Rubio speech to Miss. GOP avoids elephants in room
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida was in Jackson on Friday, speaking to hundreds of Republicans and elected officials about the American dream.
The luncheon at the Jackson Convention Complex was a fundraiser for Republicans in the Mississippi House of Representatives. Before being elected to the Senate, Rubio served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000-08.
Rubio took the stage to a standing ovation. Throughout his speech, the senator wove his personal story into the greater American story and the pursuit of the American dream.
The son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio's mother was a maid and his father a bartender. They came to America in 1956 and later became citizens who were able to give their children a stable home and a life better than their own, Rubio said.
"My parents were never rich," he said. "They were never famous. They never owned more than one home or one car at a time. And yet I believe my parents fully lived the American dream."
He told the crowd the American dream still defines this country and that only limited government and free enterprise make that dream possible. He also laid out a path of success for Americans.
"We know for a fact that there's such a thing as a success sequence," Rubio said. "Here's how it goes. If you do these four things, your chances of success are extraordinary in America. Get an education. Get a job. Get married. And you have your children in a marriage. You do those four things, and your chances of being in poverty are extremely slim. And we have an obligation to tell people that."
And when a single mother ends up on a different path, Rubio said, she needs the tools to empower herself to a better place instead of current programs that treat the pain of poverty but don't actually cure it.
He also spoke about the importance of education. Rubio got a round of applause when he said poverty should not condemn parents to sending their children to school in a dangerous environment.
Despite the challenges facing the United States, Rubio said he still believes in the United States.
"I believe our future can be better than our past," Rubio told the crowd. "I know we have a choice. We have two roads before us. We will either be the first generation in American history that leaves their children worse off, or the 21st century will also be an American century — better than the 20th."
Gov. Phil Bryant and state House Speaker Philip Gunn spoke before Rubio. Other elected officials in the crowd included Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, State Auditor Stacey Pickering, Treasurer Lynn Fitch and numerous senators and representatives.
The recent Senate primary between incumbent Thad Cochran and state Sen. Chris McDaniel was not mentioned during Friday's event. Prior to Rubio's speech, Bryant did acknowledge different views exist within in the Republican Party.
"This is a very diverse party," Bryant told the crowd. "Unlike our opponents on the Democratic side, we let other voices be heard."
Democratic Party Chairman Rickey Cole, who was not at Friday's event, commented later in the day that it's interesting Bryant has decided to embrace diversity.
"I don't think Bryant has much of a leg to stand on if they claim they're a diverse group," Cole said.
Cole said he thought Rubio was an interesting choice for the luncheon because the senator has been one of the most divisive figures in modern American politics.
Mississippi Democrats will host Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley at the Democratic Party's 35th annual Jefferson-Jackson-Hamer Dinner next month.
Contact Emily Nitcher at (601) 961-7303 or enitcher@jackson.ganentt.com. Follow @emily_nitcher on Twitter.