If you get your information from Fox News, CNN, or the Wall Street Journal, the narrative you’re hearing is about “Marcomentum” and how Marco Rubio has a chance of defeating Donald Trump for the GOP nomination. That isn’t simply inaccurate or wishful thinking. It’s a flat out lie.
The narrative that you’re being fed comes in many forms, but all of them can be brought back to a single goal: suspending disbelief in a false reality. They’re not oblivious to the facts. They simply hope that you, the Republican voters, will be. If this sounds like a conspiracy theory, that’s because it really is a conspiracy. However, it’s not theoretical. It’s very easily demonstrable.
Let’s examine some of the talking points you’re hearing as well as some of the truths that you’re not hearing. Then, we’ll explain why this is happening in the first place.
Talking Point 1: “South Carolina Gave Rubio Momentum”
The only momentum that Rubio was able to get from South Carolina is what is being manufactured. This is clear when we look at certain facts.
- The Rubio campaign has been pointing to South Carolina as their first win for months. This didn’t change until he finished 5th in New Hampshire, after which all reports of his bold predictions were wiped from the record and forgotten by most. Not all, but most mainstream publications disregarded his predictions and pretending like his finish in South Carolina was a win.
- He barely beat Ted Cruz by less than 1% despite receiving the three most powerful endorsements in that state: Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, and Trey Gowdy. This was his state to dominate and it was a virtual tie.
- This big win earned him a whopping zero delegates. Trump won 50. Rubio received the same number of delegates as last place Ben Carson.
This is fake momentum from a fake victory that the Republican Establishment and their mainstream media puppets are positioning accordingly.
Talking Point 2: “Marco Rubio Won In Nevada Because ______”
Considering this is being written before the Nevada caucus, it may seem strange that we’re accusing the media of fabricating a talking point already. The truth is that they are. They’re prepared for whatever outcome happens in Nevada to declare it a big win for Rubio. As conservative talk show host Mark Levin pointed out:
No matter what place Marco Rubio comes in, he’s the winner.
No matter what place Marco Rubio comes in, he has the wind at his back.
No matter what place Marco Rubio comes in, he’s poised to win.
He’s 100% correct. It would take an outright victory by Cruz to get them to say anything semi-positive about him. Regardless of what Rubio does, he’s already going to be given the crown. It’s despicable but easily predictable. As always, the Republican Establishment will do whatever they can to muck up the situation to their advantage. They are the ultimate spin doctors, even more adept than the Obama administration.
Talking Point 3: “Ted Cruz is Underperforming”
It was ironic to anyone who was watching the press leading up to the Iowa caucus that every single mainstream media outlet was saying that Trump was going to win and that Cruz had a fight on his hands to keep his second place status. Things changed dramatically when he won Iowa. They suddenly switched their tunes and said that he was supposed to win the state. The narrative then became, “Marco Rubio was the real winner by finishing a strong 3rd.”
It’s not clear which is more sad: their attempts to manipulate the storyline or the willingness of so many Americans to buy into it.
If Cruz doesn’t finish in 1st place in Nevada, the narrative will be that he underperformed. Even a strong second-place finish will be painted by many as a major loss. If he beats Rubio by 5% or less, they’ll paint it as a Rubio victory over Cruz. If Rubio beats Cruz in Nevada, they’ll tell us that the Cruz campaign is done.
Talking Point 4: “Jeb Bush’s Support All Goes to Rubio”
Facts aren’t important to the Republican Establishment or mainstream media when they have an agenda to sell. The fact that Bush had 4% support when he dropped out will be swept under the rug. The fact that Rubio is only listed as being the 2nd choice for 16% of Bush’s supporters compared to 12% for Cruz and 11% for Trump is irrelevant to the media because it doesn’t jive with their mission.
You will be told that Bush dropping out was all Rubio needed to get over the Cruz hump.
Talking Point 5: “Rubio has a Path to the Nomination”
This is the most atrocious narrative that’s being played out on mainstream media today. Currently, Rubio needs a miracle to win the nomination. He has no path whatsoever unless Trump or Cruz drop out. If John Kasich and Ben Carson were to drop out, Rubio will still have the same result through Super Tuesday, which is that he’ll likely finish with zero wins out of the first 15 contests. He has an outside chance of getting one state, but will likely get none. Unfortunately, winning one state out of the first 15 is not a path to the nomination.
Cruz, on the other hand, already has one victory and will likely win Texas and Arkansas at the very least on Super Tuesday. He is within striking distance in Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Georgia. He can actually wake up on March 2nd with a delegate lead if things work out very well. In fact, he has a better chance of being in the lead at that point than Rubio’s chances of notching a single victory.
The thing that makes this narrative so atrocious is that it’s an obvious and blatant lie. This isn’t just a matter of journalists or political insiders holding onto a contrary opinion. They absolutely don’t believe it. One would have to be stupid to actually look at the map and come to the conclusion that Rubio is better positioned than Cruz, but their bet is that the vast majority of voters will listen to them rather than examining the pathways and scenarios for themselves.
Why Would They Sabotage Cruz for Rubio’s Sake?
The suspension of disbelief in all of these scenarios comes down to motive. Voters have a hard time believing that the Republican Establishment themselves would sabotage their own chances, but that’s exactly what they’re doing… sort of. At this point, they know they’ve lost their standard path to getting their way. They realize there are three scenarios: one is bad, one is worse, and one is completely unacceptable. They’re pushing forward hoping for the bad scenario but willing to take on the most likely second scenario. The paths to either scenario are aligned, while the third path is unthinkable for them.
- Scenario 1 is Bad: Since Rubio cannot win the nomination outright, they’re hoping for a brokered convention. They know they’ll likely still lose to Trump, but if they can get Cruz out of the way at least they have a minuscule chance of getting their Establishment candidate in there, even if only as the VP nod like they did in 1980.
- Scenario 2 is Worse: By taking out Cruz, they risk allowing Trump the opportunity to win the nomination outright. While it’s not ideal since he’s the only candidate that would likely lose to the Democrats, it’s a better option to the Establishment than scenario 3…
- Scenario 3 is Unacceptable to the Republican Establishment: If Cruz wins the nomination, the Republican Establishment loses power. At least Trump is malleable. Cruz is a principled conservative like Ronald Reagan, who happens to be the last person to win the nomination against the will of the Establishment. Just as they hated Reagan, they hate Cruz.
They’ll accept Trump. They’ll push for Rubio in a brokered convention. They’ll do anything they can to destroy Cruz. None of this plays to what’s best for America. It’s all about what’s best for the Establishment, what fits the status quo. This is why conservatives must rally behind Cruz despite the false mainstream media narratives you’re hearing on every outlet.