Richmond Times-Dispatch Endorses Marco Rubio For President
"If America is to step forward to regain its optimism, its strength, its gift for broadly growing prosperity, we must choose a leader who reflects those indispensable qualities. We believe that candidate is Marco Rubio."
- Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial Board
Rubio for president: Now's your last chance
Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial Board
February 27, 2016
http://www.richmond.com/opinion/our-opinion/editorial-cartoons/article_26748f78-3d07-500e-a7ac-e53f4312021c.html
Except in extraordinary circumstances, The Times-Dispatch refrains from making endorsements in nominating contests if the general election in November will be competitive. But these qualify as extraordinary times, at least in the realm of presidential politics. After considerable reflection, we have decided that standing on the sidelines as Virginians go to the polls Tuesday would be a dereliction of our duty — our duty to encourage civil public engagement as well as our duty to help readers sort through the confusion that inevitably accompanies a vibrant republic.
It is well known that this newspaper often — though not always — endorses Republicans. We do so again today, in part because we find the continuing ethical lapses of Hillary Clinton unacceptable and the economic proposals of Bernie Sanders absurd. In both cases, these fundamental flaws rise to levels that may render the candidates unsuited to the office of president.
But it is the flaws of two men seeking the Republican nomination that pushed us into abandoning our usual practice of making a presidential endorsement in the waning weeks of October. Our endorsement editorials, by and large, focus on the positive qualities of the candidates we choose to support. We’ll go there in a moment. The tone of the current campaign, however, requires that we first explain why we believe the election of Donald Trump or Ted Cruz would not serve the best interests of the nation or the Republican Party — this despite the fact that we are amenable to Senator Cruz’s philosophy regarding the size and scope of government and reverence for the Constitution. And we understand the frustration of Trump’s supporters, who accurately see a government that fails far too often and a society that seems to be losing touch with the individual freedom that makes America great.
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Electing Trump, casino owner and reality TV star, would be an unacceptably risky roll of the dice. His grasp of essential functions of government — such as the nuclear triad — is tenuous. His policy prescriptions, as best they can be deciphered, are simplistic and often unworkable. His disregard for common courtesy reflects poorly on his character. His repeated tendency to pit one group of Americans against another continues the divisive tone set by President Obama. His recent praise for Obamacare’s individual health insurance mandate is the latest clue that his views are in many respects anything but conservative. All that seems clear about a Trump administration is that it would expand the power of the federal government, it would spend more of your money, and it would treat the Constitution with the casual contempt that has become dangerously commonplace along the banks of the Potomac.
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Our case against Ted Cruz is more nuanced. We agree with many of his general pronouncements — about the need to shrink the size and power of the federal government, to maintain a strong national defense, to end crony capitalism that infects Washington and undermines free markets. Yet when we examine his specific policies, they often do not match his rhetoric. He claims, for instance, that his tax proposals would spur economic growth, limit government and eliminate the IRS. Yet the centerpiece of his plan is a tax remarkably similar to the European value-added tax that has enabled the rapid expansion of continental tax collections and a meddling bureaucracy. Cruz claims daily that he stands up to the “Washington cartel,” when in reality his grandstanding in the Senate rarely accomplishes anything — other than to undermine good-faith efforts to push left-leaning legislation a few steps to the center. And, of course, to raise Cruz’s profile in conservative media circles.
Presidential campaigns are, and have been since the Founding, nasty affairs. We are not naïve. Yet the Cruz campaign, with its robo-lies aimed at Ben Carson and its Photoshopped pictures of Marco Rubio with someone who looks like Barack Obama, is Nixonian in both the dishonesty and the fanatical ambition its tactics reveal. Campaigns, in the end, reflect the character of the candidate. We also are troubled by the Texas senator’s intolerant vehemence on some social issues, particularly same-sex marriage, where the national consensus has moved well beyond his position. We suspect this is a weakness that would make it difficult for him to win in November, even if his opponent is a weak Hillary Clinton, hobbled perhaps by an indictment, or an FBI recommendation for indictment, for national-security betrayals related to her private email server. “Vote for the crook, it’s important,” should not be a winning slogan in a presidential election, especially one as important as this year’s.
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Fortunately, there’s no need for the nation to face a choice between extremists and truth-benders. And Virginians are in a position to help ensure Americans have a better option come November.
Marco Rubio boasts a compelling life story — the son of Cuban immigrants who worked their way to the American dream. We live in an era that needs more tales of success, in a welcoming country, built on sacrifice, effort, and integrity. More important, Rubio understands the significance of his family’s ascent — and is able to express the foundational optimism that makes America exceptional. Words matter, and part of presidents’ power lies in their ability to persuade fellow citizens to follow their lead and consider their vision. Rubio is a gifted communicator, the best to rise in his party since President Reagan.
But, as we’ve learned painfully over the past seven years, soaring oratory does not ensure an effective presidency. Sound philosophy is the first step to success in the White House, and Rubio’s belief in self-reliance, limited government, free enterprise, constitutional integrity, and a strong national defense is encouraging. His insistence on border control before immigration reform is pragmatic and reasonable. We are pleased that he avoids Trump’s overkill on this issue. Rubio’s tax plan, which has drawn some criticism from Wall Street because of its substantial cuts for families with children, is admirable for its focus on growth, work and simplification. His experience on the Senate Armed Services Committee makes him better prepared than his Republican competitors to serve as commander-in-chief, as does his unabashed belief that America remains the essential nation, the leader upon which global peace and freedom rest. In this respect, he is a disciple of Reagan.
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