Wall Street Journal: Many Republicans see Marco Rubio as a rising star who can help them win over the fast-growing Hispanic population, but the Florida senator says toned-down rhetoric on the hot-button issue of immigration would be more likely to bring those voters to the GOP.
Many in the GOP think Florida Sen. Marco Rubio can help the party appeal to swing-state Hispanic voters—possibly as vice-presidential nominee.
"The policies are important, but the rhetoric is sometimes the impediment," Mr. Rubio said in an interview. "Sometimes—and I'm not pointing fingers at anyone—the way the message is communicated is harmful and has hurt Republicans."
Mr. Rubio, 40 years old, is viewed by some Republicans as almost a savior when it comes to winning over Hispanics. Whether as the party's vice-presidential nominee—potentially tipping key swing states into the GOP column—or simply a fresh new voice, Republican leaders say, he can persuade Hispanics to take a second look at the party.
"I don't think any individual can do that," said Mr. Rubio.
Mr. Rubio has established himself as a foreign-policy hawk, advocating a muscular role for the U.S. abroad and criticizing President Barack Obama for what he views as a hesitancy on Iran. He is also a fiscal conservative who shares the small-government, anti-tax views of many in the tea-party movement. He has opposed some of this year's bipartisan spending deals, saying they didn't cut enough.
Just as his political portfolio includes issues far beyond immigration, Mr. Rubio says the concerns of Hispanic voters cover the spectrum—not just immigration.
"They have the same concerns as the rest of the country, and in many respects heightened concerns," he said, citing unemployment and the weak economy.
Republicans have long argued their party should be a natural home for Latinos. "A lot of Hispanics are social conservatives," said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah). "They are pro-life, they are religious, they believe in work. Marco can really help us connect with them because he is the son of immigrants."
But the GOP emphasis on border enforcement and opposition to a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants is alienating many Hispanic voters, polls suggest. Democrats won 66% of the Hispanic vote in the 2008 presidential election and 60% in last year's congressional elections, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Mr. Rubio generally embraces his party's immigration policies.
The buzz around Mr. Rubio has only intensified in recent days. Straw polls and interviews suggest he's easily Republicans' leading choice for vice president. Some Republicans believe Mr. Rubio fits the GOP's needs of the moment. Democrats are skeptical of Mr. Rubio's national appeal.
"You have all these Republican candidates during the debates tripping over each other to see who can be more…anti-immigration," said Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D., Ill.). "So they…pick Marco Rubio, and they think that will be enticing to Latinos?"
Mr. Rubio rules out joining the ticket, saying he has only been in the Senate 10 months. "I take it as a compliment, but I have a job, and it's an important job," he said.
Mr. Rubio's engagement in two recent high-profile spats highlighted the problems he could face in appealing to Latinos nationally. He locked horns with Univision, the nation's largest Spanish-language network, over a segment on his brother-in-law's drug conviction.
Then last week, the senator sparred with news organizations over reports suggesting Mr. Rubio had embellished the story of his family's emigration from Cuba. The accounts suggested his parents fled for economic opportunity more than to escape political persecution, triggering a debate over whether his family could be considered typical of the community of Cuban-American political exiles.
Mr. Rubio said he'd like the GOP to discuss immigration in a different way.
"The Republican Party needs to be the pro-legal immigration party," said Mr. Rubio. "We need to say, 'We believe in immigration and we think it's good for America.' But it has to be orderly, a system based on law, a system that works." He notes that people in Florida welcome Canadians who winter in their state and that farmers need agricultural workers.
But his positions on immigration policies may be a hindrance. He opposes a path to citizenship for illegal aliens and opposes the Dream Act, which would provide a chance for some undocumented youth to become legal.
Lionel Sosa, an adviser to Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign who's long been involved with GOP Hispanic politics, said Mr. Rubio "will have to moderate his positions" on immigration if he is to attract a large numbers of Hispanics.
Mr. Rubio faces another delicate issue—he's from the Cuban-American community, which is more conservative than other Latino groups and has benefited from immigration policies that afford its members a quick path to legalization.
Latino Decisions, a nonpartisan firm that polls the Hispanic community, found that Mr. Rubio garnered 78% of Cuban-American support when he ran for Senate but only 40% of the non-Cuban Hispanic vote, though that is still a relatively high number for a Republican. Such numbers worry many GOP strategists, because Hispanics play important roles in swing states such as Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.
"Republicans are in definite need of doing better with Hispanic voters around the country," said GOP consultant Whit Ayres.
This concern dovetails with Mr. Rubio's growing national profile. He has been delivering speeches around the U.S. and using a perch on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to speak out on foreign affairs. He has created a political action committee to support conservatives, and he plans a memoir.
Many in the GOP think Florida Sen. Marco Rubio can help the party appeal to swing-state Hispanic voters—possibly as vice-presidential nominee.
"The policies are important, but the rhetoric is sometimes the impediment," Mr. Rubio said in an interview. "Sometimes—and I'm not pointing fingers at anyone—the way the message is communicated is harmful and has hurt Republicans."
Mr. Rubio, 40 years old, is viewed by some Republicans as almost a savior when it comes to winning over Hispanics. Whether as the party's vice-presidential nominee—potentially tipping key swing states into the GOP column—or simply a fresh new voice, Republican leaders say, he can persuade Hispanics to take a second look at the party.
"I don't think any individual can do that," said Mr. Rubio.
Mr. Rubio has established himself as a foreign-policy hawk, advocating a muscular role for the U.S. abroad and criticizing President Barack Obama for what he views as a hesitancy on Iran. He is also a fiscal conservative who shares the small-government, anti-tax views of many in the tea-party movement. He has opposed some of this year's bipartisan spending deals, saying they didn't cut enough.
Just as his political portfolio includes issues far beyond immigration, Mr. Rubio says the concerns of Hispanic voters cover the spectrum—not just immigration.
"They have the same concerns as the rest of the country, and in many respects heightened concerns," he said, citing unemployment and the weak economy.
Republicans have long argued their party should be a natural home for Latinos. "A lot of Hispanics are social conservatives," said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah). "They are pro-life, they are religious, they believe in work. Marco can really help us connect with them because he is the son of immigrants."
But the GOP emphasis on border enforcement and opposition to a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants is alienating many Hispanic voters, polls suggest. Democrats won 66% of the Hispanic vote in the 2008 presidential election and 60% in last year's congressional elections, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Mr. Rubio generally embraces his party's immigration policies.
The buzz around Mr. Rubio has only intensified in recent days. Straw polls and interviews suggest he's easily Republicans' leading choice for vice president. Some Republicans believe Mr. Rubio fits the GOP's needs of the moment. Democrats are skeptical of Mr. Rubio's national appeal.
"You have all these Republican candidates during the debates tripping over each other to see who can be more…anti-immigration," said Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D., Ill.). "So they…pick Marco Rubio, and they think that will be enticing to Latinos?"
Mr. Rubio rules out joining the ticket, saying he has only been in the Senate 10 months. "I take it as a compliment, but I have a job, and it's an important job," he said.
Mr. Rubio's engagement in two recent high-profile spats highlighted the problems he could face in appealing to Latinos nationally. He locked horns with Univision, the nation's largest Spanish-language network, over a segment on his brother-in-law's drug conviction.
Then last week, the senator sparred with news organizations over reports suggesting Mr. Rubio had embellished the story of his family's emigration from Cuba. The accounts suggested his parents fled for economic opportunity more than to escape political persecution, triggering a debate over whether his family could be considered typical of the community of Cuban-American political exiles.
Mr. Rubio said he'd like the GOP to discuss immigration in a different way.
"The Republican Party needs to be the pro-legal immigration party," said Mr. Rubio. "We need to say, 'We believe in immigration and we think it's good for America.' But it has to be orderly, a system based on law, a system that works." He notes that people in Florida welcome Canadians who winter in their state and that farmers need agricultural workers.
But his positions on immigration policies may be a hindrance. He opposes a path to citizenship for illegal aliens and opposes the Dream Act, which would provide a chance for some undocumented youth to become legal.
Lionel Sosa, an adviser to Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign who's long been involved with GOP Hispanic politics, said Mr. Rubio "will have to moderate his positions" on immigration if he is to attract a large numbers of Hispanics.
Mr. Rubio faces another delicate issue—he's from the Cuban-American community, which is more conservative than other Latino groups and has benefited from immigration policies that afford its members a quick path to legalization.
Latino Decisions, a nonpartisan firm that polls the Hispanic community, found that Mr. Rubio garnered 78% of Cuban-American support when he ran for Senate but only 40% of the non-Cuban Hispanic vote, though that is still a relatively high number for a Republican. Such numbers worry many GOP strategists, because Hispanics play important roles in swing states such as Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.
"Republicans are in definite need of doing better with Hispanic voters around the country," said GOP consultant Whit Ayres.
This concern dovetails with Mr. Rubio's growing national profile. He has been delivering speeches around the U.S. and using a perch on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to speak out on foreign affairs. He has created a political action committee to support conservatives, and he plans a memoir.
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