Senator Marco Rubio
Senator Marco Rubio
Senator Marco Rubio
Senator Ted Cruz
Senator Ted Cruz

By Larry Gordon

We’ve said some harsh things about President Barack Obama in this space over the last few years. And while this might sound like the beginning of an apology, it’s really not. After all, everything is fair in love, war, and politics. This is really about placing the president’s thought process in context, looking forward to the conclusion of his presidency, and the expressed hope that over the short term, we will be able to recover from the damage he has wreaked.

That Mr. Obama has not brought the country down entirely is a tribute to the strength, vision, and fortitude of the United States. One needs to internalize and understand that the president never intended to harm the country; he thought he was hurting us for our own good. Turns out the United States needs leadership, not an ill-mannered babysitter looking to change us or teach us lessons.

America is unique in its resiliency and that is precisely why our future is bright. While the cluttered field of potential future presidents from the Republican perspective is promising, the time has come to whittle down the number of would-be presidents and get down to the business of what Donald Trump calls “Making America great again.”

While the field has been only slightly condensed of late, the odds are looking pretty good that two of the last men standing will be Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas.

Both are vigorously courting Jewish voters, particularly in the New York and New Jersey area. Yet, unless a miracle occurs, it is more than likely that Hillary Clinton, running as the Democrat in the presidential race, will win the electoral votes in New York and New Jersey. So why are Rubio and Cruz spending any time at all in this area when the race in November 2016 will be won or lost out there in the heartland? Why is Cruz appearing this week in Englewood, New Jersey? Why over the next six weeks and prior to the start of the primary season is Senator Rubio traveling to Israel with an entourage of Jewish leaders from the New York area?

Just thinking about either of these two men becoming the next president of the United States is refreshing and hopeful on so many levels. But first a few words about President Obama, where he wanted to take us, and why he failed.

The president is not a bad person and he has no evil designs when it comes to Israel or for that matter when it comes down to doing what is right for the country. With all due respect to him, he just has it all wrong. And this is not an attempt at punching holes in his economic or foreign-policy theories. He has had seven years of applying them and bringing them to fruition, and everywhere we turn there is just disappointment and failure. But part of the beauty of the American system is that you can do only so much damage and no more.

The Obama failures are everywhere and impact on our everyday life. It’s not only about not having boots on the ground to fight ISIS, but also about things as mundane as health-insurance companies closing down or disassociating themselves from the losing formulation that has developed as a result of Obamacare. There are higher taxes for some and no taxes for many more than ever before. Then there is this wild idea about confiscating military-type vehicles and equipment from police departments based on the notion that their presence causes greater agitation in already violence-prone crowds. And let’s not forget the philosophy that allows angry crowds to riot and destroy just to get it out of their system. So much for law and order.

Now a few words about our future president. We definitely need someone new; that is abundantly clear. At a recent meeting with Jewish leaders at a law firm in the city, Senator Rubio said that he does not think the U.S. can withstand another four years of Democratic philosophies. He is laying down the gauntlet and clearly saying that in his estimation, Hillary Clinton would be a disaster for the future of America. Senator Rubio also said that this particular event in New York was his most successful fundraising function–generating over $300,000.

Between now and Election Day, Cruz and Rubio will be traveling to Israel for a meeting and photo opportunity with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other leading Israeli officials. Rubio has stated on more than several occasions that the U.S. support for Israel should be unconditional.

When it comes to the Jewish community and those with a Republican-leaning orientation, at this point it seems that Rubio has a slight edge over Senator Cruz. Rubio hails from Florida, the southern tip of which is home to a significant Jewish population. Senator Cruz is from Texas, where there is also an influential Jewish population, albeit a smaller one. But that state does not have the tourist traffic that emanates from the national Jewish community like Florida does.

Both Cruz and Rubio are 44 years old. That might be exactly the right age for either one to enter the White House. They are young and both need to be concerned about election, reelection, and then eventually life after the White House.

That is not the case with Mrs. Clinton. Her presidency would be the last position she would hold in government prior to retirement. It is not a good situation for the U.S. or any of us, its citizens. This country needs a leader now with his or her future on the line. Hillary does not bring that to the table.

Both Cruz and Rubio are impressive. When asked this week whether a Rubio—Cruz ticket was a possibility, an adviser to the Rubio campaign said yes. One can only hope and pray that these men talk amongst themselves and that they understand how critical this election is. Hopefully someone, somewhere, is putting the better good of the country ahead of the personality-driven politics.

Cruz is a wonderful and intelligent candidate. I sat in on a meeting with him at last year’s AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington when he met with the parents of Naftali, Gilad, and Eyal, the Israeli boys who were murdered after being picked up by terrorists. The words of comfort that he offered the parents and the sensitivity that he portrayed were moving and dramatic.

Marco Rubio has a different kind of Jewish momentum going for him. At present, he has the support of one of the wealthiest Jews in South Florida, Norman Braman, who is a former president of the Miami Jewish Federation. Las Vegas mogul Sheldon Adelson is also leaning in the direction of throwing his full and substantial support behind the Rubio candidacy.

At this stage of the game, even though Donald Trump continues to lead the pack, conventional wisdom dictates that the Trump frenzy will run its course, peak, and then begin to wane. At the end of the process, it is looking good for both Senators Cruz and Rubio.

– – –

After President Obama’s comments in Paris this week, it is clearer than ever that there is something odd about his outlook for this country and the world. The president essentially said that climate change–which is what the meetings in Paris were about–is part of the cause for the uptick in terror attacks. When pressed on the subject, Mr. Obama said that just like climate change is a downward-trending type of event, so is terror.

America needs the Republican Party of today to save us from a terribly unfortunate and even embarrassing leadership. Election Day is 11 months away. Let’s hope we can afford the wait.

Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome at editor@5tjt.com.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here