TheProgressivePatriot
Platinum Member
Debate slip-up seems to halt Rubio’s momentum
CONCORD, N.H. — Marco Rubio’s robotic debate performance Saturday night sparked an all-out offensive on the campaign trail here Sunday over his authenticity and experience, momentarily halting the momentum of the senator from Florida and further muddling the presidential nomination battle.
Just two days before the New Hampshire primary, Rubio drew mockery for repeating a rehearsed line four times during the Republican candidates’ debate, even after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had ridiculed him for being a talking-point machine.
Last week, The New York Times, in an example of how a lot of the media portray Marco Rubio, referred to Rubio as the "only candidate outside the hard right to perform well in the caucuses." Over and over again, reporters at news organizations from Politico to Reuters, have described Rubio this way or called a "moderate."
As some political commentators have noted, however, Rubio's positions are extreme on just about everything that matters to Americans, from climate change to voting rights, and he's clearly increasingly bowing to the "hard right." Yet, because he's backed by the GOP establishment - and apparently, because his backers view him, rightly or wrongly, as the only candidate who can court the extremes and still woo the middle - many in the media proclaim him to be a moderate.
But still, how is that possible?


