I really don't understand...

[Senator Cris]

Instead of repeating the same thing (Obama know exactly what he's doing), when Christie attacked him about the record, Rubio might have said one of these things:

"I don't think Gov. Christie can give lessons on attendance. He has been out of New Jersey for a long time, he's getting huge disapproval rating from his constituences and he's at 5% among New Jersey republicans."

"It's very interesting. When other candidates attacked him, he said that we should focus on Hillary Clinton and not attack each other. But now he's doing exactly that."

I really don't understand. Rubio hadn't to win the debate, he had to consolidate his #2 position in New Hampshire and he exactly knew that the Governors (expecially Christie) were going to attack him. I really don't understand.

[Oakvale]

Cris, he was programmed with a few 25-second lines by his Morman handlers in a secret compound in Utah in 2011. There's nothing to understand.

[Lord of the Dome]

It could be that seeing as this is the first debate in which he was the clear focus of attacks from other candidates that it is just being finally revealed that he doesn't cope well in these sort of high pressure off the cuff encounters and basically panicked and choked.

[Lief 🗽]

The problem, Cris, is that Rubio is an idiot. He cannot think quickly on his feet because he is not very smart. This is not some deep, un-ascertainable mystery. He's dumb and lazy. The guy barely graduated from high school, went to some community college, and then graduated from a fourth tier law school. He has achieved nothing professionally. He has achieved nothing of great significance as a politician. He is thoroughly unremarkable. If he had a Southern accent or spoke slower, this would be more apparent, but he speaks quickly and is articulate, people are fooled into thinking he knows what he is saying.

The only reason he's running for president is because he's handsome, young and non-threateningly Hispanic. If he lacked those qualities, no one would care about the guy.

[Senator Cris]

After Iowa, I was about to join the Rubio train (not that it matters), but really... if he can't stand up to Chris Christie, how will he do versus Hillary or Bernie in the general election?

[Mike Thick]

It could be that seeing as this is the first debate in which he was the clear focus of attacks from other candidates that it is just being finally revealed that he doesn't cope well in these sort of high pressure off the cuff encounters and basically panicked and choked.

Probably this, but how he didn't anticipate this is baffling.

[BM]

You see, Marco Rubio is an imbecile, and thus incapable of original thought like you provided.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Everyone can say "he should have been programmed to say x" all they want, but what they fail to recognize is that even when a fact is said it matters WHO is saying it. If Kasich or Bush was saying the same thing as Trump or Christie it wouldn't work because they are not good speakers. Rubio is the same way. Completely ineffectual.

[Lord of the Dome]

It could be that seeing as this is the first debate in which he was the clear focus of attacks from other candidates that it is just being finally revealed that he doesn't cope well in these sort of high pressure off the cuff encounters and basically panicked and choked.

Probably this, but how he didn't anticipate this is baffling.

Yeah you would've thought Mr Scripted Response would've had his team script a response for something so obvious as this.

[Torie]

It would be nice if Rubio had an explanation as to why his attendance was so poor prior to running for POTUS. Whomever told Rubio about the inexperience charge, was to respond that Obama was inexperienced on paper, but proved to be effective and smart, but was just using his talents for evil rather than good, was quite insane. Not only is to too complicated, but part of the rap against Obama, certainly as made by the Pubs, is that he made a lot of stupid decisions, like not arming the Kurds for over a year, and otherwise dithering in the middle east, getting taken on the Iran deal, incompetently handling the introduction of Obamacare, and the stimulus, with that money sitting around with no shovel ready projects, and much of it wasted, not being effective in his relationships with Congress, being gratuitously divisive, and so forth - in short, just not ready for prime time.

Rubio just needs to list his accomplishments, and he does have a list, and that includes making a good faith effort on immigration, of which he should be proud, and not defensive. Self confidence baby. And then impress with his answers, demonstrating that he can give the most well thought out, and well, nuanced, answers, rather than just tossing out mindless red meat slogans, as so many of the candidates spend far too much time doing.

I find it all very frustrating. This should not really be that hard.

[BM]

The people of Florida have essentially had a paid actor serving as their senator, playing the role of Electable Republican. He's finally been unmasked.