Right Change: Is Rubio the Favorite or Not?

Depending on whom you ask, Florida Senator, Marco Rubio is either the front-runner or the outcast for Mitt Romney’s Vice-Presidential position after President Obama’s recent immigration slight-of-hand. Last week, the White House announced an “executive privilege” waiver for many young illegals to remain in the country without deportation threats for two years. Let’s set aside for this discussion the fact that such a waiver is not within the President’s power and is yet another attempt to circumvent proper legislative protocol in an effort to gain votes in the fall. The question now is what does Romney do to counter this move and what does it mean for Rubio?

The move by Obama has now thrust Rubio into the spotlight. The Florida Republican is the only Hispanic in the U.S. Senate and has been a favorite for the V.P. ticket for quite some time. Many are saying Romney needs to pick Rubio to counteract the President’s new immigration plan. “If in fact this announcement turns into more Latino enthusiasm for Obama, it is one more reason for Mitt Romney to look at Marco Rubio,” said Miami-based Republican strategist Ana Navarro. Rubio does not come without risk, but Romney may have no choice. The President is playing political hardball and Rubio is seen favorably among the Latino community.

Townhall’s Wayne Allyn Root goes so far as to suggest the time and place  for the Rubio as Vice-President announcement: the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials conference in Orlando, Florida this weekend. Apparently, Obama and Romney will both be there and the expectation is the crowd will now be very pro-Obama given his recent announcement. Root says the ultimate way to upstage the President would be to announce Rubio as his running mate. 

Not everyone feels so strongly about Rubio’s chances or even his fit as the V.P. candidate. Is his stance on immigration too liberal for the GOP? Does an appointment to the ticket come across as merely a political move to gain votes from the Latin American community? These are questions people in the Romney campaign are no doubt asking themselves these days. Pressure is coming from inside and outside Romney’s camp to make an announcement soon. Will Rubio be the choice?

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