Rubio kicks off campaigning in North Carolina

From the moment Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., stepped on stage in Raleigh Saturday, his rhetoric was no longer that of a contender for the Republican presidential nomination. 

He addressed the crowd in the Holshouser Building without any specific mention of other Republicans in the Presidential Primaries. 

“In November of next year, we are going to beat Hillary Clinton in the state of North Carolina,” he said.

Rubio emphasized his ability to relate with the American public. A son of Cuban immigrants and husband of a Colombian wife, the senator said he understands every aspect of immigration and its effects.

Minority faces were rare in the audience and among his introductory speakers. But Rubio stressed his personal experience living paycheck-to-paycheck and burdened by up to $100,000 of student debt in his first years in office as senator.

And Eddy Ramirez, a 26 year-old father in the audience with his daughter in tow, said his views were represented by the candidate.

“I have immigrant parents,” Ramirez said. “(Rubio) pretty much hit everything exactly the same as me and my family.”

Rubio’s focus quickly shifted to national security — attacking President Barack Obama’s policy of consistently apologizing for American policy and betrayals of allies like Israel. 

“That’s how you get a Nobel Peace Prize three months into office,” Rubio joked.

The senator came out against amnesty and sanctuary cities — stressing ISIS’ ability to infiltrate the country as students, spouses and employees. Syrian or any refugees must be a hundred percent known before entry, he said. 

“We don’t lock our doors because we hate people outside of our house,” Rubio said, slightly softening his position on outsiders.

But we do so because we love those inside of it, he finished.

In his first day of office, the senator said he would repeal every executive order from the Obama Administration.

“I hope he tallies that down because that’s too much to remember,” said AJ Raulynaitis, a N.C. State University student.

Describing the presidential oath of office, Rubio said he would vow to defend the Constitution, like President Obama did.

“(But) here’s the difference,” Rubio said. “I actually will mean it.”

Calling for term limits for federal judges and members of Congress, he said a Rubio Administration would understand the Constitution in the way the founding fathers intended.

This strategy would explicitly exclude guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency, which Rubio coined the “Employment Prevention Agency.”

“All of these crazy rules from the EPA — they’re gone,” he said.

Raulynaitis, who said he has yet to choose a candidate, had a different perspective.

“I’m looking for someone who wants to respect constitutional rights but has enough audacity to look at it from a 21st century point-of-view,” he said.

Having attended other Republican rallies this election cycle, UNC sophomore Kelsey Mason said she appreciated the specifics of the Rubio speech and thought he was a promising candidate.

“I think the main thing Rubio can do is appeal to the young people and appeal to minorities,” she said. “Donald Trump is going to have an extremely hard time doing that based on what he’s said.”

Though Rubio was polling more than ten percentage points behind Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, in a December poll, Mason and Raulynaitis said they think this is not an accurate measure of who will win the nomination.

“It is still really early, and you should be giving every candidate a chance and hear what they have to say,” Mason said. “You know, it’s politics — you really never know.”

Raulynaitis said polling is unlikely to be representative of voters.

“I wouldn't trust the polls,” he said. “I don’t know many people who are 18 and registered to vote that have answered a political poll.” 

state@dailytarheel.com