If the Strangeness-o-Meter hasn’t been spiking into the red zone enough for you this election year, this should make the thing outright explode. Remember “Little Marco?” Well, so does Donald Trump, apparently, and NBC News is reporting that Marco Rubio is now on the shortlist for Vice President. That ought to make Nancy Mace and Kristi Noem, both using every ploy they can conceive of (Mace’s witch hunt of George Stephanopolous, Noem’s denunciation of TikTok, evidently unaware of Trump’s switchback) to get into the MAGA spotlight this week, have conniption fits. Not to mention Elise Stefanik, who sold her soul to Ultra MAGA years ago and perhaps for naught. The payoff she sought may be going someplace entirely different.
What’s that you say? Isn’t there a Constitutional provision that the president and vice president shall not be from the same state? Right you are. But Dick Cheney had a workaround for that and why shouldn’t Rubio follow his lead?
“It’s pretty clear from Trump’s orbit that Rubio is in play,” said a veteran Florida GOP operative. “It makes sense because he checks almost every box if they can get past both being from Florida.”
The Constitution prohibits electors from voting for a president and a vice president from their own states.
“The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves,” Article II, Section I, Clause 3 reads.
But that didn’t stop Dick Cheney, a longtime Texan, from changing his residence to Wyoming in 2000 so he could run with Texan George W. Bush.
It’s not clear whether Rubio would be interested in moving to be vice president, and he has raised the Constitution as a possible impediment — without fully ruling out the No. 2 slot — before.
“We’re both from the same state, so that’s probably not going to work that way,” Rubio said when he was asked about joining a Trump ticket on Fox News in January.
And you are now shaking your head and saying, “Why?” Amirite? The answer will make perfect sense to you.
The Trump team plans to test out top contenders on the campaign trail — auditions of a sort — at rallies and events in the coming months. It will also assess a necessary skill that Rubio has shown: the ability to raise money. He collected nearly $50 million for his 2016 presidential run.
There’s a scenario being discussed in Florida political circles in which Rubio could resign his Senate seat to move to another state and join the ticket. That would give a big plum to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump’s vanquished rival from this year’s primary, in the form of a Senate appointment to hand out.
“The more interesting part is what it means for Rubio’s Senate seat and who DeSantis would appoint,” the veteran Florida GOP operative said.
Eight years ago, Trump and Rubio exchanged heated barbs — including some thinly veiled shots at each other’s manhood — when they competed for the 2016 GOP nomination. Trump nicknamed Rubio “Little Marco” during that campaign, and Rubio fired back that Trump had “small hands.”
This is the level of intellect and maturation that the Republican party has to offer the nation this year, ladies and gentlemen. This is who and what they are. This is the best they can offer to lead us through the next four years.
Another feather in Rubio’s cap is being the Miami-born son of Cuban immigrants, making him the first non-white candidate on a Republican presidential ticket, and that would be a perk as well. Trump believes that will help him with Latino voters, although according to his Truth Social posts he already has them in his pocket. My spidey sense tells me that this is Chris LaCivita’s maneuver to defuse Trump’s racist rhetoric about immigrants and also detract from the recent ruling in Texas which mandates illegal migrants to be returned to Mexico. Plus, the minute LaCivita said, “He knows how to raise money,” Trump said, “Book him.” Again, my speculation, let’s see if it turns out to be true.
It has been widely speculated that Trump would pick a woman as VP but I personally go along with NBC News on this. I think Trump can’t afford to saddle himself with somebody merely ornamental (and after poor Kristi did her makeover with the teeth and the plumped up lips, damn!) he needs somebody who can raise money and staunch the departure of POCs. Although I have to say, I think Rubio is insane if he goes for this. I think that anybody joining Trump on the GOP ticket is on a suicide mission. But maybe that’s how this will go down, and we’ll have Trump/Rubio as the new GOP Ticket From Hell.
A staunch grammar critic says “stanch the departure.”
Somewhere Liz Cheney is thinking “I know Dick Cheney. I’ve worked with him. Hell, he’s my FATHER for chrissakes! Marco, YOU’RE no Dick Cheney”
I’m still not convinced someone won’t swoop in and save Trump at the last minute but one thing Trump might not be able to do is entice Little Marco to uproot his family and relocate by offering him fancy digs at some Trump property. No Trump Tower. No suite or Cottage at Bedminster or one of the other Trump National golf properties. If Trump can’t come up with the money Monday James might not have acquired any of it for the state of NY (the process is cumbersome and takes time) but can easily block Trump from using it! That would mean not only would he have to personally eat the cost of relocating the family (“sorry Marco, the campaign can’t spare the cash and you KNOW I don’t have it anymore!”) but also acquiring a new home.
I don’t see it happening, even if that law DeSantis forced the FL legislature to pass so he could remain Gov. while campaigning for Prez was broad enough to cover others. If memory serves it was pretty tightly tailored just for DeSantis to be able to use. I could be wrong about that however. Still, it would be fun to see Rubio finally flush his political career down the toilet.
A couple of problems I foresee with this scenario:
First, Cheney was NOT serving in an elective office in 2000. He was the chairman and CEO of Halliburton. Rubio would be risking his Senate seat (and whatever perks he gets from that) for a toss-up chance (at best) of becoming VP. Cheney risked absolutely nothing. If he and Dubya didn’t win in 2000, Cheney simply went on at Halliburton and he could continue living in Texas (though, the residency change for voting would mean he’d have to vote in Wyoming elections until he could re-register in Texas).
Secondly, Rubio’s citizenship will NOT play well with a certain faction of the current GOP. While Rubio is a “natural-born citizen,” his parents did not become citizens for some FOUR YEARS after Rubio’s birth, meaning he’s a “birthright” citizen which, as we all know, is a major no-no to the GOP as a whole–though it is interesting how some instances are different than others. But it is difficult to see how his VP candidacy would really help with the Latino vote. The Cuban vote is NOT the Latino vote. In fact, having the privileged Cuban Rubio–who only became a citizen because his Cuban-born, non-citizen mother gave birth to him on US soil–could raise some issues with Latino voters whose families came from Mexico and Guatemala and El Salvador and other Latin American countries and who continue fighting government officials in certain states for recognition as REAL American citizens without having to PROVE it.
But, if the GOP wants to play the odds, let them.