David Harsanyi: The Unmaking Of Marco Rubio – The Federalist

In the Obama/Tea Party era, you can be a principled senator who attempts to get things done (and Rubio was almost certainly a sincere believer in immigration reform), or you can try to be president. You can’t do both. For many conservatives, immigration is the most pressing economic, political, and cultural issue the nation faces. They can absolve you of wrongdoing if you were a tepid supporter of amnesty; not if you’re part of the gang trying to push through the bill. Robot or not.

In his New Hampshire concession speech, Rubio showed some humility, admitted he had a bad debate, and promised that it would never happen again. Then he launched into another prefabricated, message-heavy speech, because that’s what good politicians do. They’re disciplined. But if Rubio has a chance — and it’s a long shot — he’ll have to alter the perceptions about his messaging. It’s the difference between ending up as Dan Quayle or President George W. Bush. But even if he accomplishes that, it seems unlikely he can overcome his history and the country’s mood. Not in 2016.

From: The Unmaking Of Marco Rubio {via Roland Dodds}