Don’t Menshn Marco Rubio

The US Presidential Election is not until later this year, but the primaries, where both Democrat and Republican challengers fight for their party’s nomination, are in full swing. Many Republicans are horrified at the prospect of the comb-over crybaby Donald Trump being their front runner. Trump’s campaign has been a full-on assault of rabble-rousing, racist, misogynistic, bigoted, warmongering, scaremongering unpleasantness.

(c) Doc Hackenbush 2014

And supporters of the GOP mainstream do not come much more enthused than (thankfully) former Tory MP Louise Mensch, writing about the Stateside elections for the Sun later in the year, who has been trying to talk up the campaign of Marco Rubio and dismiss that of Trump. You just know how it’s going to end up.

Ms Mensch was talking up her man from the start: “@marcorubio encouraging votes for @JohnKasich in Ohio is the most Presidential thing any candidate has done all season … Still time to join @MarcoRubio backers voting today! Marco crushing Trump in early votes! … Early voting in Florida shows huge numbers of total eligible to vote have already voted, and demographics are for Marco Rubio by long way”. And there was more.

“Going to bed, but turnout in Marco Rubio counties WAY up. Among Hispanics, way up. In possible Trump areas, WAY down. Actual votes cast … Turnout among Hispanics massive. Rubio. Older Republicans, even bigger. Rubio. In Miami-Dade, up. In Trump areas north, down. Actual votes … Wow. Rubio Leads Trump BIG In Early Florida Voting | RedState”.

Marco was going to win the primary, then, was he? “Early vote totals are in. Rubio areas turnout is UP on 2012. Trump areas turnout is DOWN. FL Jews, Hispanics, seniors voting @MarcoRubio … #FloridaPrimary early voting, Broward was168% up from 2012. Miami-Dade was 131% up from 2012 … [Rubio] internals, per @Rumpfshaker - borne out by early vote turnout”. But remember, this was just on Early Voting Day. Do go on.

And go on she did: “big crowds. great early numbers. Rubio looks good for Florida tomorrow … So far we have had two mainstream media examine at #FloridaPrimary early vote numbers, vs polls. @WSJ and @MSNBC. Both conclude Rubio won it … As well as Marco Rubio areas UP and Trump areas DOWN in Florida early voting, Hispanic vote UP”. But the sad and inevitable denouement was at hand.

So it rapidly went from “Early voting data in Florida corroborates @rumpfshaker piece - Marco Rubio won early votes easily” to “8pm EST! Hoping for a Rubio win, but Ohio stops Trump anyway! #TrumpDumped” and then the sigh of accepted reality - sort of: “Clear if Cruz had got out, Rubio would have Florida majority. Bad stuff”. In fact, had Cruz got out and all his votes had gone to Rubio, Trump would still have won.

Now Marco Rubio, Louise Mensch’s chosen and then highly promoted candidate, has quit the race, thus showing that the GOP nightmare continues, and that one pundit has got the whole business totally wrong. And remember, they allowed her to become an MP.