I can’t believe I’m saying this, but maybe I misjudged Marco Rubio.
For one thing, I’m a big fan of Jeb Bush’s. And the former Florida governor recently vouched for Rubio when he said the first-term senator would be his choice for the GOP’s vice presidential nomination. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Bush called Rubio “dynamic, joyful, disciplined and principled” as well as “the best orator of American politics today” and someone who “has managed to find a way to communicate a conservative message full of hope and optimism.”
My friends on the left — the few who remain after my regular pummeling of President Obama over his deceitful and deplorable record on deportations — were quite pleased last year when I slammed Rubio as a “sellout” for aligning himself with Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and other immigration hard-liners in Congress. At the time, I criticized Rubio for supporting Arizona’s immigration law, which is a recipe for racial profiling of Latinos because it requires local and state police to question the citizenship of anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally. I also hit him for opposing the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status for undocumented students if they went to college or joined the military. And it wasn’t exactly Rubio’s finest hour when, having put his Cuban-born parents on a pedestal by labeling them “exiles,” it was revealed that they actually came to the United States before Fidel Castro took power in 1959. This meant that Rubio’s parents were “immigrants” after all, just like the folks who some Republicans would like to keep out of the country today.
Over the last several months, I’ve realized that what really was getting under my skin about Rubio wasn’t so much what he does or what he believes but rather how others in his party use him — and how he allows himself to be used — as a token, a prop, a frontman to try to maintain the facade that the party of Lincoln is not really anti-Latino, but many Latinos are convinced otherwise.
Guess who is fond of Rubio? Mitt Romney. The GOP presidential hopeful has let it be known several times during the campaign that, if he wins the nomination, he would consider Rubio as a possible running mate.
Of course, this fact doesn’t help Rubio’s standing with Latinos, many of whom seem to actively dislike Romney for going out of his way to appear tough on immigration. A poll from Fox News Latino found that while 70 percent of Latino voters thought that Obama cared about them and their interests, only 18 percent felt that way about Romney.
We can assume this 18 percent includes Rubio, who officially endorsed the GOP front-runner during a recent appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” program.
Still, while Rubio and I obviously disagree on many things, including whether Romney cares about Latinos, I do appreciate three things about him.
First, I saw him give an impassioned and what seemed to be sincere speech in Miami to a roomful of Hispanic conservatives in which he criticized members of his own party for taking positions on immigration that are harsh and unfair.
Second, Rubio recently took the lead in introducing sensible legislation that could break the logjam over the DREAM Act by offering undocumented students legal status but not U.S. citizenship. This is something that could make the concept easier to swallow for Republicans who, given their ugly record on immigration, are afraid of giving immigrants the right to vote.
And third, he seems to be moving away from his supporters in the Tea Party and creeping toward the middle, perhaps in anticipation of an offer to run on a national ticket.
I’m not sure what is happening with Rubio, or what he’s up to. I don’t know how much of this is sincere and how much is born of political calculation. But, nonetheless, I’ve decided to give him another chance and keep an open mind. Other Latinos ought to do the same.
E-mail Ruben Navarrette at ruben@rubennavarrette.com.
