Rubio and Romney: A Marriage of Convenience
The Mitt Romney endorsement train is leaving the station, and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., became one of the last to jump on board. The senator, who is in prime position to become Romney’s running mate, gave an awfully lukewarm endorsement to the GOP frontrunner on Sean Hannity’s show last night. The establishment may be rallying around Romney, but it’s hardly an enthusiastic show of support.
Rubio premised his endorsement with a desire to end the Republican primary, fearing an elongated nomination fight would only help President Obama in the general election. He didn’t sound at all excited about the candidate himself. In that way, he may represent a large swath of conservative voters, who are likely to cast their ballots as a vote against Obama, rather than one for Romney.
That said, Rubio is one of the few VP possibilities who could genuinely get the conservative grassroots excited about the GOP ticket. He’s a compelling speaker and one of the best articulators of conservative principles on the national stage. He hails from a must-win swing state. And his Hispanic background would give Romney a shot at making inroads within the Latino community, not to mention adding appeal to suburban independents by picking the first Hispanic on a national presidential ticket.
The conventional wisdom crowd has been pouring cold water on the prospect of a Romney-Rubio ticket, but the logic behind a selection is crystal clear. Rubio may not want to face the glare of the national spotlight, yet. But even in defeat, a spot on the presidential ticket would put him in pole position for 2016.
—Josh Kraushaar, Hotline Executive Editor
NATIONAL JOURNAL’S PRIMARY REPORT
Romney Scores Rubio Endorsement – And More
[National Journal, 3/28/12] Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Wednesday endorsed Romney for the GOP nomination and called a potential floor fight at the convention a "recipe for disaster.'' He also offered something even better: The rising figure in the conservative and tea party movements vouched for Romney's conservative credentials.
In GOP Presidential Race, Fat Lady Finally Sings
[Roll Call, 3/29/12] Although not everyone agrees that the race is over, and although Romney has not yet accumulated the necessary 1,144 delegates to the GOP convention, Stuart Rothenberg writes that the chances are evaporating that he can be denied his party’s nomination.
Meet Subdued Santorum
[New York Times, 3/28/12] After several highly publicized remarks that left many in his party questioning whether he had crossed the line in attacking a fellow Republican, Santorum has struggled to find the balance between being a tenacious underdog and leaving himself open to criticism that he is just an embittered also-ran.
Romney Thrived At Harvard, But He Mocks Obama’s Tie to School
[Bloomberg, 3/28/12] Romney likes to take jabs at the president for representing the values of the Harvard faculty lounge. But while bashing Harvard is intended to paint Obama as an ivory tower theorist, Romney owes his business career to the school.
Health Care Ruling May Pose Test For Candidates
[Boston Globe, 3/29/12] If the high court rules Obama’s health care law invalid, Republicans will no longer have the luxury of addressing the plan with a simple “I am against it” and move on to the next issue. Matt Viser explores the consequences of the ruling for the GOP candidates.
Obama Outspends GOP Rivals By Millions
[Associated Press, 3/29/12] President Obama’s campaign has spent more than $135 million on operations through February – about $3 million more than all the GOP presidential candidates combined.
Romney Joke Produces Not-So-Funny Backlash
[National Journal, 3/28/12] An attempt at humor and friendly voter outreach backfired for Romney when he joked that his father, George Romney, as an American Motors executive decades ago, once shut down a factory in Michigan and moved it to Wisconsin.
Former Student Janitor Tells Gingrich Job Was ‘Embarrassing’
[National Journal, 3/28/12] Gingrich defended his proposal to have low-income students work as janitors in their schools after he was questioned on Wednesday by a recent college graduate who had held the job in high school and said he found the experience "embarrassing."
GOP Faces Digital Divide
[Politico, 3/29/12] Some conservatives fear that one of the biggest challenges for the GOP this year could be that when it comes to mobilizing volunteers, donors and voters, they are sitting on the wrong side of a digital divide.
Gingrich Puts Political Legacy At Risk
[Politico, 3/28/12] Instead of bowing out after a string of losses, Gingrich has decided to cap off a historic career by spending the final weeks of the campaign as something less than a full-fledged candidate, reduced to charging $50 for photos at events. Even Gingrich’s top backer, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, says that the candidate is “at the end of his line.”
Santorum’s Narrow Coalition: A New Look
[National Journal, 3/28/12] An analysis of exit poll data released Wednesday suggests that Santorum's strength is confined almost entirely to the overlap of evangelical Christians who also consider themselves very conservative.
Romney’s Southern Strategy
[Salon, 3/28/12] While Romney was mostly ignoring Southern states, his super PAC was spending millions of dollars to lay the groundwork in the South. Salon offers a detailed analysis of spending and possible coordination between Romney and his big-money backers.
In Wisconsin, Romney Links Santorum to 'Big Labor'
[Associated Press, 3/28/12] In an attempt at capitalizing on the recall effort Gov. Scott Walker is seeing in Wisconsin, Romney tried to link Santorum to Big Labor. Santorum, who often alludes to his industrial, blue collar roots, is now aligning himself with Walker and his controversial positions on labor unions.
U.Md. Crowd Enthusiastically Greets Ron Paul
[Baltimore Sun, 3/28/12] Rep. Ron Paul took his libertarian message on Wednesday to a friendly crowd: a college campus. Speaking at the University of Maryland in College Park, the Texas Republican spoke to 1,780 enthusiastic students, and promoted his usual anti-war, pro-marijuana legalization positions.
Romney Or Not, the GOP is Coming For Obamacare
[Politico, 3/29/12] GOP operatives and party officials have begun crafting a strategy that puts health care front-and-center in the campaign against President Obama. But how will Republicans run against “Obamacare” with Romney at the top of their ticket?
Rubio's Biography Could Be Ultimate Boon for Romney
[National Journal, 3/28/12] Part of Romney’s problem is that he lacks a compelling personal story, as National Journal’s Tim Alberta writes. Young, charismatic and Hispanic, Rubio’s gripping personal narrative would make him all the more indispensable to the Romney camp come November.
Gingrich Camp: Picturing Newt’s Convention Ascension
[ABC, 3/29/12] Having cut one-third of his staff after poor primary contests and lackluster fundraising, Gingrich’s hopes of being the GOP nominee now rest entirely on keeping the other candidates from getting enough delegates to lock in the nomination. But supporters think that a convention fight would not only help the former House speaker, but would also help the party.
Biden in Iowa: Republicans ‘Scoff’ At Manufacturing
[National Journal, 3/28/12] Vice President Joe Biden's speech in Iowa Wednesday was a full-throated attack on Romney's economic policies, and the latest indication that the Obama campaign intends to champion its manufacturing policies in battleground states in the Midwest. But the Romney camp is not ready to surrender the manufacturing vote.
Santorum Turns to Sports to Connect With Voters
[Wall Street Journal, 3/28/12] Ahead of Wisconsin’s April 3 primary, Santorum has begun using his sporting skills in an effort to connect with Midwestern voters. The candidate has bragged about his golf, baseball, and shooting abilities, and recently showed off his bowling skills at a campaign rally.
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