David Rivera

The Road Ahead For Marco Rubio: Many Barriers To The Republican Presidential Nomination In 2016

Ronald 1 Comment

When one examines the field of candidates for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2016, Florida Senator Marco Rubio seems, clearly, to be one of the top candidates.

Rubio has many positives, including:

Young, handsome, charismatic

From the ultimate “Swing” state, with the third highest number of electoral votes

An Hispanic (Cuban American)

Representative of a “new generation”

A “fresh face”

Seen by many as the Republican Barack Obama, but also seen as the Republican equivalent of a Bill Clinton or John F. Kennedy in age and charisma

A person with a substantial state government legislative experience, including being Florida House Speaker

But, Rubio also has many negatives, including:

He has to compete against fellow Floridian, former Governor Jeb Bush, his mentor

The Cuban American members of Congress from Florida (Lincoln Diaz Balart and Ileane Ros Lehtinen) support Bush over their fellow Cuban American

Rubio’s support of comprehensive immigration reform, alienating many conservatives, but then backing away from it, alienating other groups, including Latinos who are not Cuban American

Rubio’s being seen as too close to former Miami Congressman David Rivera, who has been seen as involved in corrupt, questionable activities

Rubio being questioned about spending habits while Florida House Speaker, regarding expenditures paid by the state party that were personal expenditures

Rubio being too close to billionaires including Miami’s Norman Braman, and Nevada gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson, and being often in financial difficulties in which Braman has helped him with financial support

Rubio being seen as a Tea Party leader, but trying to separate himself from the extremists of the movement

Rubio seen as not fully understanding foreign policy, where he often seems ignorant of facts and favoring false realities

Rubio seen as not aggressive enough, as compared to rivals, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckebee, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal

South Florida Gains Two New Controversial GOP Congressmen! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

In the recent midterm Congressional elections, South Florida saw two new GOP Congressmen elected, both of whom are bound to make news, but probably not in a positive way! 🙁

David Rivera is the new Congressman for the 25th Congressional District in Miami, who has been accused of domestic violence against a woman years ago, and was involved in a car crash into a truck carrying fliers accusing him of domestic violence, even though he denies the whole story. But the Miami Herald has done investigation on this and claims that Rivera is covering up on this matter! 🙁 So the matter is not likely to go away anytime soon!

Even more controversial is the new Congressman for the 22nd Congressional District in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, and one of two newly elected African American Republican Congressmen. Allen West was a lieutenant colonel in the US Army who retired under fire for his tactics in Iraq in 2003, and he is seen as one of the most right wing members of Congress, similar to Michele Bachmann in using loose rhetoric! He had a motorcycle gang as a security detail, and briefly hired right wing talk show host Joyce Kaufman, a Fort Lauderdale radio celebrity, as his Chief of Staff until she backed out two days later, after her fiery speech during the campaign advocating using the Second Amendment if the election results were unsatisfactory! 🙁

These two Florida Congressmen will give the GOP leadership headaches in all likelihood, and will not follow the old line that freshmen are seen but not noticed! 🙁