Welcome To Waffle House

In perhaps the clearest indication that Marco Rubio is running for President in 2016, he has recently sent a letter to President Obama explaining why the border need be secured before new measures are discussed to provide a pathway to citizenship.

Is this the same Rubio who was championing comprehensive immigration reform...last year?  You know before walking away from it.

Look, I get it.  Signing onto a bill with Chuck Shumer because the Chamber of Commerce or someone told you to is easy to do.  They throw easy smiles, warm hand shakes, and the promises of lots of campaign cash for future...aspirations.  However, you may want to dial 804 real quick and check in with Eric Cantor because being unsure about immigration reform is perhaps more deadly than being pro-immigration.

Instead of having a principled approach that says "immigrants have always been a part of our country and I have no problem with that" you appear to have a nasty political disease called poll-itis.  I realize that for many in the Republican Party immigration is a hard issue.  I understand that allowing in millions more workers will dampen wages for the same working class that should be in our camp, but historically this really isn't any different than times before.

We had immigrants with crazy religious ideas who thankfully mostly settled in Pennsylvania.  You know...the Quakers.  We had thugs of all kinds come over from Ireland and Italy and if this offends you take a look at your own history and the crime we brought over.  It is what it is and like now, all the new folks...dampened wages for those who were already here.

I am not nearly as scared of immigration as some of my colleagues are.  After all, Jesus was an illegal immigrant, running from the persecution of King Herod.  Was he as bad as the folks crossing the Texas border?  Was he any different?  I know, I know...now the Evangelical Christians will be mad too, but I will find solace in Bishop Olsen's commentary on the immigration question.

However, regardless of my personal opinion on the issue, one thing I know is that serving up policy at the waffle house of believing this, that, or the other thing based on the poll of the day is a turn off with both regular and primary voters.  It is not leadership.  It isn't Presidential.

If Senator Rubio is serious about being the Savior of the Republican Party that Time magazine declares him to be he might want to figure out issues before polling and/or move the polls in the direction he leads on, rather than holding his finger to the wind.

The Man Who Would Be King...

So, the man who would be king...might still be Governor.  I will leave the dissection of Eric Cantor's loss to others and the resulting leadership scramble that will ensue.

Maybe I am wrong, but I suspect Eric Cantor is not done in politics.  I realize he lost a race that no one has ever lost before.  I realize that he could manage a waffle house with his ridiculous number of stances on immigration, but Eric Cantor despite being wrong on a number of issues is exceptionally likable.  While we all know he was pursuing becoming the first Jewish Speaker of the House of Representatives - an idea Republicans should have liked - he is not a soon to be former Member of Congress.  What is he to do?

If I were he, I would swallow my pride and endorse Dave Brat.  I would spend my next several months working my tail off for Dave Brat in Virginia's 7th Congressional District, not because you like the man, but because there is a path to redemption and part of that redemption will be making sure the district doesn't go D.

The district shouldn't go D based on the gerrymandering that happens regularly from both parties, but Cantor should ante up and bring that rolodex of fundraising home and help Mr. Brat out.  Why you ask.

Easy...there is no clear cut favorite to run for Governor of Virginia right now.  I know, I know.  That race is three years away.  (In point of face, it is about twenty to twenty-four months away.)  The point being now is the time to show we disagreed, I lost, I learned my lesson, but I can still be effective.  Again, this will be a tough pill to swallow, but if he were to get through it, he has a potential.

After the stinging defeat in 2013 of every statewide seat going Democrat for the first time in twenty-four years, Republicans do not have a clear cut and obvious choice to get back on top.  Eric Cantor is still relatively young, still has his fundraising rolodex, and will likely learn from this defeat.

The question is would he be happy as Governor?  While it isn't Speaker, it does create an interesting situation in 2020 should a Democrat be elected in 2016.  Cantor had already been on a number of Veep shortlists so could he end up in the Cabinet or another position.  I would argue more than possible.  The man who would be king, might still be....