Questions a 5-year-old might ask:
Exactly how are the Dems trying to steal the election?
Have they kidnapped election officials?
Have they trundled in bales of forged ballots without anyone noticing?
Have they disguised themselves as official vote counters, complete with fake ID’s, and turned in false tallies?
Approximately how many election officials would have to violate their oaths and cooperate with the Dems to make a difference?
Are any GOP observers watching the process, or are they all turncoats, cheating to help the Dems?
Maybe your accusations are a false-flag ruse to make Republicans appear superficial and foolish, thus helping the Dems!
16
what a spineless unAmerican traitor to the Constitution and country. He should resign immediately and be shipped off to Russia to embrace Putin the Fascist.That's where he belongs, not here.
Show our country and its' citizens some respect.
13
Nice job trying to undermine Democracy Rubio. You are an embarrassment to this great country.
33
"Little Marco" ---> "Tiny Trump"
13
Rubio is a failure all the way around. He can't even quit without flip-flopping. The little liar from Cuba actually should not be representing Americans, because he lied about how his family got in before smearing others for doing the exact same thing. He is a punk, a liar, a cheat and Koch sock puppet. Let the little losers screech....they sound rabid.
18
Little Marco keeps getting smaller.
11
There was a week or two when I though, the man is a sane Republican! He makes some sense.
Then he came down with Southern Florida Dysplastic Syndrome: braincells obsessed with conspiracy theories and hatred for the opposition starting replicating with wild abandon. The affected parts of the brain become unable to process information, until the one affected can only speak in paranoid accusations.
Apparently, this is a permanent condition among FLA Republicans.
14
Marco Rubio is a good guy and really stepped up during the Florida hurricanes. He also is very right to question the election in Florida. Where are all these ballots coming from after the fact? Illegal aliens even submitted ballots that were caught by poll watchers but then the Democrats objected and tried to get their vote counted. Mail in votes are being counted that came in after the deadline yet the Liberals are screaming about counting all the votes. Hunker down everyone as the Left tries to take over America through non citizens voting and complete control of the “fake news media”.....
1
@Dan Locker Proof please.
12
@Dan Locker
He does not have the right to spread propaganda and misinformation. That alone should disqualify him as any sort of leader.
17
He's just ginning up his base for his next election but how disgusting and low can you go? Rubio, your days are numbered. And take off your flag pin, you're no patriot.
27
Why is lil’ Marky Rubio still a part of my vocabulary?
11
Open memo to Marco Rubio
(c.c.) Rick Scott; Ron DeSantis
re: Claims Democrats are trying to undermine
the Midterm outcome in Florida; Voter
fraud...
Gentlemen;
Two words: Prove it!!
18
It' simple math, the Senate edge is still razor thin. Every Republican Senator is incredibly important. The Democratic House will be sending moderate, popular legislation over to the Senate. The Republicans know that they will have a fight on their hands to keep moderates from swaying to the Dems side. And if, heaven forbid, there is a very credible case for impeachment? So it's simple math.
11
Rubio no longer deserves the respect of being called Senator.
18
Since felons gained the right to vote in Florida, only Democrats will be elected in the future. Bye bye Rubio.
11
Rubio is poor and depends on donors to fund his elections. He has no accomplishments so he must sell his vote to his donors
Dear Florida- Rubio doesn’t work for you and that is why you should fire him
Do you like the flooding and red tide? Do you like getting gunned down?
Do you like that Florida didn’t expand Medicaid? If so, then Rubios your guy
30
No one could be surprised about Rubio. He is like Ted Cruz: so-called "principled" conservatives who, after being ridiculed and pushed around by an anti-American, anti-religious, anti-patriotic, non-conservative, lying, cheating, misogynistic, racist buffoon (who then won the election), enthusiastically joined up with the liar, cheat, and bully, in order to join in on the taunting (and to avoid receiving any more of it themselves). True "Profiles in Cowardice."
Trump was right in one respect: he is "little Marco."
33
Poor Marco, so much ambition and so little talent. He slogs along, channeling different personas, hoping one will propel him into charisma. Now he's chosen to gather Trumpians; after all in two, or gasp, six years, they have to go somewhere. He hasn't noticed that Trump voters don't always translate to non-Trumps.
I'm sure he'll continue this way and that, learning not quite enough as he goes, but never quite going away. The way forward has many Marco's, politicians of both parties that no matter how hard they try just can't cross the finish line.
I will only offer this advice to him - jumping on the voter fraud bandwagon without real evidence is only for the desperate and small minded.
15
“Little” Marco as Trump dubbed him should be ashamed of himself. He is following the Trump model. Mislead to achieve a political purpose. Anything goes because only the bottom line counts. Winning is all that matters. Marco is getting littler by the day.Trump corrupts everybody and everything he touches.
15
This is just projection. Republicans are thinking about what they would do to win, and projecting that on Democrats. What I fail to understand is why Republicans think 1/2 of the country is without merit and that the country will implode if they’re not in power. Maybe that’s again projection, they see their own individual success coupled with the success of their party and country.
3
It's so SAD! "Little Marco" is ruining all his chances to become President...
6
Thank you, NYT. We in Florida watch with amazement during the fairly predictable cycles of "rising star Rubio."
The guy is a hack, And it is gratifying to see some national acknowledgement of same.
32
Marco Rubio, aka "Lightweight choker", Trump's nickname for the shameless Senator, has apparently been neutered like the other Senator Trump has denigrated, "Lyin' Ted". The cynicism it takes to support your political opponent can be attributed to politics; however, the cynicism it takes for Rubio and Cruz to support someone who has attacked them in such vicious and unapologetic fashion to lie in the same corrupt-ridden bed as Trump to advance unfounded conspiracy theories and undermine our democracy is not just disappointing. This points to a non-existent sense of self-worth and dignity, something that Rubio has demonstrated multiple times. One cannot shame such people into decency. It. Just. Cannot. Be. Done.
17
"“Trump’s rhetoric about ballot-counting is his most dangerous rhetoric,” tweeted Eitan Hersh, a Tufts political scientist."
What three years of Trump the politician has shown us is that there is nothing he will not stoop to in order to get his desired outcome. For some reason people still talk about Trump in comparison to other politicians. That is a mistake. Trump has a singular concern - himself. We must fully accept the ramifications of his complete narcissism. He doesn't have a gauge of awfulness tempering his actions. People are still surprised when he lies so obviously, but it isn't a metric that interests him at all. Trump will say and do what he thinks will bring him attention/adulation/accolades. If events go against him, he will shift the blame to others. He is not really in control of these actions. He acts out of compulsion because he is gripped by a serious personality disorder. The scale of his actions therefore has no relation to what is required. If he feels his attention/adulation/accolades threatened, he will do anything to hold onto them. Anything.
18
Marco Rubio, like his Texan counterpart Ted Cruz, has no credibility. He has no moral values. He is simply put a liar. He and the majority of the Republicans in Congress have sold their souls to the devil (in this case DJT).
31
If Rubio is stating inaccuracies, falsehoods, and lies, the solution is simple. He shouldn't appear in any part of the NYT, except to state that he told more whoppers again today.
If it's false, it's not worth reporting. Duh.
7
Why write this article? Rubio is so spineless, so meek, so unable to stand up for either himself or for Floridians, and now such a Trump sycophant, that he warrants neither coverage nor response.
15
Trump is, at his core, simply a bully. His base and his minions like Marco are one step below. They are the sad little kids on the playground who cheer on the bully while he beats up whoever is the victim of the day. Sad.
16
Rubio is a well recognized has-been. There are an endless list of joke setups. The man is challenging Chris Christie for most self-humiliating Republican in America. However, I knew he was done when he told a college student he wanted to increase the retirement age for young adults only.
Eh'nt! Eh'nt! Wrong answer.
Go back to the minor leagues kid. You shouldn't be playing this game at all.
13
They sure are acting desperate. I wonder what’s really up. Remember thee 11 year old at DEFCON who hacked a replica of the Florida website and changed results? A hand recount would show if something funny happened. Is this what worries them? It sure worries me.
8
"I’m honestly disappointed and surprised you would stoop to this level."
You shouldn't be. He is who he is: the guy who repeatedly said that Barack Obama was deliberately trying to destroy the US.
24
I keep thinking there's a nice guy somewhere behind Marco Rubio's earnest face. But clearly, nobody at all is there. He will apparently do and say anything for his own political gain--even harm democracy by lying about an election. That's it, Marco, you've gone too low this time. It will leave a stain you can't wipe out.
37
This Florida native (now living in another state) long ago gave up on Senator Rubio. He had such promise, but flittered it all away in a rash of flip-flopping policy moves, inflammatory rhetoric (dressed up in colors of red, white, and blue), and outright Trumpian lies. What a disappointment.
29
Republicans are very skilled in making a mountain out of a molehill or just invent non-existent divisive issues and conflate them with spicy details, while democrats either totally ignore or understate the truth about their opponents's despicable tactics. Beto O Rourke, a very decent human lost because he could not forcefully narrate the awful truths about Ted Cruze which his own Republican colleagues, his own college room mate and Trump had said about him.
Just one week after the elections right wing propaganda sphere has gone completely silent on the invading "dangerous" Caravans infiltrated with middle east terrorist and MS 13 gangs!
15
Republicans are now Gollumnesque Trumpians. The party except for a few, is now dead. Mark has sunk in the filth.
People who did their dirt in the dark are now emboldened by Trump, to reveal their true natures and now are skewing the chemicals in their tunnel vision brains to embrace serial lying, outloud, and to We The People...
It's disconcerting to see how far down in the muck American ideals and institutions are being stomped on by power hungry Gollums.
We cannot allow this polluting of clear law and order to become the new acceptable norm. ALL need to be accountable and held to the higher standard, otherwise this slippery slope in muck turns into an avalanche raining down on us! It's already drizzling...
Our Senators, QReps, and Trump, are expected to be civil and courageous when under fire, in order to put the needs of Our country first. All this lying, chaos and confusion prevents clear focused vision casting for Americas future. Where there is no vision the people perish.
4
Marcus Rubio is a jellyfish. No spine whatsoever. The only reason he is a senator is because he is Cuban and he gets the support of the Cuban population. He does nothing for the State of Florida.
16
Character for Republicans is like the common cold, they occasionally get it but it goes away quickly.
12
Floridians amaze me. I saw that 67% of them are concerned about climate change but if these counts hold, they will have 2 senators and a governor who doesn't believe in it. Scott won't even allow the words 'climate change' to be used by the state of Florida. They will continue to sink into the Atlantic and will be wondering why.
30
Trump has laid out the template; don't be surprised that politicians like Rubio are using it. Many more will do so. It works with the low-information, much aggrieved Republican voter.
If someone as ham fisted as Trump can make it work, there will be a bumper crop of more sophisticated politicians who will push all the same buttons Trump pushes but without being quite so obvious about it. Although given the intellectual ability of most Trump supporters it may well be that subtlety would be lost on them. Trump has shown that a sledgehammer is the right tool for the job when dealing with the hard right. And of course, the Bible.
4
When has Trump used the bible??
He flubbed something in Corinthians 2 years ago(?), and quickly got a way from trying to pretend familiarity with its wisdom and truths.
Moreover, the bible says, "you will know them by their fruits." Just because someone says they are a Christian, check out their life choices, be hopeful, but verify by their words and deeds.
5
Even if "Dem lawyers" were descending on Florida to ensure that "every vote is counted" in the hope that the Democrat candidate prevail, that is not "changing" the election (a winner has yet to be declared), and it is not "stealing" an election.
13
Rubio keep justifying how irrelevant he is.
10
"The Florida senator is promoting false conspiracy theories for partisan gain."
You're surprised? During the 2016 campaign he accused President Obama of deliberately trying to undermine the U.S. economy.
Why the press seems to regard Rubio as some sort of "moderate" is beyond me.
16
I am loathe to critique the Presdient’s Tweets ... so many are blatant lies ... given the fact that Putin is regarded more highly than our freedoms and democracy... perhaps he should be called “President Pinocchio” - after all Putin is pulling his puppet’s strings.
As a casual informed reader, it appears that the voting is being recolunted correctly under the rules.
I assumed that Senator Rubio is keen to live in a dictatorship - perhaps something like the one his family fled from Cuba.
Nationalism, historically has proven an evil, has been responsible for the destruction of civil, prosperous societies. Let’s leave it behind us in the dustbin of 20th Century history!
9
'Little Marco' changes his opinion on issues as frequently as he changes his underwear. This guy hasn't had an original thought or legislative initiative throughout his entire political career. In addition to being a partisan parrot, at his core he is a flunky, stooge & hack. He has a delusional belief that he can be President for some time and plans a career of elective office until he gets to his goal, a disservice to the people of Florida, but he see's himself on a national stage only, a disservice to the rest of America. The truest sign of his selfish agenda was when he returned to the Florida Senate Race after getting bumped out of the Presidential primary, a seat he gave up for that purpose. As well, turning on his mentor Jeb Bush.
Selfish & self-serving. Very much like Trump, only looking out for himself and all the benefits he can take from the system.
23
Way too many in the current incarnation of the GOP have no shame, no integrity, no honesty. Do they actually believe the false accusations and phony facts they invent? Alice went down the rabbit hole and met face to face with a gaggle of congressmen and their minions sunning themselves before cracked and misshapen mirrors. Uff dah!!!
22
Sad. Just sad. Rubio seems like a nice guy. Seems. The Trump poison, permission to lie about everything, is the social ebola of our time. These supposed statesmen like Rubio cannot see how lying undermines the foundations of our democracy. Trumpism (fascism) creates zombies.
13
@Jojojo
No, it doesn't create zombies. What it does is expose liars. Trump is a liar and a cheat. He "wins" by cheating.
Rubio and the other GOP members see this and decide that they too want to win at all costs, so they too lie and cheat.
THAT is the essence of Trumpism.
AL GORE in 2020.
10
'lil marco has always been a freak.
3
The very scariest part of all this democracy-killing effort by Republicans is that it is softening up the public for the eventual right wing authoritarian takeover of the government. Take a look at this essay from the Irish Times:
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole-trial-runs-for-fascism-are-in-full-flow-1.3543375?mode=amp
15
Republicans have not paid a price for their movement toward the far right. On the contrary, they look at Trump's win and conclude -- lying works. It's up to us to VOTE all of them out. It's only in a dramatic defeat will they have an opportunity to WAKE UP and return to some semblance of common decency.
36
For those of you who haven't lived there, Florida is a mess.
Political, cultural, environmental, economic, mess.
Many people escaping other parts of the country and other lives and problems drift to the sunshine and palm trees.
Mess.
10
Little Marco indeed. He seems to be shrinking before our eyes, along with his entire party. They remind me more and more of a cockroach on its back, desperately trying to regain their feet by any means possible. But even a roach stops short of lying to do so. Even a roach doesn't sink as low as the modern Republican Party and their increasingly desperate attempts to hold onto power by subverting our electoral process.
Given the choice, I'll take a cockroach any old time.
25
Rubio is a young man. Why would he ruin whatever good reputation he had to make such false claims, to undermine voters' confidence in our elections? For Trump? For power? Party over country?
Little Marco, indeed.
Sad.
15
@sophia
I suspect that republicans believe they are shaping the battlefield for future campaigns, so that truth and decency are illusions and hard hits to the gut will win. They have evaluated the American electorate and reached that conclusion.
11
The Republicans have some gall; making a spectacle of this legal action, while disregarding the stench they made in this same state in 2000. We truly are a polarized nation. Not good.
9
No news here. Marco Rubio has always been an opportunistic hack.
36
I'm glad you are setting the record straight, David. Rubio falls into the category of autocrat who twists the truth and constantly makes suggestive statements and rhetorical winks that point in the sleazy direction he wants. Ted Cruz is a master at this. So is Rubio. It makes me wish he'd kept to his original plan to retire....which, as you can see, he recounted...ooops, I mean recanted...on.
16
Marco Rubio is no better than Donald Trump. He simply doesn't have the "gifts" Trump has. Trump is the master of distraction, whataboutism, and absolute mendacity. Remember when Rubio tried to go "hands to hands" with Trump? Rubio lost because he, while no better morally, simply didn't have the chops to go head to head with Trump. Getting down in the muck with Trump isn't the way to win 2020 either. He has no equal at living in the swamp even though Rubio makes a strong effort.
6
Thank you, Mr. Leonhardt. Keep up the good work. You are a true patriot. The many other comments have clearly expressed my outrage.
7
I swear, the problem with most every Republican these days, including Rubio, is that they think it is their right to win. It is the same obnoxious attitude you typically find in private country clubs and gated communities.
21
@PaulB67
And prestigious colleges.
3
Rubio has been running for president since the year ZERO. He is like Trump minus 10. Every six months he comes up with some absurd motion to get attention
5
Rubio and those of his ilk are simply better than Trump at hiding their ugliness. The Republican party has been invaded a long time ago by a virus that managed to stay somewhat sub-clinical, abetted by an uncritical press. (Of course it is NOT the party of Lincoln.) One has to wonder if a lot of the press, despite the strident words here and there, somewhat agrees with this ugliness. The virus is not longer sub-clinical, it is the party, in full repugnant display.
Trump and the Republican party are a test to the principles of this nation. During the Civil War, the conflict was pretty much internal, horrendous, but internal. Now we are talking about a nation with the power to wipe out life from this planet. I would not be that concerned if Trump were alone. But the increasing chorus of support by Rubio and Graham should make everybody shudder if not shuddering yet.
Unfortunately, Republicans do not care if what they say is true or not. They only offer immoral leadership. Pound away Leonhradt, and call a lie a lie.
6
Florida should come to Colorado to learn how to run an election. Same day registration. Felons who have completed their sentence can vote (yes - they passed a law to allow this now in Florida, but I hear DeSantis could use methods to block it). Mail in ballots. We are right after Washington in the rankings of ease of voting.
I served as a poll watcher at our most recent election and it was emotional to watch our democratic process at work as people of all ages came in to cast their vote. One young man, with a dew rag on his head, came in with his lease to prove where he lived in order to register and vote! I was so proud of him!
We did this even though we had a Republican Secretary of State (this took a bit of pursuading though - and the Republican before him wanted to purge voter rolls, like all good Republicans). Now we have a Democrat in the position. Maybe we can take the #1 position! :)
49
As a resident of South Florida, I'm particularly galled by the Republican Governor having the audacity to complain about a "crooked system" he has been in charge of for 8 years.
One would almost think that his allowing this deterioration in the first place suggests obtaining votes at the ballot box is not, in his view, the place to spend money. As though disenfranchisement, redistricting, voter intimidation, out-right lies and suppression via the courts—the old playbook—are where the real action occurs?
16
@Marcus. He is shocked, shocked...right?
2
@arp I agree and have been saying that to all who asked--why didn't he and Marco fix it. I also told a relative in another state that there has been no problems in FL since Bush because the repubs have won. There stands The Gov today with good old Mitch having appeared as a senator--there must be a big payday somewhere close that he knows abpit.
5
Maybe the great fear on behalf of Republicans is that Democrats will stop conceding early on election night and will start to require all votes to be counted in all elections around the country.
Have Republican state officials established a secret strategy in states/localities where they control the election process that reports results of Republican districts/precincts early to prompt concessions by Democrats so there is no need to complete the tallies of votes from Democratic districts/precincts? Is that the real reason why Republicans are so afraid to have all votes counted?
15
“Although it is not clear what impact these false accusations of voter fraud may have in future elections, what they expose, right now, is a blatant attack on democracy itself.”
That is all republicans know how to do and they have been perfecting the dark art for many many years. At least since Newt Gingrich.
They have also forgotten how to govern. It is just remarkable that the current republican party makes one nostalgic for Richard Nixon.
Sad.
12
"But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother”
― George Orwell, 1984
20
First the alt-right media peddled fear that turned their brains to mush. This shows up on brain imaging studies.
Then Trump completed the destruction with his thousands of lies. Now all the Republican politicians are piling on.
Republicans are so damaged they won't support anyone who does not lie to them. They need those lies to keep their serotonin levels up, and are addicted to the Republican party which has become a crack house.
7
Mr. Rubio's actions here are disgusting. He has become another blatant shill for President Trump and his group. I used to have a lot of respect for Mr. Rubio but no more. Hey there Senator, remember when the President called you little Marco? What will you do when the President decides he doesn't need you anymore?
5
What Floridians have representing them in the U. S. Senate is Donald Trump lite. Marco Rubio, who got his hat handed to him by Trump in the Republican primaries almost three years ago, is sycophantically busily channeling the worst of the president’s awful traits: lying and seeding the hard ground with conspiracies that endanger America. Until Congress is rid of rabidly-partisan right wing ideologues—and gullible constituents support them—this mouse in a maze style of politics will never end.
Rubio came here from Cuba, much like Ted Cruz’s folks did—and immediately took to the race card trail. They both identify not as Hispanic but as white, a useful ruse when taking their narrow, hard-line orders from segregationists like Mitch McConnell.
These two Cuban expatriates in particular are funded by the NRA and other shadowy donors, the source of whose money is likely the Koch Bottles and/or ALEC.
So to expect intellectual honesty and some degree of independence from these two—and from Rubio especially, is to ask quite a lot.
Rubio said he wouldn’t run again in 2016 then lied about it after spending six years failing to position himself as the Republican nominee. Now bored, he is looking for something else to do while marking time. Being the poodle for a billionaire dealer apparently has its diminishing rewards.
Maybe Rubio is angling to become Donald Trump’s ambassador to Havana. Maybe that explains Rubio’s Siamese twin dance with the Liar-and-Conspiracy Theorist-in-Chief.
15
Rubio has been "Trumpified" since Trump became President. This is nothing new, though I am glad Mr. Leonhardt is writing about Rubio's dangerous conspiracy theory spreading in regards to the re-count in Florida.
One thing I wish Mr. Leonhardt would explore is the way in which Mr. Rubio repeatedly uses Bible verses on Twitter to justify his Trumpification. Today he tweeted: "What is crooked cannot be made straight, and you cannot count what is not there. Ecclesiastes 1:15" I find this just as disturbing as spreading conspiracy theories. Mr. Rubio was elected Senator, not Reverend. He was elected not just to represent evangelicals, but also Jews, Muslims, Atheists, and everyone else, as well.
While I can see that this is a bald attempt to be the new evangelical candidate once Trump is gone, Republicans should not be afraid to call out this alarming disregard for the separation of church and state. Rubio is not just undermining democracy, he is promoting theocracy. I think that deserves a column, too, Mr. Leonhardt.
15
Let's review:
• Republican governor and secretary of state, who design the ballots (remember 'hanging chads'?) and conduct the election.
• The election is close - and the ballot has problems that favor the Republican (why are we not surprised?)
• The Democrat incumbent wants to make sure everyone entitled got to vote and all ballots are counted properly - is this not the American way?
• The guy in Washington - we won't dignify him by a title - starts crying foul, because a loss in Florida makes him look bad.
• Everyone has accepted by now there is no Truth in the Washington guy, so we have to work around him and ignore his rantings.
• Now 'Little Marco' wants to get on the bandwagon and act like a tough guy.
• But Marco's word is no good either - he quit his Senate job (seldom showed up, anyway) 'cause he wanted to run for President. Then when he lost out he changed his mind and decided the Senate was ok after all.
Stop driving so fast, Marco, and pay those traffic tickets. Your billionaire pals have plenty of money so long as you do what they want....
11
No, Mr. Leonhardt, Senator Rubio is doing his job, looking out for the people of Florida who he represents in the US Senate. Thank you.
1
@Southern Boy
Then you Floridians pay that shyster's salary.
6
So you are admitting that he doesn't represent half the state who vote Democratic? Thanks for your honesty.
4
Little Marco looks out for Little Marco, period.
2
Naturally, Republicans like Rubio and Trump are not the least bit interested in Democracy. They want to maintain/gain power at any cost. It is the GOP that engages in voter suppression efforts around the country, not Democrats. Look at the close races where the Democrat is in the lead and results are waiting until all votes are counted. Do you hear Democratic leaders such as Obama or Pelosi calling for the counts to stop? Do you hear them demonizing the election process? Of course not because Democrats actually care about Democracy.
4
There are a number of choice words which come to mind to describe anyone who sees a fire, and decides to pour a can of gas on it.
Marco Rubio just might be an idiot.
24
Not an ounce of decency or character can be found in any republican today. They are a disgrace.
16
So ironic that Rubio, son of Cuban refugees, is now adopting the disinformation and anti-democratic tactics of Castro. Maybe he might consider emigrating back to Cuba where he’s more in synch.
16
@Robert Cameron Dear Robert, Marco's parents left Cuba during the corrupt Batista Regime which was eventually removed by Castro. Fulgencio Batista escaped Cuba and came to reside with the Spanish Dictator, Francisco Franco, taking approximately $750 million (today that would be the equivalent of $6 billion). And of course, that money has been passed on to the extended family of Batista so that they never have to work like the rest of us peons.
2
The Trumpification of "little" Marco, as well of McConnell, Graham, Romney, and so many other Republicans, shows the naked opportunism that is at their core. For Rubio, the most telling litmus test is his still opposing any common sense gun laws, including an assault weapons ban.
19
I don't know why anyone even listens to Marco Rubio. I stopped long ago because whatever he says today may very well be different tomorrow.
10
Senator Rubio has amply demonstrated over the years that he has zero credibility, zero integrity, zero courage, and zero personality. Other than that, he is perfect. He may be envied by many for his ability to convince himself that he actually believes whatever he is saying at a given moment. In spite of being the poster child for election incompetence, Florida seems to be moving in a modernizing direction. The question is what wil happen first? Leaving people like Rubio behind or having a big chunk of the state submerged as the polar ice melts and climate change deniers cling to the wreckage.
5
Marco Rubio is representative of the worse, baser elements of Republicans in control of the U.S. Senate today. This is a seismic change from what the U.S. Senate was between 1980 and 1986, when it was Republican controlled with Howard Baker as Majority Leader. Baker, in contrast to the current Senate Majority Leader, was an honest, decent, and principled politician who accorded his colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, with the utmost respect.
The more I see of Marco Rubio, the less I think of him. He is so utterly lacking in character, a gross hypocrite, and an empty suit. I will be so glad to see him lose his Senate seat in 2022.
12
It seems that the recount in Florida is annoyingly delaying the start of Rick Scott's presidential campaign and, equally annoyingly, stealing center stage from his main rival, Marco Rubio.
5
A mini-Trump is Rubio
Conspiracy theories do flow,
The Truth doesn't matter
Tear lies to a tatter
And put on a sly shameless show.
12
As a Florida resident I can assure you that this is the only time Rick Scott and Marco Rubio have ever concerned themselves with the Democratic voter. While in office, they usually ignore our concerns and viewpoints completely.
12
The global teaching of Trump and company is that morality is bothersome.
15
To state the obvious, Rubio is, has been, and always will be a feckless political opportunist with no guiding principal in life other than “any means justifies the end” with regard to his own political fortune.
He’s very Trumpian in character and has been the same cut of cloth as Trumpo before the latter even went into politics. In fact one might say Trumpo has been Rubified.
Oh well. Good luck everybody.
12
Is anyone, Mr. Leonhart included, surprised? Little Marco has made it a cottage industry to put his finger in the air and go wherever the Republican wins blows.
How else to explain his getting down in the mud with Fake POTUS 45 during the election two years ago?
20
I live in Florida, and can say without qualification that Senator Rubio is an embarrassment of the highest order to all in the Sunshine State who cherish democracy, the promotion of American ideals, and the free exchange of ideas among people, cultures, religions, and parties.
He has proven himself to be a craven partisan, and his whiplash machinations on anything of practical importance to the nation is duly noted and shall be held up to the light in the future.
In other words, Marco, just cease and desist your daily lying in service to the WH and the GOP.
22
Marco Rubio, like Donald Trump, Fox News, and the leadership of the Republican Party, practicing as is their wont a campaign of disinformation right out of Putin’s playbook.
This is nothing new. Think of Benghazi and Hillary Clinton’s emails (and, by the way, of the complicity of the mainstream media including the Times in keeping in keeping theses stories alive).
The brazenness of the outright lying has increased because of the gullibility of the Republican base and the effectiveness of Trump’s incessant lying in influencing it.
The use of disinformation, employed sporadically for decades, is now a widely disseminated, firmly embedded political strategy of the Republican Party.
Because it works for them.
20
While it is a shame that the electoral process, after several real debacles in Florida and elsewhere, continues to be this shoddy. Rubio and his ilk are shoddier still.
No one should be surprised that Republicans, contortionist in their patriotism and preferring faith to facts, are hanging onto the drapes in Florida. The blue wave has yet to crest and I hope these sycophants, buffoons and traitors will be washed away.
In the meantime, your column is exactly the type of bulwark we need to maintain sanity in a world which hangs close to the edge.
23
These republicans are small men and they seek to gain by corrupting our democracy. May history judge them for what they really are, right wing antidemocratic zealots who have no business dictating the course of America!
6
Other states appear to have learned more from Florida's 2000 election issues than Florida did. Who runs things down there? Oh, right, the GOP. By the way, Mario, maybe all these accusations taint your OWN election. Haven't you faced voters a time or two since 2000?
13
I had some respect for Marco Rubio, but no longer. He caught the Trump virus and it has infected his brain. It's too bad, because Rubio had some very reasonable ideas about immigration reform. Sure, the rest of the Republican party hated them because they were reasonable, but at least he had them....for a while. He chickened out under pressure and towed the party line. Now he tows the party line on election fraud lies. So sad. By the way, had Rubio EVER complained about voter disenfranchisement? You know, that Republican ploy that has been running right under our noses? Answer: No. Go away, Marco, go away.
14
Just add Rubio to the long list of craven Republicans who bow before the Trump Doctrine. Where have we seen this before? I am deeply ashamed that our country has come to this.
19
Sadly, "Little Marco" has shrunk to the size of his Trumpian label. His chances of realizing success at the national have shrunk to zero. He can thank the leader of his very own party for his demise. RIP, Little Marco. May your fellow Republicans share your fate.
19
"Deliberately undermining people’s confidence in our electoral systems for partisan gain."
Yep, that's "Little Marco" Rubio!
Now a real life Trump boot-licker after publicly trashing DJT as a “con man” who was “dangerous” and unqualified to control the nation’s nuclear codes.
I bet Rubio would sell his soul to the devil.
Wait, he already did.
29
Perhaps, Marco thinks being trumpified is his ticket in 2020.
Did he mean 2024? Because Trump will be around in 2020.
Unless, he is impeached or indicted! Not to mention Joe Biden may be on the Democratic ticket!
4
Rubio is a dangerous evangelical. eg He has denied climate change , the age of the earth and the use of vaccines. Rubio: 'I'm not a scientist' - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/story/2012/.../rubio-on-earths-age-im-not-a-scientist-084043 Nov 19, 2012 - Marco Rubio declined to firmly answer a question of existential ... “I'm not a scientist, man,”
With elected leaders like Rubio , Grassley , McConnell , the Trump-Kushner crime family , K. McCarthy , Nunes , etc. is it any wonder the USA is spiraling down the drain.
19
As much as it pains me to say so, Trump was actually right, and worse yet, right about something that is important: Sen. Rubio really is "Little Marco."
10
Marco, Rick, Ron and the GOP hold the ultimate trump card (pun unintended): the Supreme Court of the United States. Cutting short the vote counting worked well for George W. Bush, not so much for Al Gore. Today's Court is even more stacked, illegitimately this time, for an outcome favoring Republicans.
Maybe Donald Trump was right about one thing: perhaps Little Marco really is little, in ways far more consequential than his physical stature.
10
@John LeBaron
Did you ever wonder if they had reagan appoint Bork to cause the upset and opposition they did? They knew full well what these people thought of Bork and his radical opinions. And they had the criminal Scalia in their back pocket as the intended candidate all along?
4
It is not just Marco Rubio who has been "Trumpified"; it is the entire political party, currently claiming to still be the Republican party. From Rick Scott, to Marco Rubio, this one is on Florida. If Floridians approve of a Trumpified Rubio and Scott and state, so be it. But all charismatic movements eventually end; as will the 'Trump' movement. When that occurs the fallout will be disastrous for the Rubio's of the world.
In the end however, Floridians voted Marco Rubio into office and unless , or until they vote him out; they appear to approve of Senator Rubio's anti-vote count rhetoric.
10
I think Rubio has come to the conclusion that the demographics that everyone have warned for years will favor democrats going forward is true. He knows, and many of the weak spined GOP know, that Trump won only because he was able to draw in the white nationalists, who never did support Romney and McCain. He knows that GOP control will depend on further tilting the field in favor of the GOP and converting more people to white nationalism. He is fully willing to destroy democratic institutions to maintain the evil grip of the GOP upon the people of the US. This is all modeled on Putin's Russia. He is desperate to hang on to power. The GOP are desperate to hang on to power. Trump is willing to destroy if he can't have his way, and so are the rest of the GOP, including Rubio.
I find it quite entertaining that those who were so belittled by Trump are so totally subservient to his approach. They are clearly without a single real conviction and totally empty of substance. Not that sniveling sycophants care what my opinion is.
37
They don't care because they can read all those "GOP" references and know they still own you.
Try this for me: Replace every "GOP" with the slogan it stands for, "Grand Old Party," and see if you still stand by the comment.
Why is there a deadline for counting votes? Thank you.
40
Given the American fascination with personality (and appearances) Rubio seems to cultivate some kind of Repub/moderate political persona. Quite a sham in my opinion. Don't be fooled by the Doogie Howser look. I've watched (with great unease) his stance on a myriad of issues since (and prior to) his presidential run and he seems to be to the right of Attila The Hun.
30
"Surprised" that Rubio would stoop to this level? Someone has not been paying close enough attention.
14
simply and directly... a very important article. Thank-you !
Democracy wins ALWAYS AND ALWAYS when we continue to point to falsehoods. The fuller story needs to be constantly presented. Over and over again. This is one extremely important way to continue on democracies anywhere in the world. Many other things need be done, but awareness is the key, whether we use journalists and/or lawyers - each of us world wide has this duty as part of our having human rights.
15
Rubio has always been a chameleon. He's able to change his stripes depending on the current climate.
With the Florida election, he's now Trump.
One thing is for sure. Rubio is being groomed to run in 2020. Furthermore he would be as destructive as Trump, without the narcissistic personality.
82
He's too short to be President.
11
@Gaucho54
Rubio is scared. Trump and the demographics will inevitably catch up to Florida, And him. And the Parkland students exposed Rubio for his amorality. Rubio also has money troubles, as in he doesn't have any so he always responds to the highest offer.
Too little too late for a truly reprehensible "public servant".
16
@Gaucho54
"...without the narcissistic personality."
Unfortunate error.
"...he would be as destructive as Trump"
Unfortunate truth.
9
David,
Good column. Could you use your power to share images of the ballot so that the readers can judge if the format of the choices on the ballot was fair? I am not sure if the absentee ballots are the same as those used in the polling place or they are the same for each of the precincts, but I can't really imagine how format could bias the voter but it seems strange that the Florida voters would reject the experience of Senator Nelson and cast their vote for a Governor who denies global warming even when the majority of scientists project dire results for the State of Florida from rising sea levels and increased tropical storm intensity.
18
Let's see...it's the conventional wisdom now that the purpose of Russian interference in US elections was to undermine and sow chaos in our democracy. Efforts have been made to stop the Russians but it seems the President and his party have taken up their cause.
41
Trump won’t object to Russian meddling because he is confident they will help him.
7
The Republican Party has been involved in stealing the 1968 election, the 1980 election and the 2016 election for President. In each instance, they colluded with foreign powers.
The Republican Party has suppressed votes in dozens of states, denying Blacks, Hispanic and Asia Americans their most vital rights.
The Republican Party has gerrymandered Congressional Districts in dozens of states to give their Party power at the expense of Democrats and Independents.
In 2000, five Republican Members of the Supreme Court stopped the vote count in Florida and gave the Presidency to George W. Bush.
The brazenness of the GOP is clear with their nomination of Donald Trump to the Presidency. The time has come to basically render the Republican Party an artifact of history and remove most of their officials from Office -- legally with honest elections.
55
@Pat Choate: You neglected to mention Republicans stole Ohio in 2004 for Bush which gave him his second term. Lt. Gov. Kenneth Blackwell, R, owned all the Diebold machines in Ohio. As Ohioan John Boehner would say, "Zippity-doo-dah" and done!
10
Until media outlets like Fox News call out the GOP for their lies and deceptions the GOP leaders will continue to fan the flames of discontent by pointing to "left wing commentators" as the problem. And Ms. McSally's gracious acceptance of the close election results in AZ will never get the coverage it deserves as long as there is rabid contentiousness in any of these contested elections. My recommendation: very time any NYTimes op ed columnist writes about the reprehensible behavior of Trumpets like Rubio they write about Ms. McSally. It might lead to her getting elected in 2020, but it will also help readers remember how democracy is supposed to work.
As for FL, I think voters there showed their true colors when they voted to give voting rights back to most of those convicted of felonies. They want to see their neighbors vote and they want every one of their votes to count. I'm sure those formerly disenfranchised voters will be watching the process unfold in the coming weeks and know which party wants their votes to count.
47
@WFGersen
I don't watch " reality shows" for a very specific reason - they are junk food for the mind.
Alas, plenty of people love their junk food.
7
@WFGersen: MSNBC has covered McSally's concession speech a lot. A whole lot. And praised her for it's civility. Doubt if FOX has covered it at all, but have no idea since I can only watch FOX for about eight minutes before I reach my limit for nonsense and lies.
11
Your mistake is calling Fox news a media outlet. It's not. It's all fraud, all the time!
7
Of course the process is slow and sloppy. Republicans Control the Governor's Office and the Senate in Florida. They don't have income tax in Florida. Elections are run by public institutions that are financed by taxes. Republicans don't believe in taxes or financing public institutions.
If you could privatize elections, monetize elections and issue debt to pay for elections, Rubio and every other Republican would be all for it.
70
Marky is a Koch brothers boy. He's doing the job they pay him for.
The Good People of Florida must kick him out of OUR U.S. Senate in the next election.
WE THE PEOPLE must purge The Con Don, the Robber Baron brethren he installed in OUR cabinets and regulatory agencies to destroy them and other Robber Baron operatives in every segment of OUR government and society.
They have done enough damage. NOW is the time to stop them.
95
Rubio always was, and always will be, a coward and a phony. His unfitness was exposed by none other than than the reprehensible Gov. Christie in the primary debates. I hope and pray that we can unseat him, and put a real person in the seat he now holds.
169
@Bernard Freydberg: You might need to run a Cuban-American Democrat against him.
4
@Bernard Freydberg He's not up for reelection until 2024.
1
He's inherited Ted's nickname - Lyin' Marco.
He never did like being called "little", I guess.
9
"Senator, I may disagree with you on policy. But I’m honestly disappointed and surprised you would stoop to this level."
This implies that we should expect better from him because...? Rubio may position himself as the adult in the room but he is no different from any other trump sycophant who sees personal and political gain from lending his voice to the chorus. A "tough but fair" brand of politics is just not in the GOP playbook.
129
Marco Rubio's tweets have officially achieved InfoWars-level nuttery.
68
Rubio seems to be heading the way of Graham. Another instance of susceptibility to cult leaders. I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised that some people in the public eye are just as prone to this as those out of sight of the public.
42
Marco Rubio has never been better than Trump. He’s just better at hiding it.
90
Surprised. Why on earth are you surprised? This is a guy who sat next to the NRA representative to confront the families of Parkland School. The only difference between him and Trump is that Rubio uses complete sentences.
190
Besides Kasich, is there ANY Republican that hasn’t been trumpified? Absolutely none. Which is why the current Republican Party, otherwise known as the party of Trump, has to be thoroughly and completely ground into the ground. None of them should be allowed to hold their head up in public.
179
@RA Too late; Kasich has moved to the both-siderism column. There is not one (party of Richard Lugar) Republican left standing. It's not Trump who killed the Party, it's equivocation about Trumpism that killed the Party.
35
@RA Yep...and Kasich's standing is also why a Republican won the governor's race in Ohio.
2
@RA
McCain... but death somewhat limits his political influence.
4
Good column Mr. Leonhardt, with perhaps one exception... You say that the "process in Florida is often slow and sloppy". However, I am not at all sure that other places would not look equally bad were the intense spotlight not trained on them. Pulling off an election under the given funding and time constraints is probably prone to some "sloppiness", especially when the stakes are as high as they are right now in Florida.
When we de-politicize the voting process and provide the resources that elections in our democracy require my guess is that we would see less sloppiness. Meanwhile, we should probably give those poor Floridians all the help they need rather than prolonging the sloppiness meme.
43
@PJM I agree. Voting the way we do creates a blunt instrument, which is fine when there are clear winners. I think all states would look sloppy when the differences between candidates get to a half a percentage point difference between candidates.
11
@PJM
After the absolute electoral debacle of 2000, reason-minded persons might assume that the GOP-controlled government of Florida would try and clean up their electoral act. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Florida again reinforces itself as "America's hanging chad." In Florida, incompetent and unfair electoral infrastructure is not a bug, IT'S A FEATURE.
9
"...provide the resources that elections in our democracy require.. "
Rick "Python on Ecstasy" Scott (with props to Stephen Colbert), a proven Medicare fraudster, was governor of Florida for eight years. If the electoral system is so egregious, he need only look in the mirror as to the reason why.
8