Taking a cue from his yard signs, South Florida became Marco Rubio country for real over the weekend with four back to back events.
Two were official campaign events and two just sorta happened.
The first was a barbecue and pot luck Saturday organized by Facebook supporters at Tropical Park. Called Marco Rubio’s Hometown for America BBQ, the supporters met just before noon at a shelter between both lakes at the park.
“This event is not an official event of Marco Rubio for President,” the Facebook invite said. “it is an event hosted by Marco Rubio grassroots supports from Marco’s Hometown for America.”
Expect it to be the first of many, they said.
Then, on Sunday, Jeanette Rubio — who could be our future First Lady — was at the Three Kings Parade in Little Havana with her kids. She started the parade riding in a convertible, like other politicos, but had to jump out to say hi to all the friends there.
Later, Rubio took time from campaigning in South Carolina to come to the third and fourth events — a rally and fundraiser at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Miami featuring Rick Harrison of TV’s Pawn Stars, who has already has rallies for Rubio in Las Vegas, where Rubio lived for a while as a child.
Rubio shined as usual at the event, billed as a send-off for our next U.S president, and was filled with mostly friends — including some of those very grassroots supporters who were at the barbecue Saturday and at the Three Kings parade.
Electeds who support him like Miami-Dade Commissioner Rebeca Sosa and Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, who is running to succeed him, were also there.
His speech was the same ‘ol stump stuff we’ve heard before about his bartending dad and housekeeping mom, about a dangerous world — being made more dangerous by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton — and immigration being a matter of national security.
But he added a few things, like a shout out to police officers, a chiding to Cubans who come here claiming persecution then go back to Havana to live on social security and a promise to keep Guantanamo.
The crowd ate it up.
But then again, if Florida is Marco Rubio country Miami-Dade ought to be called Planet Marquito.
Unfortunately, he’s gone again already. He has a meet and greet in Tampa later today. But Tampa is still Marco Rubio country.