The two narratives
that I would like to discuss are 1.) Donald Trump as a winner and 2.) Marco Rubio
as the ‘Republican Obama’.
Donald
Trump has said since he has gotten into the race (that is, up until Monday
night) that he is a winner; that he loves to win, that he always wins and that
he will win. He said he would win in Iowa. He said that Iowans loved him and
that he was going to win. Ultimately he came in second. The media has picked up
on this narrative and has clung to it. CNN often goes live to Donald Trump’s
rallies to listen to him say what he has to say. The polls have often shown him
in front and the media has followed that trend. As recently as October or
November pundits were talking about the staying power of the ‘Summer of Trump’.
Trump is currently 30% up in New Hampshire, so it will be important to see how
that narrative plays out, and if he can win New Hampshire, South Carolina, or
other primary states.
Of course
Marco Rubio has his 3-2-1 plan. Third in Iowa, second in New Hampshire, first
in South Carolina. Under this narrative, Donald Trump, if ever a winner, might
not be a winner for very long, with respect to presidential primary politics.
Marco Rubio is called the ‘Republican Obama’ (mostly by the media) due to the
fact that he is a young (44) first term senator (and he’s a racial minority).
Rubio’s third place finish in Iowa is said to have been a beating of
expectations. It has been celebrated in the days since as an unmitigated
victory for the senator. If Rubio can follow through with his 3-2-1 plan, if he
can win South Carolina going into the SEC Primary (traditionally called Super
Tuesday) and carry momentum, he could create a situation in the Republican Party
where two candidates duke it out.
Unlike President Obama, however, Rubio is
considered an establishment candidate and would not have a Hillary Clinton (an ‘inevitable
candidate’) to run against.
No comments:
Post a Comment