By John W. Lillpop
Senator Marco Rubio(R-Florida) is a formidable candidate in the race to be Mitt Romney’s running mate in November.
The Senator has much going for him: He is young, attractive, well- spoken, intelligent, instantly likeable, and literally oozing charisma.
For those whom have not been paying attention, young and charismatic are adjectives which do not immediately come to mind when one thinks about Mitt Romney.
Romney, a fine and decent man by all accounts, may be one of the dullest figures to ever vie for the presidency.
In addition to his attractive physical appearance and energy, Rubio is Hispanic, a large ethnic demographic that the Republican Party covets dearly.
Which is the case because the GOP generally polls poorly in the Hispanic community, owing at least partially to the party rigidity on rule of law, border security, and other immigration policies which some Hispanics consider anti-Hispanic and, perhaps, even racist, especially when coached to believe so by Democrats.
Bottom line: Installing a Hispanic like Rubio on the national ticket might help mitigate some of the misgivings about the GOP among Latinos and could be instrumental in electing Mitt Romney as the 45th President of the US.
Very tempting, indeed.
However, given the past years under President Obama, Romney would be well advised to think hard before using race as the determinative factor.
After all, in 2008, Democrats fell in love with Barack Hussein Obama, mostly because of his race and liberal extremism.
Accolades for Obama included “clean and articulate” and no discernable “Negro dialect;” important considerations to Democrat leaders like Joe Biden and Harry Reid.
Unfortunately for the Democrat Party, and America, Barack Obama came to power with a paucity of executive experience, very limited knowledge about economics, foreign policy and other important issues.
Obama’s juvenile naivete was, and is, aggravated by a world-class arrogance and anti-American bias that makes effective governance impossible.
As we now know, “clean and articulate” are not nearly enough!
With respect to Marco Rubio, the young senator does not appear to be encumbered with the arrogance or lack of love for America that makes Obama such a pointed failure.
Still, Rubio does NOT bring a dossier of significant experience and accomplishments to the fray.
Much like Obama, Rubio is particularly attractive because of his race and style.
Of course Mitt Romney is an intelligent man whom understands what it takes to succeed. Surely Romney will look beyond the glitter and glamour of the young Hispanic Turk in answering these questions:
Does Rubio have the requisite experience and maturity to take over as president should (God forbid) something untoward afflict President Romney?
Can Rubio gain the respect (fear!) of world leaders like Vladimir Putin, and renegade nations like Iran, North Korea, and Syria?
Does Rubio possess the patriotic fervor and judgment needed to advocate on behalf of American interests without apologizing for US policies and leaders?
After all, as we learned over the past four years, getting elected is the easy part! Governing, on the other hand, requires skill, intelligence, and love of country.
Mitt Romney must be wary of selecting his VEEP based on race!
Please, Do NOT repeat the awful mistake that Democrats made, ala Barack Obama!
