Opinion

Rubio best suited for GOP nomination

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is the best option among the Republican presidential candidates still in the race. He is uniquely situated to unite older and younger generations of Republicans, inspire minority voters and unite moderates and conservatives. less Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is the best option among the Republican presidential candidates still in the race. He is uniquely situated to unite older and younger generations of Republicans, inspire minority voters ... more Photo: David Calvert /Getty Images Photo: David Calvert /Getty Images Image 1 of / 53 Caption Close Rubio best suited for GOP nomination 1 / 53 Back to Gallery

In announcing the suspension of his presidential campaign, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush made an allusion to the high stakes for the Republican Party.

“I remain optimistic, and with the right kind of leadership that we all need to work to make sure happens,” Bush said, “America's best days are ahead.”

Bush was our first pick in this race, but his last name was a burden, his campaign never gained traction, and his political style was better suited for a different time. Now that he is out of the running, the right leadership can best be found from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. A former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Rubio has far more experience in elected government than his chief rivals for the nomination, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.

He also has the superior temperament — a crucial point when talking about the right kind of leadership. While Rubio’s message is generally optimistic and policy-driven, Trump and Cruz are often boorish, angry and divisive. Trump is not a conservative, just a manipulator of anger and disenfranchisement. In contrast, Rubio, 44, is a natural statesman. His rapid rise up the ladder in the Florida Legislature was singularly impressive, demonstrating an important ability to work well with colleagues to accomplish goals. He is a leader who is uniquely situated to unite older and younger generations of Republicans, inspire minority voters, and unite moderates and conservatives.

This does not make Rubio any less conservative than his opponents, notably Cruz.

Pick your issue, Rubio is very conservative. He is reluctant to acknowledge climate change, much less laws and policies that would address the issue. He opposes abortions in all instances. He is an unequivocal supporter of gun rights. And although he once led on comprehensive immigration reform, he now says stronger border security is needed before citizenship can be addressed.

Rubio has also vowed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

It’s important not to read too much into election-year tax proposals — they are as realistic as the border wall Trump has said Mexico will finance when he is elected. But Rubio’s plan includes some interesting ideas to support working Americans and families. Yes, there are the expected cuts to business taxes. But he also advocates for an additional $2,500 child tax credit, incentives for employers to provide paid family leave, and replacing the earned-income tax credit with wage subsidies for low-income workers.

On national security, he has said more boots are needed on the ground in Iraq and Syria to defeat ISIS and stabilize the region. He would organize a multinational coalition to do this.

And on foreign policy, in general, he is guided by the principles of military might, aggressive cybersecurity and free trade, notably the completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Rubio has stumbled at times on this campaign. He had that disastrous robotic debate performance in New Hampshire, and recently was mocked for running an ad that included the Vancouver skyline. Ouch.

But all candidates and campaigns make mistakes. It’s the good ones who overcome them, and he did that in South Carolina. Rubio gets our updated recommendation for the Texas primary.