MSNBC’s Chris Matthews declared Saturday that Sen. Marco Rubio is probably the best equipped of the Republican presidential candidates to take on Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the fall.
Matthews’ remarks came as the Florida senator seemed poised for a second place finish in the South Carolina Republican primary, and as Clinton bested her Democratic rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in the Nevada caucus.
“Another thing I noticed tonight is that if this thing gets close and, actually, Rubio looks like he’s really in contention,” he said.
“If you talk to Democrats who really follow this political business, they’re afraid of Rubio. He’s young, he’s attractive, he’s an incredibly good speaker. He’s the right aged person to run for president. He’s not old. He’s not nuts in any way. He’s not – doesn’t come across as an ideologue,” the longtime cable news anchor continued. “He’s a hawk, which is good for the country if you’re going to vote Republican … And so it looks to me like if that race begins to settle, Hillary versus Rubio, that’s a tough one. That’s a real close race, as I see it.”
Earlier this month, Rubio came in third place in the Iowa caucuses, placing behind billionaire businessman Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Later, in the GOP New Hampshire primary, Rubio placed behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Cruz, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Trump.
