The United States Senator Marco Rubio of Florida announced on Monday that he will be trying to snag the Republican Party’s nomination to become the 45th President of the United States of America in the 2016 Elections. And while he is the lesser of two…candidates…compared to Ted Cruz, Rubio stands to have more of a chance obtaining that nomination and possibly become the first Latino President in American History.
However, Rubio faces huge hurdles outside of his party as well as within.
Before his supporters at Miami’s Freedom Tower where he announced his presidential bid, the 43-year-old freshman Senator continued to push his image as being the forward-looking candidate that is suitable to leading the country into the new “American Century”.
“Grounded by the lessons of our history, but inspired by the promise of our future, I announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America,” said Rubio, before his supporters where he also reminded them of how his parents were Cuban immigrants and he is seemingly the product of the American dream.
But it is this notion of “being the American dream” and his claims of being a “forward-thinking candidate” that may be Rubio’s undoing for the nomination bid especially considering who his contenders are and who they are rumored to be.
Although he was once the likely favored one of the Tea Party, Rubio faces opposition within the Republican party due to Rubio’s push for immigration reform which is a big no-no for many Tea Partiers. After pushing for reform, some Tea Party members turned on Rubio and held rallies attacking the young Senator and the Senate’s reform bill as “Rubio’s ‘amnesty’ plan,” in an effort to taint him for wanting to push for such a progressive bill.
Rubio’s push for immigration reform also led to some of his support in Florida to turn against him. Supporters who once supported Rubio in the state began to publicly criticize him for wanting immigration reform by purchasing billboards which read the following: “The Rubio-Obama Immigration Plan. Amnesty: ‘Right Away!’ Border Control: ‘Someday’.”
Seemingly affected by the response he received from his party, supporters, and the Tea Party, Rubio then abandoned his efforts for immigration reform a few months after pushing for it with the aid of 8 other senators including John McCain himself.
It was Rubio’s abandoning the push for immigration reform that led to another hurdle he created outside of his party and the supports he already has.
With a party primarily being anti-immigration, the Republican Party gained some leeway in support when Rubio pushed for immigration reform among the Latino community. During his time of supporting reform, Rubio was seen as the one challenger who could possibly give (the now running candidate) Democratic Hilary R. Clinton a tough challenge in the 2016 elections for President of the U.S. However, that somewhat fell apart.
When he backed out of pushing for immigration reform and criticized undocumented activists who suggested he was merely a flopper for doing so, Rubio lost some of that support for the Republican Party. While he once stood as opposition to Senator Clinton, Rubio is now trailing the Democratic candidate when it comes to Latino support.
With some of the Latino community favoring, and some not, Rubio isn’t to blame if the Republican Party doesn’t do so well in the 2016 Elections. According to people within Rubio’s own camp, the party will need 40% of the Latino community’s vote if they hope to stand a chance in the elections.
Although he’s just announced his intention to obtain the nomination to run as the Republican Party’s candidate, the roadblock that threatens to keep Rubio from office and becoming the first Latino president is quite a few. Apart from Clinton and her large support within the Latino community, his frenemy relationship with the Tea Party, to the possible race-off against fellow Republican Jeb Bush who is rumored to be eyeing his own candidacy for President, Rubio should be largely focused on how he will not only gain some support from the Latino community but all of it after damaging. The 2016 Elections should be interesting as the day draw near.
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