by Nomad
If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, then Marco Rubio's speech is an homage to President Obama.
As we know, Barack Obama has long been the target of conservatives for the last 8 years. He has been castigated by the Republicans every step of the way.
And yet, when it comes to campaigning and political style, at least, one of the candidates must secretly admire Obama.
AddictingInfo has an interesting scoop about Republican candidate and Senator Marco Rubio's Iowa "victory" speech. Coming in third is a victory in the Republican party. Rubio told his cheering supporters;
“So this is the moment they said would never happen. For months, for months they told us we had no chance. For months they told us because we offer too much optimism in a time of anger, we had no chance. For months they told us because we didn’t have the right endorsements or the right political connections, we had no chance. They told me that we have no chance because my hair wasn’t gray enough and my boots were too high.”
Somebody should have told him that the bronze medal is a poor substitute for the gold one.
And yet, it sounded so familiar.
And yet, it sounded so familiar.
“They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high. They said this country was too divided, too disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose. But on this January night, at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn’t do.”
In some ways, it's a pathetic sign for the Republicans when a third place finisher has to steal his lines from a Democratic first place candidate. But especially when those words come out of the mouth of the man that the Far Right seems to hate with so much venom.
Jameson Parker for AddictingInfo. com writes that nobody expected Rubio to thank Obama for supplying him with a faux victory speech.
Rubio should think twice about comparing himself to Obama. It's a lose-lose situation for him.
Ironically – and this really is shaping up to be the year that irony jumped the shark – Rubio may owe his entire presidential campaign to Obama’s history-making one just eight years ago. Like Obama, Rubio is young and relatively inexperienced in national politics. He’s considered a long-shot, but one who hopes to appeal to younger generations.
But, says Parker, the resemblance is as superficial as a paper-cut. Rubio is just not the conservative Obama- if such a thing were even possible.
For one thing Rubio, try as he might, cannot match Obama for charisma and charm. Obama has a magnetic personality while Rubio is a young man without any new vision. Exhausted ideas packaged in a fresh wrapping.
And sometimes, Rubio comes off as both desperate and petulant. For example, his excuse for not being seen in Congress to vote (he was bored with the way things were done) was hardly a shining model of leadership.
While president, Obama has demonstrated an extraordinary sense of grace under pressure.
Let's not forget that this the man who attended a 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner while in the midst of a secret operation which led to the removal of America's terrorist threat, Osama Bin Laden.
Let's not forget that this the man who attended a 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner while in the midst of a secret operation which led to the removal of America's terrorist threat, Osama Bin Laden.
And to top it off, on that same evening, President Obama handily gave Donald Trump a very witty dressing-down. (Trump couldn't hide his humiliation as the crowd roared.)
In contrast, candidate Rubio, says Parker,
"blends into the background of nearly every stage he takes. He also has a history of politically-motivated flip flops, a Romney-esque ability to change with the direction of the wind and come out looking like both a moral coward and a shameful opportunist."
Not so surprising then that Rubio's non-victory victory speech had to be purloined.
When it comes to campaigns, the rule in the conservative Republican party appears to be: if it doesn't come naturally, fake it. Our voters are just not bright enough to know the difference anyway.
