feared by the media-savvy Clinton people. I expect Walker’s flat syntax and “ordinary guy” personality will be overwhelmed in the debates and on the stump by Rubio’s inspiring media presence.
So the question is, who will our young standard bearer choose as his VP?
Jeb is out, he’s from Florida. He should run for Rubio’s Senate seat when it becomes obvious that there won’t be a third President Bush.
Walker, Kasich, Perry, Fiorina, and Jindal, etc. will have ample chance to make their case, and which ever of them has the most delegates may require consideration. But governors like Jindal don’t have any national brand. If polls show Kasich locks in Ohio and keeps the ticket competitive elsewhere in the Midwest, then pragmatism should
trumpsupercede ideological purity.The recent trend of picking an experienced figure (Cheney, Biden) to complement a younger nominee is worth considering. Past candidates like Romney and Giuliani might be better suited for running a cabinet department like State or Justice. There are many possibles, and the candidate should be wary of tokenism by elevating an nationally unknown, unvetted female governor from a smaller state. Been there …
The ability to succeed the President while in office, or the ability to run in his place should tragedy strike during the campaign, must be the primary consideration.
Well, who can you see across the table from Putin? I suggest any of the three will do better than their likely opponent on the other side.
I heard some contaminator saying Rubio really doesn’t like being in the Senate, nothing gets done. Also in support of Mike’s theory. If he is really trying not for 2016 but for the next election, it may be best not to run and potentially lose a Senate election in Florida.
This could indicate we have a problem on our side of running our candidates through a dry run before really putting them up for the office. Can’t say I’m a fan of the idea.
Nothing gets done when you don’t have the presidency. As president he would find that nothing gets done when you don’t have the senate. This potentially throws away an easy Republican hold, and may render holding the senate impossible.
Uh, recklessly in regard to what? His political career? The GOP’s margin in the senate?
For what it is worth, I had sorta assumed that should Rubio win neither the Presidency nor the VP slot then he would just run for governor of Florida. Scot will be term limited out in 2018. This will give Rubio two years to run for governor of Florida.
If Rubio becomes the governor of Florida then he will obtain the executive experience of running a large, complicated state and be better qualified the next time he runs for President.
I think you are over estimating the “easy” hold. Rubio doesn’t poll above 50% in a Purple state. Clinton is ahead of every Republican in Florida except Jeb Bush. It the top of the ticket goes to the Democrat a Republican polling below 50% is in trouble.
Matinez and Haley aren’t so unvetted as Palin was. I think they would be very good choices. They are not shrinking violets and would make their own case for their competence. I don’t personally care if a woman is on the ticket, but the country does. It would blunt Hil’s “woman” thing. It makes a lot of sense.
Would you want someone as Vice President who ran for President with the intention of being nominated for Vice President? Who played not to win but to come in second?
The Vice President should be someone who can step in for the President. The Secretary of State need not do so, the Speaker of the House need not do so, but the Vice President does need to be qualified to be as qualified to be President as the President.
Which means that someone who ran to come in second is not qualified.
Rubio would make a great VP but I don’t think Jeb will pick another for Florida. Cruz and Paul are definitely not VP material. They have their own agendas outside the establishment. They’re either at top of the ticket or not at all.
I think it’s a Bush-Walker ticket.
Maybe. Maybe it’s more like Cortez burning his ships.
You are over estimating the value of polls a year and a half out from elections. With Rubio running the seat was considered safe in just about all models. The democrats themselves called it an outside shot of unseating him.
I meant I’d be worried to have them as my #2 if I were #1, as a personality matter; neither Cruz nor Paul strike me the type to play second-fiddle well.
I do not yet know who I will be voting for in the NH Primary. I currently have a first tier of favored candidates: Jindal, Rubio, and Walker. Close behind a second group including: Fiorina, Kasich and Perry (Pence was there but he blew it with how he handled RFRA). Bush, Carson, Christie, Cruz, and Paul follow behind. I would definitely vote and support them over any Democrat, but they all have a weaker ratio of positives/negatives in my eyes. Two additional who interest me are Martinez and Haley. All in all a great bench.
As I commented elsewhere I do not see any realistic path for Jeb to win the nomination. None. All the money in the world will not overcome the worries voiced by too many primary voters: “no dynasty”, “pretty good conservative, but his time is past”, etc.
Unless the opposite of ‘experience’ and ‘seasoning’ IS the message.
Most of the country didn’t know that Ricky Rubio had given up basketball for politics until this week.
And really, I am only half joking. I would bet the house more people know who Ricky Rubio is than Marco at this point.