Marco Rubio, Once upon a Time

Published in Liberation
(France) on 16 March 2016
by Claire Fercak (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Sophie Thresher. Edited by Danielle Tezcan.
In the end, no. He is not going there. Marco Rubio has given up. He was the conservatives’ idol. We called him arrogant, ambitious and defiant. So what has made him give up his presidential campaign? We are wondering about it. Perhaps he has something better to do, as he thinks he will lose anyway.

In his home state, Florida, he only gained 27 percent of the votes against Donald Trump’s 45 percent. At the same time, even if he had won Florida, what would have happened afterward? It was already a lost cause. The presidential candidate went from hero to zero. People liked him because he was a self-made man.

As the son of two illegal Cuban immigrants who arrived in 1956, the only thing that is impressive about him is his story, which is why he tells it. He is the son of a bartender "behind a small portable bar" and a mother who cleaned houses. He was the youthful optimist. At 44 years old, he courted the presidency of the United States. At one moment, he represented the best defense against the property magnate that is Donald Trump, his rival from the same camp. This qualified Marco Rubio as "lightweight," or, in other words, lacking substance. Obama seems to be of the same opinion.

As for society, Rubio has clearly displayed a conservative leaning. As for everything else, his reversals have increased. He has notably made a u-turn on immigration issues. Yet he claimed to be the only one who could unite the Republican Party. What does this [reveal]? For admirers, it demonstrates versatility. But according to Obama, Rubio is "running away from it as fast as he can." But perhaps not fast enough. His contradictory declarations are ending up characterizing him. A man whose ambition is to please as many people as possible cannot succeed. Perhaps Rubio’s campaign was the opportunity for this realization.


Marco Rubio, il était une fois

Finalement, non. Il n’y va pas. Marco Rubio s’est désisté. C’était l’idole des conservateurs. On le disait arrogant, ambitieux, conquérant. Alors qu’est-ce qui l’amène à suspendre sa campagne présidentielle ? On se le demande. Peut-être qu’il a quelque chose de mieux à faire, se voyant perdre de toute façon.

Dans son propre Etat, en Floride, il n’a obtenu que 27 % des voix contre 45 % pour Donald Trump. En même temps, s’il avait gagné la Floride, qu’est-ce qu’il se serait passé ensuite ? C’était perdu d’avance. L’homme providentiel est devenu un homme zéro. Il plaisait parce qu’il s’est fait tout seul.

Fils d’immigrés clandestins venus de Cuba en 1956. La seule chose qui séduit vraiment chez lui c’est l’histoire qu’il porte. Donc il la raconte. Le père, «barman derrière un petit bar portable». La mère, elle, faisait des ménages. Lui, c’était la jeunesse optimiste. A 44 ans, il a brigué la présidence des Etats-Unis. A un moment, il représente le meilleur rempart contre le magnat de l’immobilier qu’est Donald Trump, son adversaire du même camp. Lequel a qualifié Marco Rubio de «poids léger». Autrement dit, sans consistance. Obama semble être du même avis.

En ce qui concerne la société, Rubio affiche un conservatisme certain. Pour le reste, ses revirements se sont multipliés. Il a fait machine arrière notamment sur les questions d’immigration. Il prétendait, cependant, être le seul à pouvoir unir le Parti républicain. De quoi cela témoigne-t-il ? De souplesse pour quelque admiratrice. Mais, selon Obama, Rubio est «un candidat qui se dérobe aussi vite qu’il le peut». Peut-être pas assez vite. Ses déclarations contradictoires finissent par le caractériser. Un homme dont l’ambition est de plaire au plus grand nombre ne peut triompher. La campagne de Rubio aura peut-être été l’occasion de cette prise de conscience.
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