Joe Scarborough on Marco Rubio: 'He's Not Ready to be Vice President'

If Mitt Romney, who looks almost certain to emerge as the Republican presidential nominee, chooses Marco Rubio as his running mate, the junior senator from Florida would be the first politician in the Sunshine States history to be on a major partys ticket -- but a prominent former congressman from Florida said on Thursday that Rubio is not ready for the position.

Joe Scarborough, who represented parts of the Panhandle in Congress as a Republican before becoming a morning cable television host, said on his Morning Joe show on MSNBC on Thursday that Rubio was not yet prepared to be on the GOP ticket.

He's not ready to be vice president, Scarborough insisted. Just like Barack Obama wasn't ready to be president in 2008. Just like Sarah Palin wasn't ready to be on the national ticket in 2008."

While Scarborough noted he had a high opinion of Rubio, the former congressman said that the senator, who was elected to his current position in 2010, was not yet ready to be in the White House.

"I would just warn those who are fans of Marco Rubio, who think they are doing him a favor by pushing him center stage right after he's been elected to the United States Senate, back off," Scarborough said. You're going to hurt him in the long run because he's not ready to be in the Oval Office. He's not ready to be vice president of the United States."