Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) was confronted by a group of DREAMers at a “Faith and Freedom” barbecue on Monday, and after he scolded them for being illegal a member of the audience chased them out of the building with his cane.
“We are a sovereign country that deserves to have immigration laws,” Rubio said. “You’re doing harm to your own cause because you don’t have a right to illegally immigrate to the United States.”
The crowd cheered him on. One elderly audience member shoved a protester as he weaved his way through the tables. Another, 73-year old Army veteran Turk Culberson, angrily stalked them out of the building, clutching his cane as if it were a baseball bat.
Again — this occurred at a “Faith and Freedom” event. Everyone in attendance was a good Christian. Or so I’m told.
With Rubio going full-wingnut on immigration, there will be no candidate in 2016 who can even nudge the Republican party toward the center. And while healthcare was the biggest issue of 2012, immigration will be the biggest issue of 2016.
I expect the party will follow a similar tract as they did with Romneycare and claim that they support immigration reform but in their own way.
It won’t work because you have men clutching their canes like baseball bats. Because the party needs the support of border vigilantes and diet racists to win down ticket races.