# Marco Rubio presidential campaign discussion thread. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 14, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685 "2015-04-14T21:41:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/281 "2016-02-18T21:22:59Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Yes, I agree. Think Rubio can avoid fucking up like this again? I don’t. It doesn’t really matter. He can’t undo the fact that he is a candidate who is totally a creature of his handlers. That’s built into his numbers at this point. If you want someone different, Rubio’s not your man. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/282 "2016-02-18T21:23:59Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > No, but then I didn’t think he could possibly recover from Christie’s Robotbio reveal. New Hampshire values straight talkers. South Carolina is more willing to vote for the best marketed candidate. That’s why Clinton is doing so well on the Dem side. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/283 "2016-02-19T00:17:33Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > It doesn’t really matter. He can’t undo the fact that he is a candidate who is totally a creature of his handlers. That’s built into his numbers at this point. If you want someone different, Rubio’s not your man. Of course it matters. If Rubio can actually avoid further robot malfunctions, this meme dies and he potentially has a path (narrow, winding) to the nomination. If he malfunctions again, it’s all over for him. > [@](#): > > New Hampshire values straight talkers. South Carolina is more willing to vote for the best marketed candidate. That’s why Clinton is doing so well on the Dem side. Oh, cool. I guess that also explains why Obama did so in NH in 2008 she did so well in SC. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/284 "2016-02-19T00:35:04Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Of course it matters. If Rubio can actually avoid further robot malfunctions, this meme dies and he potentially has a path (narrow, winding) to the nomination. If he malfunctions again, it’s all over for him. That’s the beauty of the meme. If he does well, it’s proof that his handlers are doing a great job. It’s the kind of attack that works whether he screws up or whether he does well. THe only real way to disprove it is to be a little more random and unpredictable. But given the history of how campaigns normally go, Rubio would be better off just staying on message. > [@](#): > > Oh, cool. I guess that also explains why Obama did so in NH in 2008 she did so well in SC. Note that Clinton won in NH when she finally showed the public a little authenticity. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/285 "2016-02-19T00:45:44Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > That’s the beauty of the meme. If he does well, it’s proof that his handlers are doing a great job. It’s the kind of attack that works whether he screws up or whether he does well. The meme in question is that Marco is a robot who gets stuck in repeat loops; let’s laugh at Robot Rubio. If he can avoid a repeat of that debate - forever, this meme dies. But he’s always at risk of bringing it back. > [@](#): > > Note that Clinton won in NH when she finally showed the public a little authenticity. Tell ya what. Why don’t you try postin’ one of them cites that backs up what you’re hollerin’ about, and I’ll _consider_ noting it. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/286 "2016-02-19T00:52:14Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > The meme in question is that Marco is a robot who gets stuck in repeat loops; let’s laugh at Robot Rubio. If he can avoid a repeat of that debate - forever, this meme dies. But he’s always at risk of bringing it back. sadly, that’s what the meme has become, but that works for Rubio because it’s a pointless meme. Whereas the original attack Christie made hurt: that Rubio is just a scripted candidate who says what his handlers put in his mouth. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/287 "2016-02-19T00:54:00Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > And let’s dispel once and for all with this fiction that Marco Rubio doesn’t know what he’s doing. He knows exactly what he’s doing. Marco Rubio is undertaking a systematic effort to enlarge this country, to make America grab more of the rest of the world. That’s why he made this Reagan rip-off ad which implies Vancouver is American. It is a systematic effort to prepare America. When he’s president of the United States, we are going to re-embrace all the things that made America the greatest nation in the world and we are going to leave our children with what they deserve: Canschluss. Resistance is futile! Prepare to be USsimilated! ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/288 "2016-02-19T00:57:43Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > sadly, that’s what the meme has become, but that works for Rubio because it’s a pointless meme. Whereas the original attack Christie made hurt: that Rubio is just a scripted candidate who says what his handlers put in his mouth. What a strange reply. The Robot Rubio meme is the distilled essence of Christie’s attack. That’s pretty much how memes work. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/289 "2016-02-19T00:59:32Z")
By the way, do I take that as a no on the previous cite request? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/290 "2016-02-19T01:40:12Z")
I agree that the punditocracy can grab a sound-bite and repeat it unto death. I have a hard time believing the rank and file not-very-interested R voter has absorbed the Rubio=robot meme. IOW, it’s not really a meme, a self-replicating idea propagating virally through the populace. Instead it’s a tired refrain repeated hourly by a small cadre of talking heads. As soon as they have something else new to say about Rubio they’ll start saying that instead. Over and over and over and … . It might be favorable, or it might be unfavorable. But in either case it’ll displace the Rubio=robot canned comment. Note I’m not saying (here) that the R voters are especially low-info versus anybody else. Just that most voters aren’t political junkies like some of us here in this forum are. Nor are they professional pundits whose paycheck depends on talking & writing about politics every waking moment of every day. Most of those folks are mildly interested in who to pick, but are cowering before the onslaught of angry & angering ads in their market as their states’ primary day approaches. One confuses the media echo chamber for the populace at his/ her peril. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/291 "2016-02-19T20:08:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > IOW, it’s not really a meme, a self-replicating idea propagating virally through the populace. Instead it’s a tired refrain repeated hourly by a small cadre of talking heads. I think you’re conflating whether or not it’s a meme with its penetration into Republican primary voters’ minds and its long-lastingness. It’s clearly a meme: my facebook feed, for example, was filled with all sorts of stories of people dressing up as Rubio Robots, getting physically attacked by Rubio staffers, etc. My facebook feed is not, however, filled with Republican primary voters, so it could certainly be a meme mostly among left-leaning urbanites that lives for approximately a fortnight. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/292 "2016-02-19T21:09:25Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Rubio looks to have recovered, mainly due to the inability of other candidates to take advantage plus their own faults. Since Rubio’s bad debate, only Kasich has really improved his standing. Bush has actually gone backwards, as has Cruz. Rubio’s improved…to third in SC. Guess that 3-2-1 is now a 3-5-3. Good thing for him that his backers are so desperate for a non-Trump, non-Cruz that they’re willing to keep backing him through a sequence of failures to win or even place. But maybe he can pull out second place in Nevada on Tuesday. Feel the Rubotomentum! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/293 "2016-02-19T21:32:23Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Rubio’s improved…to third in SC. Just wait for his victory speech! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/294 "2016-02-19T21:35:54Z")
“Assume the sale” is the first thing taught to budding salesfolks all over the western world. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/295 "2016-02-22T19:31:28Z")
Just announced: Former Minnesota governor and sometime-aspiring presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty throws his support behind Marco Rubio [link](http://www.startribune.com/former-gov-pawlenty-throws-support-behind-sen-rubio/369639681/). Just the break the Rubio campaign has been waiting for! ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/296 "2016-02-22T19:38:41Z")
Bush supporters are apparently moving over to Rubio and as I mentioned in the GOP Super Tuesday thread, he’s getting some solid endorcements in Georgia, the silver prize that day. 538 gives him a 40% chance of winning there. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/297 "2016-02-22T19:44:07Z")
From the Department of Straining Analogies: > [@](#): > > [Rubio super PAC compares him to Harry Potter](http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/02/marco-rubio-harry-potter-219597) > > Leaders of a pro-Rubio super PAC sent a fundraising memo Sunday evening likening Marco Rubio to the youthful boy wizard Harry Potter and Donald Trump to the evil wizard Voldemort from the Harry Potter book series… > > Tompkins and Lerner then spent the bulk of the message to donors building out the analogy of Rubio as Potter and Trump as Voldemort. > > “In Harry Potter lore, Voldemort, the Dark Lord, had a secret to his strength. His secret was his horcruxes,” they wrote. “As each horcrux was destroyed, Voldemort became increasingly vulnerable, not increasingly strong. When all of the horcruxes were gone, Voldemort lost his one-on-one battle with Harry Potter.”… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/298 "2016-02-22T19:49:07Z")
Great. So this entire election season is like being trapped with Whiny Harry in Order of the Phoenix. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/299 "2016-02-22T19:50:48Z")
Oops, there goes the evangelical vote! ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685/300 "2016-02-22T20:06:51Z")
Vote Slytherin! I mean Cruz! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marco-rubio-presidential-campaign-discussion-thread/717685.md?page=16)