Marco Rubio has secured the endorsement of one of the oldest newspapers in the nation, as the Boston Herald declared on its pages Monday evening that the Florida senator is the “easy choice” in the 2016 GOP presidential primary.
Rubio “makes a strong case that the time has come not only for an ideological change in the White House — but for a generational change in Washington, too,” the newspaper’s editorial board said Monday. “And with the field of GOP presidential candidates narrowing, the choice for voters in Massachusetts, who head to the polls March 1, is coming into much clearer focus.”
Though the 170-year-old newspaper conceded it once leaned towards endorsing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, it added that his exit made its eventual decision all the more clear.
“Now it is clear that, in what is for all practical purposes a three-way race, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida represents the Republicans’ best hope to bring the party and the country together,” the editorial board wrote. “The Herald is pleased to endorse him for the Republican nomination.”
The supposed three-way race mentioned by the Herald includes Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and billionaire businessman Donald Trump.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson are still running, but they are widely considered by most newsrooms to be non-entities at this point in the 2016 GOP primary.
“Consider that among South Carolina voters who said the ability to win in November mattered most, Rubio was miles ahead of his rivals,” the paper continued. “He was the top pick of voters who prioritized experience. A Cuban-American who has developed strong relationships within and outside of his own party, Rubio could be a demographic game-changer for the GOP.”
Aside from these obvious pluses, they added, Rubio also touts big ideas and policies.
“He has been a strong voice in favor of reducing the size of the federal government, while increasing accountability for government spending and promoting pro-business tax policies. He backs practical reforms to entitlement programs. He has called for ‘a return to the Constitution,’ in contrast to the current occupant of the White House, who is content to ignore that precious document when it suits his needs,” they wrote.
“On immigration, Rubio was a member of the Gang of Eight which in 2013 sought — commendably, in our view — to negotiate a comprehensive immigration reform bill. He has walked a fine line on the issue while campaigning, but we are hopeful that in the White House he could work with both parties in Congress to solve once and for all this entirely fixable problem,” they added.
Further, they argued, Rubio’s experience as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee may also be put to use repairing America’s relationships with her allies, many of which now lie in “tatters.”
“Throughout his career Rubio has proved his conservative but practical bona fides. In Massachusetts, we have a special fondness for elected officials who remain firm in their convictions, but who see the wisdom in working with their ideological counterparts,” they concluded. “If voters can see past their anger to understand the importance of that approach, and the generational significance of the candidate who espouses it, the choice of Marco Rubio will be an easy one.”
