Marco Rubio gave a speech at the South Carolina Freedom Summit that presented himself as the representation of the American Dream and the idea of change. His parents left Cuba to pursue the American Dream. He and his family represent the American Dream. More Americans should be able to aspire to the American Dream.
But why is the economy so bad? Rubio talks of the need for higher education reform generally and for a tax code that matches other nations. He was eloquent in describing how too many are living paycheck to paycheck, but he was remarkably vague in describing why the economy recovery stalled:
Why is this happening to the greatest nation on earth? At its core, the reason is this: Because the economy of the world all around us is undergoing historic and dramatic changes, but we are still led by too many people who are trapped in the past by ideas that no longer work.
What is his solution?
We have to wake up to the reality that yesterday is over, and to turn the page, and to be proud of our history and to embrace the future. . . .We must decide whether we will embrace the future and confront its challenges, or whether we will be left behind by history.
The full video is here.
It sounds to me like Rubio is trying to take a page from Obama’s 2008 campaign and make his face and his story the answer to all questions. He sounds consultant driven. I do not think this is going to work for him.
Maggie Gallagher is a senior fellow at American Principles in Action.
