A.G. Gancarski
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio sees “incompetence” as the guiding principle in the Joe Biden White House, if a Monday night cable hit is any indication.
During a segment on “Hannity,” Rubio used the word “incompetent” or “incompetence” on a recurrent basis to describe developments in a number of domestic and international theaters.
Commenting on the current issues at the border, Rubio told the Fox News audience “we could spend an hour here talking about the cascade of calamities and disasters that have all been brought about by this administration, their incompetence, and the wrong decisions that they’ve made.”
Claiming the Biden administration caused the border crisis, the Senator continued to hit on the incompetence theme.
“It’s just one more absurdity. It sounds almost so crazy that you can’t believe true. It’s happening all at once, and that’s what happens when incompetent people get a hold of the government,” Rubio continued.
Biden’s push for COVID-19 booster shots likewise smacked of “incompetence,” he said.
“So on issue after issue, it’s a broken promise and incompetence. It’s not even ideological anymore, it’s incompetence and a lack of leadership, and the country is beginning to pay a tremendous price for it.”
Rubio has tended to cycle through a series of insults for Biden, but “incompetence” seems to be hitting the sweet spot. He hit that theme in August when agonizing over the Afghanistan withdrawal.
“The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is terrible. What comes next is far worse, the return & resurgence of Al Qaeda. The incompetent Biden Administration has no plan to prevent this & we should have zero trust they ever will,” Rubio warned on Twitter.
One advantage of using “incompetent” here to describe the administration is that it advances other concerns Rubio expressed about the “weak leader” President who may be suffering from “memory loss,” as the Senator has suggested in the past.
The narrative has legs for at least one election cycle. Expect that the 2022 election in Florida, especially given the anti-Biden posturing of Gov. Ron DeSantis, to be framed as a referendum on the White House by Republicans. Rubio’s rhetoric plays seamlessly into a larger message.
Meanwhile, even though polling does not show Rubio as front of mind with potential 2024 GOP Primary voters, the Senator is not ruling out a run for President.
During a trip to Iowa last month, Rubio demurred when asked, saying he didn’t know what the future held.
“I imagine in 2024 I, like others, will have to view what the opportunities are and I’ve run for President before, so clearly it’s something that’s interested me, but it’s certainly not something that, right now, I’m either planning or not planning,” Rubio said. “I don’t know what my life, the world, the country or politics will look like in two years.”
10 comments
Zhombre
September 21, 2021 at 9:27 am
Disparage Rubio, call him names with your usual vituperation, but will you progressives and assorted lefties defend Biden and his administration? Will you praise his competence and mental acuity in office? Let’s hear the apologia for Sleepy Joe.
Lorraine
September 23, 2021 at 11:54 am
Not a left here – think I will call myself ABT – the guy in the most important office we have was a loser in everything he touched his hands on or laid his eyes on
Trying to give myself a minute or 2 to think of one decent & worthwhile thing he did – Nope – can think of zero – everything he was & is was ruined – schemer & wins the award for dishonesty
And you -? You wallow with your blinders on – Joe Biden is doing a really great job considering everything that was left to him rotted from the leader down
Zhombre
September 23, 2021 at 1:41 pm
Two-thirds of your reply was condemnation of Trump, whom I did not ask you about. Wiithout reference to the former president (every incoming administration cites The Mess They Left Behind; it’s a standard bromide) cite the positive accomplishments of the Biden administration. The well planned exit from Afghanistan, for example. Or the restored order at our southern border. Or Biden’s openness to and mental acuity and coherence dealing with the press. Or his inspiring closeness to his son Hunter.
Ocean Joe
September 25, 2021 at 4:20 pm
Z, I’m not happy with Sleepy Joe, nor do I care for Blinken, who seems “weak and low energy” but as stated by Lorraine, having the disaster out is worth it. Biden should get credit for pushing vaccinations (your leaders wont), pushing a more equitable tax rate for corporations and those making over $400K, which in turn may slow the staggering deficit, pushing funding for real climate action (your party wont), and for returning civility to the presidency and ending the wink and nod to white supremacists.
I dont support the effort to fix all social ills through a massive budget, but I do support those parts that will rebuild our roadways and that part that addresses climate. His budget would provide relief to the bottom half of the country, taxes would responsibly help pay for this relief (something else your party never has the guts to do, they cut taxes but not spending). I did not like his choice of VP. I dont think she can win in her own right nor should Biden, Grassley, Feinstein, Leahy or any other extremely old character seek re-election.
But on the whole, better to have the father of Hunter Biden in office, than the father of the Jan 6 capitol insurrection, or the father of 35 states’ cookie cutter laws to legislate suppression of Black votes all because his ego couldn’t accept losing big. PS Z, how’d you like the Arizona “audit,” and isn’t it time somebody in your beloved GOP got the stones to stand up to Trump besides bridge closing Chris Christie?
Ocean Joe
September 25, 2021 at 4:26 pm
Let me abbreviate: having a guy trying to run the government is a lot better than having a guy trying to destroy it….
zhombre
September 27, 2021 at 7:01 pm
Oceanic Joe: Actually, I think Biden, or the staff who runs him, is or are inadvertantly destroying the government with incompetence and injurious policies, such as the debacles leaving Afghanistan and the sheer chaos on the southern border. The staggering deficit will remain staggering if the $5 trillion spending monster passes and the wreckage will continue to accrue, excuse the expression, in fuck’n spades .
Also, you speak of my leaders and my party; I don’t have a party. I do not follow the leader, but try to vote for the best of the bad lot confronting me on the ballot I am registered NPA and don’t care for either political party; they are all politicians, aren’t they, and politicians, in general, suck. I voted for a Democrat, Bob Buckhorn, for Mayor of Tampa and certainly would’ve considered voting for him for governor had he chosen to run. However, a two-party system is a zero-sum game: one party’s win is the other party’s loss. I despise most Democrats (Tulsi Gabbard and Kyrsten Sinema excepted) while I merely dislike many Republicans. There’s numerous items in your post I disagree with but I don’t care to waste your time or mine. Posts at Florida Politics is a poor form of communication. We can agree to disagree.
Andy
September 21, 2021 at 7:44 pm
Interesting Rubio did not have an issue when Trump sent Pompeo to negotiate the US exit from that hell hole of a place.
Rubio is do nothing!!!
One thing trump got right was to get out of there. Those mother fuckers stole billions from us !!!
Bennett Marco
September 23, 2021 at 1:49 pm
Joe Biden is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being ever elected President of the United States. His administration is competent. To assert otherwise is not just wearing blinders, it is willful ignorance.
Mr Right
September 30, 2021 at 12:13 am
Trader Joe just gave billions of advanced military hardware to his friends in China via the Taliban. The way he handled the exit was a disgrace and resulted in the deaths of US citizens and Afghan Christians which could have been avoided.
Never have i witnessed such incompetence by our government. Being too young to watch the Vietnam withdrawal it seems US casualties are something the dems excel in.
Tom
October 4, 2021 at 11:43 am
The attempted replies from the insane demonstrates that their hate rules all thoughts.
Alzie Biden & giggles Harris are a joke, incompetence is kind reference.
He was left a perfect scorecard.
Stop making lame excuses
Utter failure in every topic to date,
You cocoon liberals are demented.
He’s upside down in 38 states per Cignus poll.
He’s – 13 in Florida. R u kidding me. He’s in the low 30’s and low 40’s. He’s bleeding all groups across the board. His vaccine mandate has minorities running away. He’s increased unemployment.
We are watching a train wreck of ugly order.
You liberals are beyond hope.
Economy worse.
Inflation 30 yr high.
Border worse.
No nonpartisan efforts
Trump signed multiple big partisan legislation on several topics including covid.
You people are nuts!
But tell selves all is fine.
Inept Rachel Maddow will too.
Comments are closed.