VP option: Would Rubio have been a better option than Paul Ryan?

[milhouse24]

Rubio has a lot of personal baggage, that could have been Palin-esque in controversy, if he was chosen.  He is also young and politically inexperienced. 

But I believe the liberal media would have gone easier on him as to not offend Hispanic voters. 

I think Rubio could have gotten 50:50 support of Hispanics for Romney, just by being named to the ticket. 

Its clear that Paul Ryan was only picked to appease the Tea Party base, without helping in any swing states.  He actually hurt the senior vote in Florida. 

I thought Romney would go with an experienced older pick like Portman. 

But if it was just a choice between young politicians, then Rubio is better than Paul Ryan.

How much support would Rubio have picked up from the Latino community and which states would he have won?

[The Mikado]

Given how narrow Florida turned out, any boost would've put Romney over the line there.  I don't really think Rubio would've made the difference in any of the other swing states...Colorado possibly?  Even there, I doubt it.

Honestly, this kind of reminds me of the Gore campaign's recriminations that they didn't pick Bob Graham of Florida, except in that case, Florida really was decisive.

[Yank2133]

Rubio reduces a 126 EC defeat to a 68 EC defeat.

Republicans have a policy problem, putting a Latino on the ticket isn't going to solve the problems in NV, CO, VA etc.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

No.  As I pointed out back in the summer, while Rubio would have secured Florida for Romney, if he needed Rubio to secure Florida the race as whole was was lost elsewhere.  Besides, the problem was the top of the ticket, not the bottom.  I strongly doubt I was the only person who was in a mood to vote Republican on Tuesday, but didn't because he didn't trust Mitt to do anything that the polls indicated would be unpopular.

[Umengus]

yes. Better in FL of course but also in CO, NV,...

[BM]

What is Rubio's personal baggage? Just curious.

[milhouse24]

No.  As I pointed out back in the summer, while Rubio would have secured Florida for Romney, if he needed Rubio to secure Florida the race as whole was was lost elsewhere.  Besides, the problem was the top of the ticket, not the bottom.  I strongly doubt I was the only person who was in a mood to vote Republican on Tuesday, but didn't because he didn't trust Mitt to do anything that the polls indicated would be unpopular.

Rubio wouldn't have just helped in Florida, but I believe he would have improved the Latino vote for Romney in the swing states like CO, and VA, and OH.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Most probably. I'm still wondering which positive Ryan brought to the ticket (besides maybe slightly energizing a base which was already determined to kick Obama out - but several other Republicans could have done that).

[Maxwell]

I think people would've saw through Rubio and look into his personal record and saw he's decently corrupt and as a result Rubio probably would've won Florida, but lost harder everywhere else.

[sentinel]

Clearly Florida was of no consequence this election, so no.

[Kung Fu Kenny]

Is Rubio even legally eligible to run?

[BM]

Yes. Both are intellectual lightweight himbos, but Rubio has more charisma, is Cuban, and is much more well known and exciting to the base despite being a newcomer.

He wouldn't have won the election for Romney, as Ryan didn't lose it for him, but he would have added more to the ticket and might have helped tip 1 or 2 close states.

[badgate]

There was a poll released this summer that said among Latinos Rubio would only get Romney minimally more support than Romney was already getting from that group of people.

[© tweed]

he probably privately declined.  I say for the 6th time

[Inmate Trump]

There was a poll released this summer that said among Latinos Rubio would only get Romney minimally more support than Romney was already getting from that group of people.

That doesn't mean much though.  Polls that early into things (yes, summer before an election is still very early...) don't mean anything.

Anyway, yes Rubio would've been the better choice.  He certainly would have helped in Florida, and I think elsewhere too.  It would've erased the perception that Republicans now carry of having a problem with minorities and, more specifically, with Hispanic voters.

As it stands now, thanks directly to the Tea Party...and to a lesser extent to Romney and Ryan themselves...Republicans have serious work to do if they ever hope to win another national election.  If they don't make sweeping changes across their platform they will never win another national election again, because without any changes they simply cannot carry the ever-changing, and drastically diverse electorate.  Establishment guys like Mitt Romney and George Bush will never win for the Republicans ever again, and if the party continues with candidates like that they frankly deserve to lose.  Also, Generic (Rich) White Male is probably the worst choice the party can go with next time around.  It has to be a woman or a minority...because making big changes to their platform isn't enough--they have to overcome their image problem as well.

[J. J.]

Rubio would have made the difference in FL, and might have made it in VA and CO.

NV and NM were problematic.

I think if Martinez would have been in her second term, she could have done it. 

[Paul Kemp]

Yes...but I don't know abut this said "baggage."

[Inmate Trump]

What's his baggage?

Anyway, show me one politician who doesn't have some.

[sg0508]

Don't overestimate the VP choice.  One thing I believe that hasn't changed is that people in general don't vote for VP.  They vote for president.  Gore was a great choice for Clinton in '92, Quayle was a nightmare in '88, but people vote the top of the ticket. 

Could Rubio have made any difference? Possibly.  Also, Romney will never say if he asked someone else before Ryan and they said "no". 

Lastly, it's very rare to lose the campaign as a VP candidate on the ticket and maintain your popularity.  I personally think Paul Ryan will take a hit concerning his image going forward.  He added very little to the overall campaign.

[milhouse24]

Don't overestimate the VP choice.  One thing I believe that hasn't changed is that people in general don't vote for VP.  They vote for president.  Gore was a great choice for Clinton in '92, Quayle was a nightmare in '88, but people vote the top of the ticket. 

Could Rubio have made any difference? Possibly.  Also, Romney will never say if he asked someone else before Ryan and they said "no". 

Lastly, it's very rare to lose the campaign as a VP candidate on the ticket and maintain your popularity.  I personally think Paul Ryan will take a hit concerning his image going forward.  He added very little to the overall campaign.

The VP indicates the President's priorities.  Mitt Romney had a image that was simply "too white" for the new multi-ethnic America.  He focused exclusively on winning the white vote, and he succeeded, but it was not enough for 2012.  Romney thought he would have higher turnout, and he would have if he created more enthusiasm for his campaign.  Paul Ryan only appealed to Tea Partiers and not enough disenchanted Democrats.  Paul Ryan is from the predominately white Frozen Tundra Hockey States.  It told the rest of America that Romney wanted to focus on white midwesterners. 

Choosing Rubio would have blunted Hispanic turnout and enthusiasm for Obama.  It would have generated positive PR from the Liberal media, which would have increased turnout and enthusiasm for a Romney-Rubio campaign.  Obama won because he got the Turnout from enthusiastic "non-whites" who wanted revenge on the dominant white society. 

Rubio has some personal problems in his personal finances from his state senate days.  He is also untested on the national stage, and younger than Paul Ryan, who was seen as an intellectual leader of Congress, but so was Newt Gingrich and that didn't work out either. 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Lastly, it's very rare to lose the campaign as a VP candidate on the ticket and maintain your popularity.  I personally think Paul Ryan will take a hit concerning his image going forward.  He added very little to the overall campaign.

If it had been a closer loss or even the PV win/EV loss some had predicted, Ryan would have an excellent chance of being the 2016 nominee.  With the results as they are, I doubt he puts his hat in the ring.