via @learyreports
ORLANDO -- Marco Rubio was the first presidential candidate to address the Sunshine Summit in Orlando and may have suffered from a crowd not yet warmed up, or one familiar with his stump speech. The reaction was warm but not overwhelming.
Still, Rubio delivered pleasing lines about national security, throwing out the Iran nuclear deal, repealing Obamacare and opposing Common Core. He did not address immigration but that was a dominant topic during a news conference that followed.
Speech highlights:
Joker: "I’m not sure who brought Barack Obama’s TelePrompTer. But I wish I could move it so I could see you. … We don't have any socialists running and none of our candidates is under investigation by the FBI.”
Bush bashing. He didn’t say Bush’s name but Bush was clearly a focus when Rubio said governors don’t create jobs, the private sector does. Rubio also said federal government should not be involved in K-12 education. That’s why we don’t need Common Core,” he said to applause. Then: "I feel called to this. I don't come from wealthy and politically connected parents."
Family Values: “There is no replacement for the family. It is the original government. It is the most important school you will ever attend.” This is a newer line in Rubio's standard speech.
Turn the page: Rubio laced his address with his generational, turn-the-page argument. “We are running out of time,” to fix the problems facing the country.
Strong America: “In the face of all these threats, we are gutting our military capability, and that is why one the first things this party must be about is we must be the party of a strong national defense.” (Big applause.)
--ALEX LEARY, Tampa Bay Times
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