Las Vegas Review-Journal Endorses Marco Rubio: ‘Not An Establishment Candidate’

Associated Press
Associated Press

The editorial board for the Las Vegas Review-Journal has endorsed Marco Rubio for president calling him the best qualified Republican in the field.

The Las Vegas paper is the biggest in the state of Nevada, potentially an important influence in the early primary state. It was recently purchased by the Sheldon Adelson family, but the endorsement stressed that the editors were “detached” from the decision.

“The Adelsons have detached themselves from our endorsement process, and our endorsement of Sen. Rubio does not represent the support of the family,” the editorial reads.

The paper argued that Rubio was not an “establishment” candidate, reminding readers of his upstart Senate race in 2010.

In an insurgency campaign featuring true outsider Mr. Trump and Sen. Cruz, an avowed enemy of the establishment, it’s not a surprising political tactic. But the idea that Sen. Rubio is an “establishment candidate” simply isn’t true.

Recall the 2010 election, when he was voted into the Senate. The Republican establishment put all its weight behind Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, with the upstart Mr. Rubio considered a long shot at best, trailing by nearly 30 points early on. When Mr. Rubio — the former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives — surged in the polls, Gov. Crist dropped out of the Republican primary to run as an independent and assure himself a spot in the general election. It hardly mattered, as Mr. Rubio whipped Gov. Crist by nearly 20 points in a three-person race.

Sen. Rubio is a limited-government conservative, as proved by his 94 percent conservative rating from Heritage Action — bested by only five Republicans in the entire Congress. He is not a go-along-to-get-along RINO (Republican in Name Only), as many have declared. If you want your next president to be an outsider, Sen. Rubio is part of the discussion.

Read the full editorial here.

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