Republican Candidates Debate in Manchester, New Hampshire
February 6, 2016
"There it is. There it is. The memorized 25-second speech. There it is, everybody."
Senator Marco Rubio fumed at the jab from Chris Christie. He knew why he was using that line in the speech, and quite frankly, Chris Christie certainly had some nerve to compare him to Obama. Christie's hugging of Obama had probably helped Obama win re-election. Before he knew it, he just blurted out an answer.
"I'm repeating myself because I think it is an important point that has to be driven home, Chris," Rubio said. "As a party, we have made the mistake of misunderstanding Obama from day one. We have assumed incompetence, but it was never that. Didn't yo ever wonder why Obama chose to stay with Jeremiah Wright's church after Wright preached 'God damn America' from his pulpit? As a party, we should have understood that incompetence alone could not explain all of Obama's actions, including, but not limited to the premature withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, Operation Fast and Furious, this giveaway to the mad mullahs of Tehran, the failure to secure the border, and that list goes on and on. So yeah, I'm using those words a lot, and I'm sorry if it's annoying, but it is a point that I believe has to be driven home to the American people in this campaign. That's why I've been saying it again and again during this campaign. Haven't you ever repeated a point to drive it home, Chris?"
The governor of New Jersey was taken aback... he had hoped Rubio would be flustered, but instead, Marco had punched back.
"I'd like to think I get my point across the first time," he said.
"Like when you gave Obama that hug?" Rubio shot back, causing Christie to wince. "You managed to kneecap Mitt Romney down the stretch in the last election. The difference was, you didn't intend to do so."
Christie finally recovered.
"What was I supposed to do, not try to help the people of my state after Sandy hit?" he asked.
"I'm not blaming you for helping the people of New Jersey," Rubio said. "I am just pointing out the unintended consequences of that hug. I hate to repeat myself, but I will to emphasize a point I'm trying to make: Experience is not just what you did, but how it worked out."
"Is that another talking point?" Christie shot back, knowing it was a mistake.
"No, just me making sure that an important point gets through to the American people," Rubio said.
The debate went on for another two and a half hours. Then came the analysis.
February 6, 2016
"There it is. There it is. The memorized 25-second speech. There it is, everybody."
Senator Marco Rubio fumed at the jab from Chris Christie. He knew why he was using that line in the speech, and quite frankly, Chris Christie certainly had some nerve to compare him to Obama. Christie's hugging of Obama had probably helped Obama win re-election. Before he knew it, he just blurted out an answer.
"I'm repeating myself because I think it is an important point that has to be driven home, Chris," Rubio said. "As a party, we have made the mistake of misunderstanding Obama from day one. We have assumed incompetence, but it was never that. Didn't yo ever wonder why Obama chose to stay with Jeremiah Wright's church after Wright preached 'God damn America' from his pulpit? As a party, we should have understood that incompetence alone could not explain all of Obama's actions, including, but not limited to the premature withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, Operation Fast and Furious, this giveaway to the mad mullahs of Tehran, the failure to secure the border, and that list goes on and on. So yeah, I'm using those words a lot, and I'm sorry if it's annoying, but it is a point that I believe has to be driven home to the American people in this campaign. That's why I've been saying it again and again during this campaign. Haven't you ever repeated a point to drive it home, Chris?"
The governor of New Jersey was taken aback... he had hoped Rubio would be flustered, but instead, Marco had punched back.
"I'd like to think I get my point across the first time," he said.
"Like when you gave Obama that hug?" Rubio shot back, causing Christie to wince. "You managed to kneecap Mitt Romney down the stretch in the last election. The difference was, you didn't intend to do so."
Christie finally recovered.
"What was I supposed to do, not try to help the people of my state after Sandy hit?" he asked.
"I'm not blaming you for helping the people of New Jersey," Rubio said. "I am just pointing out the unintended consequences of that hug. I hate to repeat myself, but I will to emphasize a point I'm trying to make: Experience is not just what you did, but how it worked out."
"Is that another talking point?" Christie shot back, knowing it was a mistake.
"No, just me making sure that an important point gets through to the American people," Rubio said.
The debate went on for another two and a half hours. Then came the analysis.
