In a weekend interview with the Wall Street Journal's Collin Levy, Marco Rubio said that he would welcome an endorsement from Sarah Palin:
He's never met Ms. Palin but admires her political style: "I think she brings a level of real-life everyday sentiment that people identify with... I think she energizes people."Rubio, the former Speaker of Florida's House, is challenging Gov. Charlie Crist in the Republican primary to fill the U.S. Senate seat of retiring Mel Martinez.
Among both supporters and skeptics in the GOP, there's a sense that the two, along with Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, are among the party's leaders of the future—and also a sense that after the Bush interregnum the fundamental soul of the GOP is Reaganite after all. Money has also begun pouring in to help level the playing field against the well-funded governor.
Mr. Rubio says that a Sarah Palin endorsement would be welcome and "a positive" at this point.
Read the full interview here.
- JP
I have been waiting to see if Palin endorses
ReplyDeleteRubio.
Crist is good buddies with Lindsey Graham, McCain's best friend. Crist is endorsed by
the Republican Party, while Rubio has been ignored.
Which way will she go? I admire Palin greatly
for all she has accomplished both in Alaska
and in the lower 48 since then.
My "litmus" test for her, if you will, will be
whether or not she endorses Rubio. I am surprised that she hasn't yet. Perhaps she was waiting for Rubio to ask; now he has.
Timing is everything in politics. The Florida primary is still a long way off - August 24th, more than five months from now. Perhaps both of them are waiting to announce an endorsement closer to the primary date for it to have maximum impact. Right now Rubio is well in the lead and is having no problem raising money. It's possible both of them are holding an endorsement in reserve to be "pulled out" if and when Crist starts to come back in the polls - in order to cut off any momentum Crist might start to gain.
ReplyDeleteGood explanation....I will try and have patience!
ReplyDeleteLitmus tests won't work with Palin. Or anyone else really.
ReplyDeleteBesides, Rubio is already claimed by Huck and Jeb. He's made his bed. Without Sarah.
He's just making polite public noise, but he's a Huck/Bush man.