For the first time on national television, Marco Rubio discussed Sunday morning why his campaign came unglued during a presidential run that once held so much promise.
In a CNN "State of the Union" interview, the Florida senator told program anchor Jake Tapper his fundamental problem was that he "didn't have a logical political base on which to build," given former Gov. Jeb Bush's supremacy in the Sunshine State, especially among donors. Rubio said that caused him to spend an inordinate amount of time on private fundraising visits.
What resulted was that Rubio was often faced with having to defend himself during the primary season for his light footprint in several primary states, including Iowa, where he finished a surprisingly strong third.
"The argument is, should we have picked a couple of states and said, 'here's where we're going to lay a marker and win'? Sure. That sounds great in hindsight," he said. "Here's the reality: If I had said that about Iowa and finished in third, that would have been the last night of my campaign."
Rubio then hoped to finish second in New Hampshire, but was derailed by a disastrous debate performance at the hands of Chris Christie, who mocked him for clinging to memorized sound bites. "I walked right into that trap," Rubio told Tapper.
Had he finished second in New Hampshire, Rubio said he believed he could have come in first in South Carolina.
In fact, Rubio revisited nearly every turn of his presidential run -- not just how his campaign had come unglued, but his evolving position on Donald Trump and his "complicated relationship" with Jeb Bush.
Among his biggest regrets, Rubio said, was belittling Trump for the size of his hands in the leadup to Super Tuesday. He told Tapper he apologized to Trump privately.
"I actually told Donald -- one of the debates, I forget which one -- I apologized to him for that," Rubio said. "I said, 'You know, I'm sorry that I said that. It's not who I am and I shouldn't have done it.' I didn't say it in front of the cameras, I didn't want any political benefit."
Rubio made it plain a number of times that his softened stance on Trump is more the thought of the alternative ("We can't afford Hillary Clinton") than it is a wholehearted I'm-all-aboard on the Republican nominee's positions. Rubio said he would be willing to speak on Trump's behalf at the convention.
Rubio brushed aside his past criticism of Trump, praising him as "the ultimate change agent." He even said Trump may be developing "perhaps a more comprehensive approach" on some policy questions.
"I don't think he should change if he's been successful," Rubio said when asked about Trump dredging up scandals of the 1990s to attack Hillary Clinton. "I may not like that direction, but at this point, he won and this is the direction that he won on."
Rubio said probably the most distressing aspect of the campaign ultimately was having to fight Bush, his political mentor. The pair memorably clashed in an early debate last fall, when Rubio beat back a Bush attack on his low Senate attendance record.
Not only did Rubio fail generally, he failed to win his home state, and certainly Bush's failure to endorse him before the Florida primary didn't help. Rubio pulled out immediately after that primary. He called that the "toughest part of the campaign."
"The negativity about our progress was so bad that a lot of voters, I think, concluded, you know, he's not going to win, Trump is going to win," Rubio told Tapper. "And that momentum really impacted Florida. I'm not sure there was anything we could have done at that stage about it, to change that trajectory."
Rubio said he and Bush have spoken a few times since their campaigns ended.
What's next? Rubio, pressed by national party leaders, has left the door ajar to re-enter the race for his current Senate seat. But he again ruled out running for governor in two years and reaffirmed his dream of serving as commissioner of the NFL. He also said he expects to work in the private sector in some capacity.
"I'll learn from this," a pensive Rubio said of his campaign, "and whether I run for president again one day or run for something else or do this in the business world, there are lessons I will take from this that will make me stronger and better as a result."
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith
Comments
Way to go little Marco
Marco Polio,.. "Hide your
Rubio is a lightweight
It was encouraging to read
I would like to see Rubio run
Rubio's running for President
Point well taken. Perhaps Mr.
Mark Mr. Rubio doesn't have
Actually, rubio is Cuban
Anyone notice the theme in
Funny! I didn't get that out
Extremely well said.
Can't argue with the fact
Well said, Carol!