Last night on O'Reilly, Kirsten Powers and I talked about, yes, Rubio's Watergate moment. Absurd, I know, but what's behind it is not so silly. The MSM are not content to sit back and let Marco Rubio challenge The Chosen One. They will fight back. And the more effective he is, as I believe he was Tuesday night, the harder they will hit him.
If you think about it, in his calm, likable way, Rubio dismantled many of the myths Obama has create. But he also exposed Obama's core strategy: demonize anyone who has the temerity to disagree with his policies. Obama does not argue ideas--there is no debate, no back and forth between well-intentioned ideological opponents, both seeking the same end but through different means. No, indeed. Obama wants to avoid the messiness of debate and democracy. He wants it his way, and he'll pull out all the Alinsky tactics he knows (and he knows them all) in order to turn his opponent into "the enemy."
That is what the MSM is beginning the process of here, by diverting attention from a strong speech and focusing on an awkward human moment. They do not want to give Rubio the credit he deserved for formulating and delivering this rebuttal that resonates with hard working Americans. And they do not want him to make that connection with the American people they know he is eminently capable of doing.
Kirsten says toward the end that the Left isn't afraid of Rubio, just as they weren't afraid of Sarah Palin. I disagree on both points. Recall that when McCain announced that the then-wildly popular governor of Alaska would be his running mate, that was the moment during the campaign when McCain's numbers spiked. There was a surge of hope and optimism brought about by this dynamic woman leader who had that unique ability to connect with everyday Americans. It was when the economy tanked and McCain suspended his campaign (collective GROAN, please) that his support took a nosedive.
But, throughout that campaign, the MSM went about the process of destroying Sarah Palin with laser-like focus. And many say they succeeded. They certainly marginalized her, and quite effectively. That is exactly what they are going to setting about to do to Marco Rubio. It is beginning now, and it's only going to intensify. Let's hope conservatives and Republicans, despite their self-interests, will not let it happen this time to Marco Rubio, as they did, running to the hinterlands as fast as they could the minute the media went after Governor Palin. Whether he ends up being the Republican presidential nominee or not, he is an powerfully effective communicator, and vastly strengthens the conservative movement and the Republican Party.
