How Marco Rubio Became the GOP’s Foreign Policy Candidate
One commentator recently dubbed him “the Council on Foreign Relations’ favorite Republican.”
.. Instead of real vision—an incisive analysis of the world today and actual solutions to its complex challenges—Rubio offers attitudes and platitudes. Scratch the surface and it is difficult to identify a single major new idea or overarching strategy beyond reversing what President Obama has done, shifting the tone toward more forthright condemnation of authoritarians with whom the Obama administration has sought pragmatic and targeted cooperation, and projecting “strength” through a more confrontational approach backed by military spending.
.. But Rubio actually voted against authorizing that strike when Obama asked for it. He has said, “I have never supported the use of U.S. military force in the conflict. And I still don’t.” And now he’s calling for the use of military force to support a “no fly zone” over Syria.
.. But then the political winds shifted. The rise of ISIS, the invasion of Crimea, and the mass migration of refugees created a narrative of fear. And Rubio tacked right.