(CNN) – Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, widely speculated to be a top pick for the Republican presidential running mate, once again firmly denied he would join the GOP ticket.
"I'm not going to be the vice president," Rubio said Friday in an interview with CNN en Español's Ismael Cala. "I'm not."
– Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
Last month, Rubio rolled out a big endorsement for Mitt Romney, adding fuel to the fire in talks over whether Rubio, whose parents emigrated from Cuba, would possibly be tapped for the Republican veep spot. Rubio, however, has repeatedly shot down the notion.
With Latino-Americans becoming a more influential voting bloc, politicians are increasingly growing more aggressive in their efforts to court their votes. But the junior senator argued Friday that choosing him as a running mate would not do the trick.
"I'll tell you, the Hispanic vote has to be earned," he said. "You can't just put somebody on there and say, 'This is gonna deliver it.' You've got to earn it, and primarily I think you earn it through economic policies."
Elected in 2010, Rubio was dubbed early on a rising star in GOP. He's known for bucking popular policies within the Latino community, such as the DREAM Act, a proposal that would grant a path to citizenship for minors in the country illegally, providing they served in the armed forces or attended college.
Instead, he sides with positions more inline with the Republican platform on immigration.
"I think a better approach is the one I've talked about, and that is providing these kids some sort of non-immigrant visa status so they can continue to study and then work in the U.S.," Rubio said. "Then at some point in the future they would be able to get in line, same line as everybody else in the world."
Asked if he was setting aside a vice presidential spot in hopes of aiming for higher office in the future, Rubio said: "Well I haven't thought about that in that way. I don't know what the future holds. I want to do a good job as a U.S. senator.
"I think if I do that, I'll have opportunities to do different things in future."
Also see:
Former AG Gonzales: Rubio not a wise VP pick
Obama talks taxes, Republicans energy in weekly addresses
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Darn Tootin' you're not.
He could be if he wanted to, very popular, very well like, very smart, he would smoke Obama
It would be so good for the rule of law if he would say "I am not eligible to be the vice president." Why won't he?
Even an opportunist like Rubio knows when the ship is sinking and he doesn't want to be associated with it.
He will need to put up his birth certificate first right?
Right. Joe Biden is going to be, for four more years.
To bad ,
it would have shown the deep extent of his shallowness. Rubio would be better suited acting on the Cuban version of the Bold and the Beautiful .
So that leaves ,Chris Christy and Jeb Bush .
I agree I didn't think Obama would replace Biden with you anyway.
No, you won't be the running mate of the GOP presidential nominee. It will be someone that doesn't over shadow Mittens with a room temperature IQ as seen in the last election. This time it will be even better.....a wanna-be ob/gyn physician-but- couldn't-get-into-med school-so-opted-for-politics running mate from a swing state.
Hysterical how many of you moron liberals – not all of you, just most of you – have already declared victory in November, and with such fervor.
This is going to be a close, close election. You can be optimistic, but to declare your opposition as "done" is remarkably stupid. Nothing is "done" when the president has to answer for his record. Nothing is "done" when all he does is distract the nation with phony wars on the wealthy that won't amount to a drop in the bucket, and falsely accusing the opposition of warring against women.
Rubio we get it....and don't blame you....The Star are also not in favor of Romney....Lets wait and see who will really
emerge as the GOP-nominee...! ABR==Anybody but Romney....!
You are right, because President Obama already have his VP.
Question? Was Mitt Romney born in Mexico like the rest of his family? I demand to see his birth certificate!
You can not trust anyone from Florida!
@Ken you are so rightttttttttt.
Unhinged GOBP wingnuts have nothing.
Rubio is reading the handwriting on the wall, knowing that Mittens is going down (unless, of course, the GOP succeeds in its voter suppression strategy). Rubio's looking down the road, hoping to keep his nose clean enough to make a run for POTUS in 2016.
Karl Rove and Grover Norquist told him not to, so in keeping with the GOP presidential qualification checklist since 2000, he is doing as he is told.
The GOP, as Norquist said at CPAC earlier this year, "All we have to do is replace Obama. ... We are not auditioning for fearless leader. We don't need a president to tell us in what direction to go. We know what direction to go. We want the Ryan budget. ... We just need a president to sign this stuff. We don't need someone to think it up or design it. The leadership now for the modern conservative movement for the next 20 years will be coming out of the House and the Senate.
"Pick a Republican with enough working digits to handle a pen to become president of the United States. This is a change for Republicans: the House and Senate doing the work with the president signing bills. His job is to be captain of the team, to sign the legislation that has already been prepared."
The REAL behind a GOP presidency is Rove, Norquist and the other Koch brothers lackeys, not the GOP nominee.
So the choice is simple: Do you want a leader who thinks for himself or another GW Bush puppet doing the bidding of unelected officials representing corporate interests, regardless of the cost to our country and her people?
Don't let this happen to our country. Vote Obama/Biden in November
@Scott Popular with whom? Polls seem to indicate that most people do not know who he is
Since his name is "Rubio" he should at least dye his hair blond.
Rubio is right. Since Romney trails Obama by double digits among female voters, and there are more female voters than male voters, Rubio, or any other Republican, is not going to be the Vice President.
"I'll tell you, the Hispanic vote has to be earned," he said. "You can't just put somebody on there and say, 'This is gonna deliver it.' You've got to earn it, and primarily I think you earn it through economic policies."
Rubio is right, and it reflects that he respects voters as individuals, not defined by ethnicity or skin color .
Which makes it so sad that 97% of blacks , lemming-like, plan to vote for Obama, even though he is a massive failure as President..
did he just concede?
Joe Biden is the biggest embarrassment to high office that weve ever seen. Even more embarrassing than Obama. Obama is systematically destroying the country. Biden is just an idiot along for the ride
@scott
He could be if he wanted to, very popular, very well like, very smart, he would smoke Obama
-------------------
It is not about popularity, not even likable either. It is about being capable to do the job. This anchor-baby hasn't reached a level to lead the country if need be! I do hope you get it.