Marco Rubio desperately trying to clean his image to prep for VP slot.

[DCBob]

from the Politico..

With his name still simmering in the GOP veepstakes, the Florida Republican and his staff are spending an extraordinary amount of time, money and effort to define himself on the national stage before his political enemies — and a probing press corps — do it first.

He’s racing to publish his memoirs, though they won’t be out until this fall, months after a more critical Rubio biography by a Washington Post reporter hits bookshelves.

When Rubio got word last month a reporter had learned he attended the Mormon Church as a child, the senator’s publisher quickly leaked that fact to Rubio’s hometown newspaper.

Rubio has even hired investigators to look into his own background, since he knows Democrats are doing the same. His political action committee paid a firm more than $40,000 to conduct opposition research on Rubio, and it’s preparing to spend thousands more to dig into family stories, financial documents and real estate records — anything that could pop up in a political “oppo” file.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/73908.html

================

I think the GOPer establishment have conveyed the message to Rubio that if he wants the be VP nominee he has to deal with these controversies.

[C_U_L8R]

1. Blunt - Rubio

Nuff Said. This clown is dead to women.

[jenmito]

2. The "Blunt-Rubio Bill" will kill his chances. n/t

[DCBob]

3. Hope so.

Cuz he is dangerous. Sans the controversies, he could help the GOP nominee win Florida and boost the Hispanic vote in other parts of the country.

[jenmito]

4. He WOULD'VE been dangerous but co-sponsoring that bill was his political death among women

and men who agree with them. And he's Cuban which won't help him as much as you think among most Hispanics. Don't worry about him.

[DCBob]

5. I worry about everything.

There is a large percentage of the electorate that is clueless and uninformed and easily influenced by superficial characteristics of a candiate. Rubio has very good superficial characteristics. He is dangerous regardless of bills he sponsered or not quite being a "full" Hispanic.

[jenmito]

8. I understand...

but I heard from Maria Teresa Kumar, who is the head of Voto Latino, say basically what I said here on MSNBC a while ago. That put me at ease.

[DCBob]

10. Well, maybe the GOPers are thinking this through more than I give them credit.

But somehow I doubt it. They often go for the superficial and ignore important details.. eg Sarah Palin.

[jenmito]

13. I doubt it, too...

after they thought putting Palin on the ticket would get them the women who would've voted for Hillary and then Obama, they still think they'll get the votes of whatever demographic they put on their ticket. And if they still put Rubio on the ticket after that Blunt-Rubio anti-woman bill, it'll prove they haven't learned a thing.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

23. Yep, and there are even liberals who are misinformed and say that they won't support

Obama with enthusiasm. They may vote for him but they won't work on the ground or send money. With that attitude, we will certainly lose. The Koch Bros., KKKarl Rove, and Mittens have enough money to destroy Obama. If our side doesn't get its shit together and stop being angry about everything, we could see another 2010, this time ten times worse!

Yes, I understand that people are angry that change hasn't come quickly enough, but again, if we don't work ON THE GROUND to get this guy reelected, we will be in major trouble and only will have ourselves to blame.

[KharmaTrain]

12. He'd Have Little Effect On Hispanic Votes...

Hispanics aren't a monolithic group...Rubio's a Cuban and Cubans aren't very popular with Mexicans in specific. The rushpublican xenophobic war against Mexicans will be felt this November across the West & Southwest...and Rubio can sing Rancheras all he wants it won't help with a party that was polling in the teens.

[DCBob]

14. Would most non-Cuban Hispanics know Rubio is Cuban?

I think I can answer that myself.. I suspect they would. The Hispanic newpapers and radio stations would cover that extensively if he was the nominee. Perhaps you are right.. but the GOPer establishment is simple-minded and may not get it. They think anyone with a name like Rubio has to be loved by all Hispanics.. just like they thought since Sarah Palin wore skirts and high heels she had to be loved by women.

[Cosmocat]

15. Rubio is 100 times better than Palin

he is a real "threat."

He is well spoken, smart. Tactiful by republican standards.

He is not a dimwitted bomb thrower like Palin.

He would benefit from what Palin benefited from - an eager corporate media waiting with baited breathe to crown the next great republican politician, and unlike Palin, he won't be an unmitigated trainwreck.

I would suspect he would be enough to push Florida to the Rs.

[KharmaTrain]

16. They're Desperate...

Remember, we have two national Hispanic TV networks that are doing a lot of coverage of this election. I could see the Mexican/Hispanic vote being big not only in Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada but Arizona and even Texas. Even in Florida, outside of Miami there's a significant Mexican population. There's a resentment of Cubans as they've had special treatment regarding immigration in the U.S. Rubio has another problem as it was discovered his family came here prior to 1959 so he isn't the poor exile but from a family of privilidge...a Cuban Mittens if you will. This may even play against him in South Florida.

Whomever wins the rushpublican demolition derby, they'll be as desperate as McCain was to find a "game changer" or someone who can "solidify" the ticket. As you note, the rushpublicans are tone deaf to the differences in the Hispanic world as they are in many others...living with stereotypes. The problem is a majority of Hispanics who vote are bilingual...they can hear the double speak of when a Millard says he's in favor of SB1070 in English and Hola Amgios in Spanish.

Cheers...

[DonCoquixote]

6. yeah yeah

But none of that will change the fact that Rubio is "the spoonful of sugar that will make the Mitt-a-cine go down." Mitt (or whoever replaces him in Tampa) knows that he needs to get Florida, no if and or but, especially since Rick Scott has been busy doing everything to deny minorities the vote. If Obama wins Florida, he wins, as it is doubtful that the GOP will take California or New York. If it comes down to yet another Supreme Court decision, then he knows that Scalia cannot save him if he loses Florida.

As much as it is sad, the four states that really control the election are California, New York, Florida, and Texas, with Florida being the only swing state among them.

Of course, if Mitt is really stupid enough to pick Rand paul for VP, then he is a fool. Not only does Rand Paul come equipped with built in sound bites, but the Cubans will feel shunned! It sure will not help that Rick Scott has his own ambitions for the presidency, and therefore has an easily bruised ego.

Of course, there is yet one option that Mitt can do, which, if he does it, could hand him the nation on a silver platter. Yeah, it is scary, but given the amount of HARDCORE CATHOLICS in Florida, Rick Santorum could take the state. The onlt reason Mitt won this state is because Mitt bought tons of ads, whereas Rick could go to the hardcore Catholics and sell himself.

[gopiscrap]

11. I would add

OH and PA to those swing states and it .looks likely that Obama will get both OH and PA add that to CA and NY and he's already got 123 electoral votes he's a lock to get HI, DC, IL, VT, MA, MY, RI, DE, NJ and that brings him to 193 it would be really doubtful for him to lose ME, NH, WA, OR, WI, MN which puts him at 240

Other swing states are IA, VA, NV, CO these will likely go Obama (with the outside possibility of VA) that would bring him to 274 bing! bing! bing! we have a winner

other possible swing states are NC, FL, AZ, MT and one district in NE (likely a loss in AZ and MT ) possible win in NC and FL

lost causes: TX, ID, AK, OK, KS, the rest of NE, SD, ND, AR, LA, AL, MS, GA, TN, KY, WV, SC a total of 150

my big question is MO

This just IMHO

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. Conservashits are now promoting Governor Susana Martinez of New Mexico over Rubio

She's about as conservative as it gets and she was endorsed by Sarah Palin. The Republicans want to improve their standing with women and Hispanics with her as VP nominee if they can. They're just about at rock bottom with both groups.

[DCBob]

9. Very possible she could be it.

She fits the mold almost perfectly.

[K8-EEE]

19. Yes, a recently elected female governor as Veep, what could go wrong?

Hey and she's a Latina that's a real GAME CHANGE! Do they really want to remind people of 2008?

[Ruby the Liberal]

17. He should think twice on things like co-sponsoring the Blunt Amendment.

[SteveG]

18. If they are consistent, the Birther's will have to oppose him

Rubio was born in the U.S. in 1971, but his parents (who emigrated pre-Castro) did not become Citizens until 1975. According to the Birther's he cannot be a natural born citizen.

[K8-EEE]

20. What is funny is Rubio has the same fake "eligibility problem" as Obama

And of course Romney has the same issue with "tyrannical health care mandates."

Sometimes I think the wingnuts have just totally boxed themselves in with all the crazy!

[IndyJones]

21. Blunt-Rubio makes him fail with women who might have considered him prior.

[DFW]

22. "Out, out, damned spot..........." n/t

[greiner3]

24. Rubio born in the US to 'illegals;'

Wouldn't that make him an 'anchor baby?'