Clash of the Republican Floridians: Rubio looks to take down his mentor

WASHINGTON – It’s often said that the proverbial knockout punch is a rarity in election debates.

Rarer still: knocking out your mentor.

But that’s what Marco Rubio tried to do this week, administering what may have been a fatal blow to the presidential aspirations of a man he’s likened to a political father-figure; his biggest influence and the person he most admired from their days in Florida state politics — former governor Jeb Bush.

One commentator compared their rivalry Thursday to a memorable silver-screen confrontation between pupil and teacher: Darth Vader versus Obi-Wan Kenobi.

This clash of Floridians makes up in real-life ramifications what it lacks in colourful light sabres. There’s an excellent chance one of these two men will attract the financial backing, endorsements and energy of a Republican party machine in its eventual showdown against less-experienced, less-mainstream rivals.

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In this primary-within-a-primary, the hunt is on to find someone to take on the likes of Donald Trump and neurosurgeon Ben Carson. And the verdict Thursday after the previous night’s debate appeared unanimous.

“It’s Time For Jeb Bush To Call It Quits,” was the headline on one typical column, on the conservative Daily Caller website. Google searches shot up for Rubio. One commentator whose wife works for Bush, Ramesh Ponnuru, described it as a “body slam.” The liberal media agreed too, with Slate saying: “Marco Rubio Crushed Jeb Bush in Their First Debate Fight.”

Their memorable exchange began when Bush decided to challenge his protege-turned-rival’s work absenteeism. While running for president, the rookie senator has missed at least 59 votes.

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The former governor of Florida asked Rubio, “What is it, like a French work week? You get, like, three days where you have to show up? You can campaign, or just resign and let someone else take the job.”

After Rubio’s retort, Bush didn’t say much the rest of the evening. In just a few words, Rubio summed up three knocks against his old friend: that he’s older, that he’s a creature of the backroom strategists and that his campaign, which recently laid off staff in a round of cost-cutting, is now in its death-spiral.

The first-term senator began by reciting the names of other candidates who’d missed huge numbers of votes while running for president and were not attacked by Bush.

“The only reason why you’re doing it now is because we’re running for the same position,” Rubio said, drawing crowd cheers and silencing Bush.

“And someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you. My campaign is going to be about the future of America, it’s not going to be about attacking anyone else on this stage.”

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Their campaigns had left each other alone until recently.

Basic math explains why they’re on a collision course. As Rubio rises in the polls, he’s surpassed Bush in the No. 4 position behind Carson, Trump and Texas firebrand Ted Cruz.

But that makes him No. 1 among the more mainstream field of candidates. There are signs that the party establishment is anxious to rally around a candidate who has a): Spent at least one day working in government and b): Not used words like “rapist” to describe Mexican migrants or suggested Muslims should be excluded from the presidency.

Rubio fits that bill. So do Bush, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey’s Chris Christie. But a CBS survey this month points to some big advantages for the 44-year-old Cuban-American.

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He has momentum. He’s not only inched past Bush in support, but also in the category of the candidate Republicans think has the best chance of winning. He’s also the most-popular second choice, after Carson. And his personal favourability numbers dwarf Bush’s, who is more disliked than liked by Republicans. For Rubio, 50 per cent hold a positive view versus 12 per cent negative.

The great irony is that these two contenders for the mainstream mantle go way back.

Bush had already known Rubio for a decade-and-a-half when he introduced him on the night of his U.S. Senate election win in 2010. They’d worked closely in the legislature.

Just three years ago, in his book “An American Son,” Rubio said he’d never have run had Bush wanted that Senate seat: “No one would challenge him in the primary — certainly not me.”