It’s official: Marco Rubio is a national punch line.
After the Florida senator’s weird decision to interrupt his Tuesday rebuttal of the president’s State of the Union speech by taking a swig from a bottle of water, he was quickly mocked on The Daily Show, Colbert Report, Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Late Show with David Letterman.
Four days later, Saturday Night Live worked him over.
But none of it means Rubio’s a joke.
His recovery from the gaffe has been serious business, a clear-eyed example of protecting a political brand as Rubio eyes a White House bid in four years.
Rubio quickly joined the chorus of mockers Tuesday night by poking fun at himself on Twitter. He posted a picture of the Poland Spring water bottle he grabbed. He then fund-raised off it.
The coverage and mockery perversely benefitted Rubio in another respect: It drew attention away from a speech that, in the eyes of liberals, deserved to be torn apart for misrepresenting the president’s record as well as Rubio’s.
“Don’t worry, Sen. Rubio, nobody noticed — that you gave a speech,” comedian Stephen Colbert joked Wednesday after devoting more than 40 percent of his almost half-hour show to Rubio’s water break.
Past performance is the single best indicator of future performance. Rubio was a low income lawyer before entering politics. He made money when once eke Ted by selling influence as he supplemented his income with Republican donations. He has done well for himself. The Achilles heal is he had clearly not done anything for those who elected him.
Posted by: wsbarrett | February 18, 2013 at 09:26 AM
Rubio has Right Wing problems. The Birthers won't accept him. He's an Anchor Baby born to 2 parents neither of whom were American citizens when he was born.
This is the focus of those who would modify the 14th Amendment, to bar children like Rubio from birth right citizenship.
Rubio is also a turn coat to his Tea Party benefactors. As soon as he got to Washington he turned his back on these people and even refused to join their Senate caucus.
What does Rubio have going for him?
Daddy Jeb Bush, the same thing he's always had. The Bush money, machine, and Brain Trust. The same people who crafted his Senate bid mainly to thwart Charlie Crist who pi$$ed off Jeb by vetoing SB 5, the Bush Welfare Bill.
Posted by: John N Florida | February 18, 2013 at 11:01 AM