Senator Marc Rubio stands at a crossroads as immigration reform heads for a vote in the U.S. Senate. Several paths present themselves to Rubio as a member of the Gang of Eight, which is a bipartisan group trying to hammer out an immigration bill that will appeal to a majority of the senate.
Rubio Must Please His Base
Some in the Tea Party are displeased that Rubio is backing a bill that would create a path to citizenship for illegal aliens. The Tea Party was instrumental in backing Rubio during his Florida run for the U.S. Senate.
In an attempt to soften his push for immigration reform, Rubio has loaded up the proposed bill with triggers that must be engaged before he would support a bill. These triggers have allowed him several exits to bail out from immigration reform if certain conditions aren’t met.
Rubio Eyes White House Run
Rumors are rampant that he has his eye on a White House run in 2016. Some pundits on the left are warning that Rubio will never take the White House without Hispanic support. Conservatives are warning that he’ll never become president without their votes.
This balancing act between appealing to Hispanics while holding onto conservative support will be difficult. In order to appease his traditional base, Rubio has loaded up the proposed immigrant reform bill with triggers that must be engaged before he will support any compromise with the Gang of Eight. These include an employment verification system, tighter border security and a complex path to citizenship that an immigration attorney like Ed Shulman would need to transverse.
Immigration Bill is a Trap
Rubio’s supporters see the immigration bill as a trap. They believe that after a path to citizenship for illegals is granted, that the Obama Administration will ignore the features that call for border security and employment verification.
They do have reason for concern because the president has refused to obey the current law to secure the border. Obama’s Justice Department has actively fought states like Arizona that passed state laws to impede the illegal invasion from Mexico.
To calm these fears from his supporters, Rubio has pledged that he won’t support an immigration bill unless these measures are enacted first.
What a Presidential Contender Must Do
Illegal immigrants backers are trying to flatter Rubio into passing immigration reform, telling him that it would fix the GOP’s so-called Latino problem and earn him praise from elitists in the media and the Democrat party. Rubio, though, probably has no interest in winning praise from Democrats and the media who have attacked him viciously numerous times.
Even if the bipartisan bill passes in the Senate, it’s unlikely to get a hearing in the House. Rubio would win no praise from conservatives by backing a bill that the president favors.
If Rubio plays his cards right, he can appear to appeal to Latinos by trying to pass an immigration reform bill, while also placating his conservative base when his bill fails in the Senate. That’s what a future presidential candidate might do.
Image Credit: Gage Skidmore
