Life of the Party

When my path last crossed with Marco Rubio, less than 48 hours remained until the start of voting at the 2016 Iowa Caucuses.

I was covering a town hall meeting at the Ramada Hotel in Des Moines where Rubio was holding forth in front of a crowd that reflected Iowa’s predominantly conservative and religious constituency. Looking casual in a gray zip-up sweater and Republican red tie, Rubio conveyed messages that both emanated from his core beliefs and resonated with the audience.

“Our rights come from G-d and not from government,” Rubio said, adding that “Judeo-Christian values made America the most charitable nation on earth.”

That night, Rubio showed flashes of humor, revealed his serious, issues-oriented side, and displayed his people skills as Iowans flocked around him after his campaign speech. I joined in, introducing myself as a former Miami Beach resident, and slipped in a quick question on the US-Israel relationship. Rubio answered by criticizing Obama for injecting unnecessary friction between the two strategic allies and promised to put an end to that if he became president.