WaPo: Voters on Rubio–‘Don’t Know Exactly Where He Stands’

This article appeared in the Washington Post:

RYE, N.H. – State Rep. Rio Tilton is “99.9” percent certain he’s going to vote for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). He’s far less sure where Rubio stands on abortion.

Does Rubio, like Tilton, 19, oppose abortions but favor exceptions, such as when a pregnancy results from rape?

“I should hope so,” Tilton said after braving the cold late last month to see the Florida senator campaign in a barn here. “I don’t know, exactly.”

After contemplating it, he added: “Now I’m going to think about looking into that.”

Rubio opposes abortion. But he has supported legislation with and without rape and incest exceptions, putting him on both sides of a heated sub-debate. His oft-stated goal is broad: reduce the number of abortions.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) greets supporters at the Growth and Opportunity Party in Des Moines in October. Many of Rubio’s own supporters are unclear where he stands on key issues. 

It is a habit with Rubio, a candidate aiming at moderate and conservative voters who often seems to advocate two positions at once. He tells voters that he has a personal view on the subject — whether abortion, immigration, Syrian refugees or gay marriage. But he also has a view of what is politically possible. Which, usually, is not what he personally wants.

That tactic allows Rubio to offer two right answers to the same question, and lets him carve out wiggle room on topics where none seemed possible.