Marco Rubio: The GOP’s golden boy, the Republican pride of the Sunshine State, the Florida-born master of politics, carefully set up by those before him to lead a new generation.
It’s such a shame he chose to run for president the same year Donald Trump did.
But do not fret, fellow Florida Republicans and conservatives, for this is not the end of Rubio, but instead just the beginning.
The 44-year-old Miami native and UF alumnus has just started to dig his pearly whites into the real meat of the political world.
Gone are the days of Rubio taking on the “backstage” roles of government — State House, Senate, etc. — working in the shadows of Washington, D.C. and trudging through the political machine.
After gaining national and worldwide attention from this absurd and disturbingly fascinating election year, I see the senator taking on nothing but bigger and better roles in government.
Why? Because I believe Rubio is going to be president one day.
He may have failed this time ‘round, but considering the support he’s garnered at such a young age — 44 is young in politician years — with such limited experience, I cannot imagine him not making more Oval Office runs in the future. Once he gets some real leadership experience under his belt, we might have something here.
Now that he’s ended his campaign, I think he will run for Florida governor. It makes too much sense.
He’s not going to want to return to passing bills in the Senate chamber, but he is instead going to set his gaze on the Florida Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee.
I think winning governor for him would be a breeze, and Florida’s boy will get the chance to run the state that made him who he is.
Though don’t be fooled into thinking he would only be doing this out of love for Florida or “giving back” to his home state. No.
The entire purpose of a Rubio run for Florida governor would be to stuff his resume. Even if he didn’t accomplish much as governor, the four-year term would nonetheless be another bullet point on the C.V. for commander in chief.
And as a Florida resident and fan of Rubio, I am completely OK with that.
Rubio’s shortcomings in this election have revealed a chasm forming down the center of the Republican Party.
You can thank the political A-bomb known as Donald J. Trump for this chasm in the gaping, growing divide in the GOP.
When Trump announced his run in June, I was working in France for a tour company that catered to buses full of American tourists on a daily basis.
At the time, it appeared all Americans, on both sides of the aisle, viewed Trump’s announcement as wildly entertaining and just what American politics needed: an outsider, non-politician to come in and get to work.
Little did we know, Trump would be the initial catalyst in the ultimate demise of the Republican Party. He would change American politics forever.
Even though both candidates aligned with the GOP, Trump and Rubio represent two very different groups of people, with Rubio holding down the “establishment” and Trump bringing to life the “anti-establishment” folk.
And, clearly, this divide failed to serve Rubio well in Tuesday’s Florida primaries, with Trump’s victory causing Rubio to drop from the race.
This upcoming election season may bring an end to the Republican Party as we know it, but it will not be the last we see of Sen. Rubio.
He is too intelligent, too quick on his feet and too skilled of a politician to simply fade into the shadows after this tumultuous political season.
Andrew Hall is a UF finance sophomore. His column appears on Thursdays.
