The Dream Team

The game is on.  Now that we have two Republican debates under our belt, millions of Americans are handicapping the race.  I have been among them, sharing my opinions with colleagues—and members of the T-Party.  Let me do so with you.

But first a word about The Donald.  During the second debate I detected distinct echoes of an unhappy past.  The more I watched Trump mugging on stage, the more I was reminded of Benito Mussolini.  That chin thrust forward, the head-bobbing, and smug superiority; they were the same.

Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t believe that if by some miracle Trump became president, he would introduce fascism.  What was nearly identical was the macho posturing.  I also suspect that in both cases they mask deeply entrenched insecurities.

In any event, I have come to the conclusion that the Republican field contains a team that cannot lose the next election.  Like many others, I have decided that the Rubio-Fiorina combination is unbeatable.  Not only that, but together they would govern the nation as it deserves to be.

Let me begin with Marco Rubio by stating the obvious.  As a Hispanic, who can speak Spanish to Spanish-speaking audiences, he is going to deliver votes thought to be solidly Democratic.  People like being respected; hence they respond positively to candidates who care about them.  That Rubio is Cuban and others Mexican will not matter.

As for the Donald’s quibble about not speaking English, I remember New York politicians addressing audiences in Yiddish and Italian.  I don’t recall that this destroyed the nation.

Rubio, of course, is very young.  In this, however, he is not dissimilar to John F. Kennedy.  As a result, he is liable to impress idealistic youth.  This too is a constituency he can steal away from the liberals.

Yet what has impressed me most about Rubio is that he learns.  Over the last several years he has schooled himself in the intricacies of foreign affairs.  Moreover, he has demonstrated intestinal fortitude and solid judgment in an arena where both have been sorely lacking.

With regard to the elephant in the room, namely immigration, here too Rubio can be trusted.  Yes, in his initial venture into this area he gave away too much.  Nonetheless, he will do first things first, which is to say he will build a fence, implement E-verify, and shut down sanctuary cities.

A path to citizenship is unlikely to materialize because conservatives are adamantly against it.  To his credit, Rubio realizes this and, as a skilled politician, is prepared to make accommodations.

As for Fiorina, who has not been impressed by her intelligence and speaking ability?  No one on the California stage was as articulate or incisive.  She is also very tough.  Although her career at Hewlett-Packard was not quite as stellar as she describes, her achievements, in the face of stiff opposition, were noteworthy.

Were I Rubio, and I selected her as my running mate, I would delegate her as my attack dog.  Should the Democrats be so foolish as to endorse Hillary, the ensuing contest would be a bloodbath.  Poor Hillary would not know what hit her.  And with this, the gender card would be history.

Add a substantial slice of the woman’s vote to Rubio’s Hispanic and youth vote and where do the Democrats find the numbers to prevail?  Barring the discovery that either Marco or Carly are secretly mass murderers, how can they fail?

What is best of all is that they are equipped to govern.  Solid and steady, they are not bomb-throwing extremists.  The challenges facing our nation are too serious to be left to cartoon characters or one-note Johnnies.  We need leaders who can think, work well with others, and problem-solve.

I submit that Rubio and Fiorina are such a pair.  These two can deal with Russia, Iran, China, ObamaCare, the budget deficit, entitlements, and even immigration.  Who knows; they might get the chance!

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology

Kennesaw State University