Last week was much ado about Back to the Future. I liked the original film well enough — most especially Crispin Glover. The second film was just a mess, of course. So the fact that it was the very day that they land in the future is fairly meaningless. And the whole thing makes me feel that the internet is populated with people even older than I am. But I was interested to see that media superstar Marco Rubio put out this own Back to the Future political ad. From a production standpoint, it is shockingly bad. But that isn’t the most important thing.
You need to see this video in the context of Rubio’s general message. And that’s that he is the future. Those Democrats just have old ideas, but he offers something new. And to prove it, all you have to do is ask him what his favorite hip hop band is. Would an old guy know hip hop? Would a hip hop fan be offering old ideas? No, that Hillary Clinton has old ideas because she’s old. She’s not a hip hop fan! Marco Rubio has the ideas and the policies for the future — hip hop derived ideas. Follow him into the future!
So what are those new policies that Rubio has to offer? Well, let’s start with his forward thinking policies on Cuba. We’ve had an embargo against Cuba for over 50 years. It hasn’t worked. So Rubio has a great idea: keep doing it! Nothing speaks of forward thinking like continuing the same decades long failed policy. He’s also against embryonic stem cell research, because nothing speaks to the future like limiting science in the name of making a stand for your Iron Age religious dogma. He is also against the Paycheck Fairness Act, because, hey, women’s rights is so yesterday. There’s more. Lots more.
But what really highlights Marco Rubio’s bold policies for the future is his budget plan. Josh Barro called it, Marco Rubio’s Puppies-and-Rainbows Tax Plan. That shows what nonsense it is, but actually makes it sound better than it deserves. It is a huge giveaway that blows an enormous hole in the budget. But it wouldn’t be a Republican budget if it didn’t give the vast majority of the benefits to the rich. Simon Maloy called it, Marco Rubio’s Trickle-Down Nonsense. It is yet another supply side con that claims that it will all magically work out because the “job creators” will, in their singular beneficence, create jobs and spur an economic boom.
In the video, Rubio implies that the policies of Hillary Clinton are the stuff of 1989. But his supply side hokum is quite clearly the stuff of 1980. So even if he’s right about Hillary Clinton, she still has nine years on him. Of course, Clinton’s policies are not from 1989. That was clearly during the New Democratic movement when all the left had to offer was neoliberalism. She is actually offering some new ideas on economic issues. Meanwhile, Rubio’s ideas are mostly much older than 1980. I think even then, most people would have at least given lip service to the idea that women ought to get paid the same as men for the same job. That kind of thinking — which Rubio has today — is more like 1960.
I’m really tired of hearing Rubio talk about his “new” ideas. He has no new ideas. He is a Republican — straight from central casting. Other than being of Cuban ancestry and being less than 60 years old, there is nothing that distinguishes him. He continues to remind me of the Young Republicans who majored in political science and always wore suits to prove that they were adults. If Marco Rubio had any ideas, then he wouldn’t be a Republican.
I did like the water bottle. That was a well scripted moment. It looks like it was made with the expectation that Biden would run, and had that been the case it would have been half clever. But so badly done. At least he’s given up his Senate seat.
It was a pretty awful video. Geez, put some effort into hiring clever people.
Thanks for the info Rubio’s given up his seat, that brightens my day!
He is not running for re-election to the Senate. He does intend to collect his money and miss votes and generally not bother to be a Senator for the rest of his term. The Orlando paper called for his resignation.
Yes. It was especially good because it rebranded it. The original act was embarrassingly awkward and that puts a nice spin on it. Just the same, he has made repeated jokes about it. That’s good. It’s the only way to deal with it. And that bit was well produced — really well lit! Otherwise: he’s an idiot.
Our policy towards Cuba has been 95% insanity with one small portion of semi-logic. The anti-Castro rabid nutjobs who control our Cuban policy (they are insane; they do control policy) are quite aware of every government we’ve overthrown for lesser infractions. (Guatemala, Iran, and Chile didn’t hardly declare “Socialism Forever!” Maybe they should have.)
So why haven’t we invaded Cuba yet? (OK, we’ve half-assed stabs at it.)
From a rational point of view, well, Cuba allied with the Soviets and the Soviets had nukes. Since the Soviet Union collapsed, we’ve been working out trade deals with Latin America, deals harder for leaders in those countries to push through (against strong public opposition, just like here) if America goes 100% full-bore Iraq on Cuba.
From the irrational point of view: why haven’t we invaded Cuba yet?
It’s relatively hard to come up with excuses for it posing some kind of threat. And there is probably some sense that Russia would balk at it. Mostly, I don’t think it is important enough to us.
But I think it is clear that the anti-Cuba people would be most happy to see a Castro-like authoritarian in power — just one on the right.
That’s the really nutty thing — these loons support “missions” that fly over Cuban airspace to drop anti-Commie leaflets, they worship violent mercenaries who shoot at tourists and blow up planes/hotels. All because — if we make Cubans suffer enough — they will get rid of socialism and put some right-wing autocrat in charge. Who will do what, exactly, for suffering Cubans? Get rid of their health care?
It’s a complete fantasy. It’s passed the point of being a fantasy, it’s legendary; one day, King Arthur will rise again and smote evil. No politician wins Florida without the votes of these people. Rubio’s entire selling point to the moneyed folk (this GOP race is like an equestrian fair where handlers point out to judges each contestant’s shiny coat) is, “I can deliver Florida. No matter what hideous policies you want me to espouse, I’m anti-Castro enough to deliver Florida.” And he’s not lying — not about delivering Florida. He wouldn’t get elected county dogcatcher anywhere else.
We think of the Israeli lobby as nuts. Did you see the most recent polls? American Jews, who have some interest in the matter, by a majority don’t think Israel has a right to land granted it by God. (American Christian fundamentalists are more likely to think so.)
The anti-Cuba folks are even crazier. And they control the Electoral College in a very populous state. Rubio’s not lying. He could call for public beheadings of redheads who wear purple sneakers, and he’d deliver Florida.
It reminds me of Bush Sr saying casually that it would be great if the Kurds rose up. When you encourage them, you put them in harms way. And it is especially bad given that these people want the people of Cuba to suffer so that these Americans can get the policy changes that they want. It’s just another variation on “rich man’s war; poor man’s fight.”