Althouse: The get-Rubio movement.

June 10, 2015

The get-Rubio movement.

We're seeing evidence of this movement this week with the NYT article "Marco Rubio’s Career Bedeviled by Financial Struggles" and last week's "Marco Rubio and His Wife Cited 17 Times for Traffic Infractions." These are ludicrously weak attacks. Rubio bought an $80,000 fishing boat (which the NYT called a "luxury speedboat") after he received an $800,000 and he chose to lease an Audi (a "luxury item") when he needed a car in 2015. And he's gotten 4 traffic tickets in 18 years. The main thing we learn from all that is that the NYT really wants to get him.

Let me take you back to May 22, when the NYT had a piece titled: "A Hillary Clinton Match-Up With Marco Rubio Is a Scary Thought for Democrats." ("Steve Schale, the Florida strategist who wrote the 'Marco Rubio scares me' blog post, said that when he worked for the Democratic leader of the Florida House of Representatives, his boss, Dan Gelber, had a saying about Mr. Rubio’s effect on crowds, and about his sincerity: 'Young women swoon, old women pass out, and toilets flush themselves.' And Mr. Gelber himself recalled the day in Tallahassee, Fla., in 2008 when he and Mr. Rubio, then the speaker of the State House, gave their farewell speeches. He spoke first, followed by Mr. Rubio, as Mr. Gelber’s wife looked on. 'She’s sitting there weeping,' Mr. Gelber recalled, still incredulous. 'And I look up, and I mouth, ‘Are you kidding me?'")

I recorded a Bloggingheads episode with Bob Wright on the day that "Marco Rubio is scary" NYT article came out, and I used it when Bob was talking about the idea that Marco Rubio is not the right kind of Hispanic:

A bit later in that discussion, I'm invited to predict who the GOP nominee will be, and I say Rubio:

115 comments:

damikesc said...: Bob led with the idea that Marco Rubio is not the right kind of Hispanic

I wonder where Bob got the power to make that determination...; 6/10/15, 11:10 AM
Matt Sablan said...: A lot of places are picking up on some subtle, alleged racism in the NYT's criticisms. I don't see it, but I can understand some people wanting to jump on it.

It's not much different from the Get Walker, Get Bush, Get Christie, Get Romney, Get Republicans. It's just whack-a-mole until they find which mole is a bit taller, then they'll dog pile that one too.

All this has done is make the NYT's partisan nature pretty much impossible to deny.; 6/10/15, 11:11 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Bob led with the idea that Marco Rubio is not the right kind of Hispanic"

I rewrote that sentence a little and took out the "led with," because I mentioned the NYT article before he reacted with the not-the-right-kind argument (which of course, I push back on).; 6/10/15, 11:14 AM
damikesc said...: I rewrote that sentence a little and took out the "led with," because I mentioned the NYT article before he reacted with the not-the-right-kind argument (which of course, I push back on).

I'm just baffled that Progressives have so little issue with being blatantly, panderingly racist.

"Not the right kind of Hispanic"? What is he looking for, Speedy Gonzales?

Would either Castro brother of TX be the "right kind of Hispanic"?; 6/10/15, 11:16 AM
Michael K said...: Rubio, like Cruz, has a Cuban connection and they are hard workers and tend to be successful so they don't fit the Democrat concept of Hispanic as a sleepy guy having a siesta and wearing a straw hat.

Has there ever been a group as racist as left wing Democrats ?
Maybe the KKK but there weren't that many of them.; 6/10/15, 11:16 AM
traditionalguy said...: Rubio is in the kill zone of a serious mega money campaign and it is not Clinton, Inc. Its Bush, Inc. If Rubio wins Florida, then he may face a second Oppo slander campaign from Hillary, but not until Walker has been destroyed first.; 6/10/15, 11:17 AM
Bay Area Guy said...: AA writes: "The main thing we learn from all that is that the NYT really wants to get him."

This is true, and AA deserves a lot of credit for stating it.

But the question is, Why is this an acceptable journalistic practice? These aren't NY Times editorials or columnists offering opinions. These are reporters doing the bidding of those pushing a left-wing agenda -- and then denying that it is a left-wing agenda.

If the NY Times, in its reporting, is this biased, then why shouldn't its reputation take a big hit?; 6/10/15, 11:19 AM
Deirdre Mundy said...: The fact that Rubio chose to LEASE a car makes me doubt his credentials as a fiscal conservative. Buy a Toyota and drive it into the ground, man.; 6/10/15, 11:20 AM
damikesc said...: Rubio is in the kill zone of a serious mega money campaign and it is not Clinton, Inc. Its Bush, Inc. If Rubio wins Florida, then he may face a second Oppo slander campaign from Hillary, but not until Walker has been destroyed first.

Bush's mythical fundraising machine is showing itself to be mythical. Too many people don't want him and, like me, wouldn't vote for him if he got the nomination.; 6/10/15, 11:20 AM
damikesc said...: But the question is, Why is this an acceptable journalistic practice? These aren't NY Times editorials or columnists offering opinions. These are reporters doing the bidding of those pushing a left-wing agenda -- and then denying that it is a left-wing agenda.

They then RUN to OTHER left-wing media sites when conservatives notice that the story is full of shit.

And the OTHER left-wing media site (rhymes with "Molitico") feigns irritation that they are being asked to print the spin ... yet they ALWAYS print the spin anyways.

All we've seen is:
1) Conservative media needs to NEVER ask a left-wing media source for comments on a story. They will simply leak it to somebody sympathetic. Or give them half an hour to comment and that is it.

2) Conservative media needs to look at every single story presented by left-wing media and document the problems. Again, don't ask them for comment. Just put them out there.; 6/10/15, 11:22 AM
Jaq said...: I saw a picture of that "Luxury speedboat."

It is a middle of the road, nicer than maybe your lawn guy would buy, center console fishing boat, of the kind commonly used in South Florida for fishing the reefs for snapper, or the gulf stream for mahi mahi or sailfish. A kind of boat that requires no crew and can be driven by the owner himself.

The "luxury" fishing boats there go for hundreds of thousands to millions and are a completely different breed of cat.

The "luxury speedboat" thing has Floridians, who all live relatively close to the ocean, laughing, unless they are partisan ideologues.; 6/10/15, 11:23 AM
trumpetdaddy said...: Liberals are always looking for the "right kind" of whatever minority they want to slum with this week. Liberalism isn't so much politics or philosophy as it is social positioning for upper-middle class and upper class white people.

If Rubio were a Democrat he'd be their nominee for 2016 without a single doubt in my mind. Everything about him and his background pushes all the buttons on liberals' button-pushing list. The fact that he is a Republican must infuriate them.

Same thing with Scott Walker, or any number of the prospective Republican candidates. Perhaps there has arisen a cadre of Republican officeholders who have seen how emotion and social psychology have so successfully been exploited by Democrats, particularly Obama's team, and have decided to use that dark magic against the liberals.

The NYT is actually smart enough to see this and try to head it off at the pass before Herself goes into the same exact kind of battle she lost so badly in 2008, only this time in a general election when it really matters to the progressive project.; 6/10/15, 11:23 AM
Brando said...: Yeah, the weakness of those attacks suggests so far they haven't found anything more substantial. And attacking a young Senator for personal finances issues (particularly where there's nothing illegal or shady, but rather a guy struggling to juggle his finances, and the worst lawbreaking they can find are traffic tickets) if anything may endear him to the "everyday Americans" Hillary needs support from. It certainly juxtaposes well against her "gotta pay the bills" millionaire lifestyle. The Left should tread carefully on this issue if Rubio became the nominee.

(I know of course Rubio makes a salary far higher than the average American, so of course if he tries a "woe is me" defense it may sit poorly with people whose household incomes are under $50K. But if he plays it more as a "even someone making a solid salary such as myself can understand the difficulty of managing personal finances" it can appeal to those voters.]; 6/10/15, 11:25 AM
Jaq said...: I may have to give Rubio a second look.; 6/10/15, 11:25 AM
Fabi said...: He got a luxury boat -- and -- a luxury car? How dare he!!

How much did the Clinton's pay for Chelsea's NYC apartment? $10.5 Million? Caring parents. Nothing to see here. These are not the plutocrats you're looking for. Move along.; 6/10/15, 11:25 AM
Etienne said...: It's important for Americans to vote for a President and a Vice-President who are not on Social Security, and who have a state Drivers license.

Not being on Social Security means you are still managing your own finances, and having a Drivers license means you don't depend on a chauffeur.

Two areas that can get you in trouble: as a working income is flighty, and the damned cops are everywhere, or at least their cameras are.; 6/10/15, 11:25 AM
richard mcenroe said...: Ann, it's more of a Get-Rubio-Elected movement. Do you think the veteran character assassins of the NYT and DNC really BELIEVE these lame attacks will do anything except generate synmpathy for Rubio?

Sympathy is what they want. Marco Rubio is the Democrats' dream Republican. Pro-Amnesty but without Bush's name baggage, votes against the base that elected him —once— whenever McConnell snaps his fingers, and has his head so far up Schumer's ass that Schumer's nose runs when Rubio sneezes. All while pushing his young-rebel act for the John Edwards voters of both parties.; 6/10/15, 11:28 AM
Gahrie said...: All this has done is make the NYT's partisan nature pretty much impossible to deny.

What has made the partisan nature impossible to deny is the fact that the Times is writing articles based on Clinton opposition research, and then lying about it.; 6/10/15, 11:28 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: "The fact that Rubio chose to LEASE a car makes me doubt his credentials as a fiscal conservative."

It makes me doubt his judgment. That is a really crappy financial decision.; 6/10/15, 11:30 AM
Gahrie said...: "Not the right kind of Hispanic"? What is he looking for, Speedy Gonzales?

Interesting thing about Speedy.

You won't find him on English language television like the cartoon Network, becuae he is considered racist.

But I've seen him used in commercials on Spanish language television several times.; 6/10/15, 11:30 AM
trumpetdaddy said...: How one chooses to pay for the usage of a car isn't a "crappy financial decision" except if the means of the paying is inappropriate to the car usage needs of the person doing the paying. And that is for them to decide.

Boy, people love to sit in judgment on others' personal choices. Especially if those choices aren't the same as their own.; 6/10/15, 11:32 AM
Gahrie said...: If the NY Times, in its reporting, is this biased, then why shouldn't its reputation take a big hit?

those who love the Times will still love it, those who hate the Times are unsurprised.; 6/10/15, 11:33 AM
Anonymous said...: Ron Winkleheimer said...
"The fact that Rubio chose to LEASE a car makes me doubt his credentials as a fiscal conservative."

It makes me doubt his judgment. That is a really crappy financial decision.

unless of course, he was in a state job, or a law firm or in the Senate where you can lease a car out of your expenses account, but you cant buy one for yourself.; 6/10/15, 11:35 AM
Chris said...: Interesting thing about Speedy.

You won't find him on English language television like the cartoon Network, becuae he is considered racist.

Speedy is fine. His cousin, Slowpoke, is racist.

And quite possibly high.; 6/10/15, 11:36 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Remember when John Kerry bought a boat that was so expensive the sales tax on it was almost half a million (and he attempted to evade the tax by keeping it in Rhode Island)?

Kerry's boat cost more than 87.5 times as much as Rubio's.; 6/10/15, 11:37 AM
Brando said...: "The fact that Rubio chose to LEASE a car makes me doubt his credentials as a fiscal conservative. Buy a Toyota and drive it into the ground, man."

His personal financial decisions may be terrible--but that doesn't necessarily translate to public life. Churchill's personal finances were atrocious, and he still did a pretty good Prime Ministering job. More important is what his record was while in the Florida House, and since being in the U.S. Senate.; 6/10/15, 11:38 AM
Alex said...: Walker is the real target. Democrats are not scared of Jeb, Cruz or Rubio. All their angst is centered on Mr. Union Buster, Mr. Koch Brothers Puppet.; 6/10/15, 11:38 AM
trumpetdaddy said...: Another politician who made horrible personal financial decisions? Thomas Jefferson.; 6/10/15, 11:40 AM
damikesc said...: Remember when John Kerry bought a boat that was so expensive the sales tax on it was almost half a million (and he attempted to evade the tax by keeping it in Rhode Island)?

Kerry's boat cost more than 87.5 times as much as Rubio's.

The Clintons make four times the boat's value per speech.; 6/10/15, 11:40 AM
JackWayne said...: Bush is tanking and the Republican Party knows they won't be able to push him across the line like they have done with Bush, Dole, Bush, McCain and Romney. They have picked Rubio to bring into the fold. The NYT is just helping with battle prep. As evidenced by "moderates" like AA helping out. Don't forget that AA is the one who saw Obama as a pragmatist. "No drama Obama". Etc. Objectively, how different is Rubio from Clinton? Not much. Both hawks. Both want illegal immigration. Both comfortable with the DC fishbowl. Both big government apparatchiks. When has Rubio EVER upset the apple cart? Show some real balls? Rubio has Kennedy's youth and good looks which should crush Clinton. I smell a phony that both parties will be comfortable with.; 6/10/15, 11:41 AM
MayBee said...: Wow. Conservatives can be super judgey on minor issues, can't we? The college kids can't tolerate jokes, the conservatives can't tolerate car leases.; 6/10/15, 11:43 AM
Jaq said...: Wasn't Kerry's boat named "The Botched Joke"?; 6/10/15, 11:46 AM
Bay Area Guy said...: I have a "Zebra theory" about the unruly number of GOP candidates. Maybe, it's good thing. The lion (left-wing media) chases the herd, gets confused by the stripes, can't focus on one, and then misses them all.

Hopefully, these weak hit pieces on Rubio make him stronger and undermine the credibility of the NY Times.; 6/10/15, 11:46 AM
trumpetdaddy said...: I firmly believe this article is social signalling for and a warning to, the type of people Herself needs on board.

Whereas, normal Americans look at a lower-middle class guy finally "making good" and buying a boat and a getting a nice car as well, normal, the type of people who are Herself's and the NYT's base audience see it as gauche, nouveau riche striving.

What the Times hopes is that the smarter people amongst the Left base realize that people like Rubio and Walker appeal to the public partly because they aren't elitist douche-bags. Being "born in a log cabin" has a long history of being an effective back story in America and Rubio and Walker both have plenty of that in its modern incarnation.; 6/10/15, 11:46 AM
alan markus said...: I thought that maybe Rubio is getting this kind of attention now because they can't find any receipts proving Walker paid retail price on a pair of Dockers at Kohl's.; 6/10/15, 11:48 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: I guess when President Rubio is on his boat they'll call it National Marine Fisheries Service One.

(Hey, they can't all be zingers.); 6/10/15, 11:50 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: "unless of course, he was in a state job, or a law firm or in the Senate where you can lease a car out of your expenses account, but you cant buy one for yourself."

I hadn't thought about that, never having been in such a situation. Otherwise I still think it is a crappy financial decision, though it wouldn't keep me from voting for him. His stance on immigration has already done that.

"The college kids can't tolerate jokes, the conservatives can't tolerate car leases."

I can tolerate them, but I'm the sort that refuses to buy new. And pays cash.

"Boy, people love to sit in judgment on others' personal choices. Especially if those choices aren't the same as their own."

If they are running for President of the United States you betcha. Otherwise its your business.; 6/10/15, 11:52 AM
Thorley Winston said...: I generally prefer that we have a governor rather than a senator as the Republican presidential nominee in 2016 and I will work to support one of them at our caucuses in March and in the presidential primary. However since Senator Rubio has come out in favor of entitlement reform, that shows me that he’s a serious candidate and if he should win the nomination, I will probably support him in the general election.; 6/10/15, 11:55 AM
Brando said...: "However since Senator Rubio has come out in favor of entitlement reform"

I think that's one of the most pressing issues facing the next president. THe lion's share of our federal budget is entitlement payments, and all this fighting over the discretionary side of the budget is avoiding the bigger picture.; 6/10/15, 12:03 PM
james conrad said...: Yeah, I am going with Rubio as well, he is the best natural candidate running with Fiorina a close second in terms of speaking to a crowd. The Times is basically a partisan political rag and has been for a long time, I am guessing they fear Rubio and, a Rubio-Fiorina ticket? GOD ALMIGHTY! thats just TERROR at the Times.; 6/10/15, 12:04 PM
campy said...: "Hopefully, these weak hit pieces on Rubio make him stronger and undermine the credibility of the NY Times."

Dream on. As far as independent voters are concerned the NYT is written on stone tablets by the Finger of God.; 6/10/15, 12:06 PM
Michael K said...: When I was in practice I leased cars because I could write off the total cost and not amortize. I usually bought the car after the lease and was able to get it for a good price from the leasing company. Cheaper than it would have been to buy it used from a dealer. Now that I shut down my personal corporation, I don't lease cars.; 6/10/15, 12:07 PM
Brando said...: "Walker is the real target. Democrats are not scared of Jeb, Cruz or Rubio. All their angst is centered on Mr. Union Buster, Mr. Koch Brothers Puppet."

I think they're scared of whomever they think the GOP will nominate. Even Romney they were able to turn into some right wing goon.; 6/10/15, 12:07 PM
Michael K said...: "Even Romney they were able to turn into some right wing goon."

I think that was a serious error by the GOP party organization which set the convention for late August. Romney was not the candidate until the end of the convention and was unable to respond to the attacks until too late. The new guy has fixed that and will hopefully fix the debates.; 6/10/15, 12:09 PM
BarrySanders20 said...: I think the question of authenticity is interesting.

Barry got it early on against Hillary in 2007, until the blacks who deem themselves authentic got on board and considered him cool enough to support.

Clarence Thomas clearly is not authentic in th eeyes of those who pronounce authenticity, though I don't know what in his background makes him an inauthentic black man. Maybe his white wife. Ignore Obama's mother.

Bruce Jenner is not an authentic woman for obvious reasons. The feminists probably have that one right.

And Rubio is not authentic because he owns a rather common fishing boat.

Who gets to decide who is authentic? It's pretty clear the person has to be leftist, and the right kind of leftist -- either ideologically pure, or able to be the vehicle through which ideological goals can be achieved.

I suppose if identity politics is what your party is centered upon, authenticity matters, and power flows from holding the right to bestow the designation.; 6/10/15, 12:11 PM
Known Unknown said...: Bob Wright is a zeta male.

He needs to quit the puppy-dog eyes routine. It's creepy.; 6/10/15, 12:11 PM
garage mahal said...: These are ludicrously weak attacks.

After you spent two days attacking Hillary Clinton over a collar?; 6/10/15, 12:12 PM
richard mcenroe said...: Bob Wright: The Passion of the Dweeb; 6/10/15, 12:14 PM
Big Mike said...: Has there ever been a group as racist as left wing Democrats ?
Maybe the KKK but there weren't that many of them.

And let us never forget that every member of the KKK was a hard core Democrat.; 6/10/15, 12:14 PM
richard mcenroe said...: What would Carly Fiorina do with Iran, take back the contraband electronics she sold them in violation of the trade restrictions?; 6/10/15, 12:15 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: "After you spent two days attacking Hillary Clinton over a collar?"

I wasn't attacking her, I was making fun of her. If Rubio wore something half as ridiculous then I would, well ridicule him as well.; 6/10/15, 12:17 PM
Jason said...: The Drill SGT has it right. Politicians routinely lease cars and apartments or houses in DC. Especially if they don't plan to be lifers. They also have expense accounts and he's right, you can't buy a car for yourself out of the account, but you can lease one. I mean, if he rented an apartment or house in DC rather than buying one, would you have the same criticism of his fiscal credentials?

If you think you're going to be President in two years, why buy a car that's going to collect dust in years 2 through 6 or 2 through 10?

This is nitpicking and silly, assuming that your situation and circumstances apply to everyone else's.; 6/10/15, 12:18 PM
Jason said...: Hey, Garage... Did you notice that ISIS just overran the Libyan port city of Sirte? Now ISIS has its very own port. Now they can load up ships with terrorists and unload them on any coast in the world! At best, they're going to be responsible for a half million refugees or more crossing the Mediterranean. All Hilary's handiwork.

Perhaps instead of collars, we could discuss the outcomes of Hillary "We came, we saw, he died" Clinton's efforts in Libya. Heckuva job, libtard!; 6/10/15, 12:21 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Leasing a car is the better choice in some situations. I read about it and did some calculations back in 2005 when I needed a new car and leasing fit my situation better.; 6/10/15, 12:21 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: @Jason

I've already admitted that Rubio's choice to lease probably did make sense for him considering that whole expense account situation.

But I'm still a cheap bastard.; 6/10/15, 12:26 PM
cubanbob said...: Carlos Slim who owns a nice chunk of the NYT happens to be a Mexican Arab billionaire and apparently being both Mexican and Arab doesn't particularly care for Rubio who is Cuban and supports Israel. Money does indeed talk.

As for leasing his wife an Audi? What of it? I lease my wife an Audi A7. Nice car, German car, problems after 50,000 which is why I lease it. Why pay $70,000 plus for a car when for the same money you can lease two new cars over an eight year period? And that is exclusive of any tax deductions. An 8 year old Audi is a pain to maintain. An Audi at the end of the lease isn't a problem. Some people mentioned getting a Toyota. If that is all you can afford then that is all you can afford but that doesn't mean that is all Rubio can afford.

As for affordability and money struggles perhaps the NYT can look in to how Obama was able to get his real-estate deal in Chicago for his family home-a lot more money that eighty grand and how the Pritzkers are supposedly gifting him a multimillion dollar home in Hawaii. As for the boat, anyone who lives in South Florida can tell you that's a nice fishing boat but only a fishing boat not some sort of luxury boat.; 6/10/15, 12:33 PM
Sebastian said...: "If the NY Times, in its reporting, is this biased, then why shouldn't its reputation take a big hit?"

If?

Reputation? What reputation?

The NYT and Hillary! follow the same strategy: cater to the base. The only way for Progs to survive and prevail.; 6/10/15, 12:35 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: " As for the boat, anyone who lives in South Florida can tell you that's a nice fishing boat but only a fishing boat not some sort of luxury boat."

Not just Florida, the Great Lakes, Tennessee River, West and East coasts. Lots of people know people who own similar boats.

Anyway, the real cost of a boat is in maintenance and fuel. A boat is a hole in the water you dump money in. The secret is to have a friend or relative that owns a boat.; 6/10/15, 12:41 PM
Brando said...: "I think that was a serious error by the GOP party organization which set the convention for late August. Romney was not the candidate until the end of the convention and was unable to respond to the attacks until too late. The new guy has fixed that and will hopefully fix the debates."

The GOP selection process (from beginning of candidacy announcements through the convention) was absolutely flawed--and Romney of course didn't handle himself all that well. The endless debates with too many candidates in them just means a collection of longshots who compete for the "best line" to get them attention, raise enough money to keep going, ultimately hoping for a book deal rather than a serious shot at the nomination. And debates don't really lend themselves to serious discussions about policy, but rather short spin.

Not that I can think of a better candidate selection process, but last cycle's did not serve the GOP well. Romney emerged from it with higher negatives than any nominee in recent history, and this was all inflicted by his own "allies." Obama just had to tap him over.; 6/10/15, 12:50 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: The interesting thing about Rubio and leasing the Audi to me is that he is doubling down on his Presidential run. Most everyone else will have their day job if they don't make it, but he apparently isn't running for reelection to the Senate. This means that in 2017, he will either be President, or (temporarily) unemployed. From that point of view, even if he couldn't get the American taxpayers to pay for his Audi through his office fund, it still probably makes sense to lease.; 6/10/15, 12:52 PM
cubanbob said...: @ron, some people are a glutton for punishment. They love to fuss and worry about their boats. Its their hobby, their baby. I have cousin like that with his fishing boat. Me. I'm old-school, I believe the best days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it which is why I skipped those two days and rent one for the occasional day I want to go boating. And here in SF if you actually have some luxury type boat odds are that not only will the maintenance fees and fuel be very expensive but so will be the docking fees unless you are wealthy enough to afford a very expensive home on the bay or inlet with a rather nice sized dock in which case it probably doesn't matter.; 6/10/15, 12:53 PM
garage mahal said...: The secret is to have a friend or relative that owns a boat.

Truest words ever spoken.; 6/10/15, 12:57 PM
Fabi said...: You'll have to get a friend first, Garage.; 6/10/15, 1:24 PM
Original Mike said...: "The fact that Rubio chose to LEASE a car makes me doubt his credentials as a fiscal conservative. Buy a Toyota and drive it into the ground, man."

The problem with buying a car as opposed to leasing one is that, after you've finished off the payments, you're stuck with the car.

{and I'm sure some will need to be told that that is a joke}; 6/10/15, 1:24 PM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: Why doesn't it matter to anyone that Hitler leased an Audi?; 6/10/15, 1:31 PM
Unknown said...: Looks like Cuban Bob and Garage Mahal agree on boat ownership. Count me in as well--the only better thing than having a friend/relative that owns a boat? He owns it in the Bahamas.; 6/10/15, 1:32 PM
Oh Yea said...: Kerry's boat cost more than 87.5 times as much as Rubio's.

Hilary could buy 4 of Rubio's boat's with one nights speaking fee.; 6/10/15, 1:33 PM
gerry said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/10/15, 1:34 PM
Michael said...: Boats! America! There are many thousands of marinas in the United States and it is worth time contemplating them and the boats that fill them. Americans from a wide spectrum of wealth are drawn to the water and to buying and owning boats. Literally millions of them. Walk around a marina and calculate the cost of the hardware you are seeing. It is really remarkable.

An 80K boat is really no big deal at all. A rich Democrat will easily spend that amount on a monthly rental in the Hamptons or on a decent but not over-the-top BarMitzva. In a typical south Florida marina you would hardly take a second look at an 80K boat what with the really good ones to attract the eye.; 6/10/15, 1:38 PM
Michael said...: Ron Winkleheimer:

Question. If I can reliably make 6% on my money and can lease a car at sub 3% explain why I would be better off paying all cash for the auto versus doing a no money down lease?

You can run your numbers out ten or twenty years if you think that helps.

Cheers; 6/10/15, 1:41 PM
campy said...: "I think they're scared of whomever they think the GOP will nominate. Even Romney they were able to turn into some right wing goon."

You just explained why the dems are not scared of any republican. Whichever one falls into the nomination can and will be destroyed when the time comes.; 6/10/15, 1:49 PM
TosaGuy said...: There was a time when the NYT reported how the boat building was an important industry that employed lots of people.; 6/10/15, 1:51 PM
Jaq said...: I have a boat around the equivalent of Rubio's boat, money wise, it's a little different style for different conditions.

I keep it for guests mostly. I use it to entertain. That's why it is not rigged out full bore for fishing. If I were to buy a boat for myself, it would be a much smaller walleye boat that could also be rigged for salmon fishing early in the season when they are not that deep.

I concur with the consensus that it is better to have a good friend with a boat than to own one. It's a lot of work, costs a lot of money to fix, and breaks a lot. Right now one of the trim tabs has a hydraulic problem so it is hard to balance when you get five or six people aboard. Sigh... Never mind to store and commission each year. Somebody has to be that good friend with the boat, and since I am in a position to be that friend, I do it.; 6/10/15, 1:51 PM
Brando said...: "You just explained why the dems are not scared of any republican."

The Dem operatives aren't scared--it's the voters they plan to motivate (think screechy SJW activist lunatic fringe) that will be scared into thinking even a Rockefeller Republican will be the next Hitler McStabby.; 6/10/15, 1:54 PM
T J Sawyer said...: Rubio's treatment reminds me of what happened to Herman Cain when he stepped out of line as viewed by the Democrat Press.; 6/10/15, 1:55 PM
lgv said...: 24' luxury boat. Oxymoron.

Anyone been to a marina in Miami? Rubio's boat would be what the hired help might own.

So, Hillary doesn't drive. What's it cost to be driven around? I'm guessing more than the Audi lease. She should have been driving a small Chevy since they were so broke when they left the White House.; 6/10/15, 1:56 PM
lgv said...: "Yellow journalism, or the yellow press, is a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism."

If the shoe fits....; 6/10/15, 2:05 PM
richard mcenroe said...: A man who supports amnesty is NOT the man who is going to fix entitlements, no matter what he says.; 6/10/15, 2:26 PM
richard mcenroe said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/10/15, 2:26 PM
Original Mike said...: "Question. If I can reliably make 6% on my money ..."

No need to read any further.; 6/10/15, 2:28 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: @TosaGuy,

There was a time when the NYT reported how the boat building was an important industry that employed lots of people.

Great find! In the not too distant past, the NY Times was actually making sense, not trying to score left-wing political points.

If you can believe it, here's the NYT in 1987 discussing why hiking the Minimum Wage Law is not so hot.; 6/10/15, 2:32 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: "Question. If I can reliably make 6% on my money and can lease a car at sub 3% explain why I would be better off paying all cash for the auto versus doing a no money down lease?"

What Original Mike said.

Also, look at it this way, say I'm laid off and have no bills whatsoever beyond food and utilities because I have no debts, and have savings sufficient for six months expenses, will I be better set to weather the job loss and a market down turn than someone who is not so situated?; 6/10/15, 2:52 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: Basically by paying cash I am guaranteed to make whatever the finance rate would be (4% and change I think is what they were trying to sell me on) vs the possibility of 6%. I just don't think a 1.5% return is worth the risk.; 6/10/15, 3:01 PM
Wince said...: You have to understand one thing: Team Hillary thought they had the Spanish language media in their pockets.

Search Instapundit for "Univision", for example.

The NYT is ahead trying to kill Rubio off early so Team Hillary does not have to rely on Univision, et. al to kill one of their own.

That is why Rubio is such an explosive threat to the Hillary-Univision axis.; 6/10/15, 3:03 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: Of course I'm going to be driving that car for many, many years also. During which time I will invest the car payments and will, hopefully, be making 6% or greater, which can then be used to buy a car for cash, thus avoiding being in debt.; 6/10/15, 3:07 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: Pray tell Mr. Winkleheimer just where can you reliably make 6% on your money these days?; 6/10/15, 3:10 PM
Brando said...: Rubio's very dangerous to Hillary--it's not clear whether he can significantly appeal to Hispanics, women or young voters, but if he can peel away even a modest percentage of those groups then Hillary's toast. She's given up on the white male vote.

If Rubio were the nominee and doubled down by picking Susanna Martinez as his running mate (both long shots I admit) Hillary would be in deep trouble.; 6/10/15, 3:15 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: Basically I'm making 6%+ on the money that I would be spending on a car payment with 4.5% of that guaranteed.

You are making 6% - whatever finance charges you are paying for an actual rate of return of ? none of which is guaranteed.; 6/10/15, 3:16 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: As for Rubio or Cruz not being "the right kind of Hispanic" for the New York Times--there's a pattern there.

George Zimmerman became a "white Hispanic"---not really our kind of Hispanic who would never, ever shoot a black kid. Of course the yo yo's on the New York Times with their insular little pointy heads somewhere up a very deep dark place never heard of gang wars between Chicanos, the Bloods and the Crips out here in South Central LA and Boyle Heights. Now admittedly most of that shooting for "walking while Black" or "walking while Brown" takes place on a strictly intra race basis. But your average Rolling Trey Crip isn't averse to gunnng down a Chicano who "disrespected him". And the same goes for a member of the Hispanic "White Fence" gang from the East Side. I guess they become "white Hispanics" when they gun a black kid down.; 6/10/15, 3:17 PM
Jaq said...: $3,000 for a refrigerator.

OMG. This was the WaPo. I am embarrassed for them now.; 6/10/15, 3:18 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: @Skeptical Voter

I'm not the one claiming you can make 6% reliably these days. That's Michael. I'm the guy saying that if you pay cash for your car then you are guaranteeing yourself a return of whatever the interest rate for the car's loan/lease would be. And not be in debt.

In fact, if Michael knows where you can reliably make 6% I would very much like him to tell me.; 6/10/15, 3:20 PM
Fabi said...: Tim's got a boat! Hey old buddy!; 6/10/15, 3:25 PM
Original Mike said...: "Basically by paying cash I am guaranteed to make whatever the finance rate would be "

Yep.; 6/10/15, 3:27 PM
Original Mike said...: "In fact, if Michael knows where you can reliably make 6% I would very much like him to tell me."

Yes, I really wish he'd come back and tell us.; 6/10/15, 3:28 PM
Bobber Fleck said...: Ann always captures Bob Wright doing his Joe Btfsplk look.; 6/10/15, 3:36 PM
Original Mike said...: "Ann always captures Bob Wright doing his Joe Btfsplk look."

He looks like Jesus on the cross to me.; 6/10/15, 3:39 PM
Michael Fitzgerald said...: Thank God for Citizens United enabling corporations to engage in political speech.; 6/10/15, 3:45 PM
Anonymous said...: The more time they spend to nail Rubio on frivolous things, the less time they have to report on Hillary scandals.; 6/10/15, 3:45 PM
Leora said...: I think the NY Times is doing this to avoid covering Walker at all. Walker has been invisible on their pages.; 6/10/15, 3:53 PM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: The best 2 strategies for Hillary supporters:

1. Pray for a Jeb Bush nomination.

2. Try to make Republican candidates look as sleazy as Hillary. This is her biggest weakness. If voters decide "they're all corrupt", her biggest negative is neutralized.; 6/10/15, 4:06 PM
Michael said...: Ron Winkleheimer

Let's just say that I am in the financial services industry and have a pretty good sense of the obvious trade offs you reference. I have consistently made better than 6% for decades even taking into account the crash and conclude that the lack of hassle coupled with the capital retention leads me to lease. I have a 1967 Land Rover in inventory and am acutely aware of ongoing costs to maintain. Ditto the Volvo station wagon circa 1990 that resides close by.

Put another way, my wife bought an amount of Apple stock about fifteen years ago that would have been the cost of a new car. I, stupidly, thought she was throwing her money away on a going nowhere equity. Often wrong but never in doubt.

What one encounters after "owning" a car free and clear for a decade and a half is insane sticker shock when one renters the market.

All of this is about the math of new cars. My leased car depreciates as much on the first day as your purchased car. The difference is I don't care.

To each his own.; 6/10/15, 4:16 PM
Michael said...: Original Mike

I am mostly a growth investor and a stock picker for my own account. I usually pick names and hold them. I do a small amount of speculating and usually lose. I plunge when the markets tank and always, always, regret not plunging more. I am as terrified as the next guy during panics and thus am sparing in my plunging. I have owned some companies from their IPO dates with AZO and AMT being two notable winners that have bolstered my total returns. I bought AMT and forgot about it. A few years later it was at six but the chart showed it had gone to a buck or less during that forgotten time. Which is a lesson.

Current returns above 6% are available in some REIT stocks. Caution advised.

No magic bullets. I would rather have fifty grand invested than own a car outright for the same amount. I do not claim lease payments as a business expense even though I believe I could.; 6/10/15, 4:30 PM
the gold digger said...: Pray tell Mr. Winkleheimer just where can you reliably make 6% on your money these days?

If you are in the public sector and have a defined-benefit pension, someone is probably assuming an 8% return.; 6/10/15, 5:32 PM
readering said...: Newspapers are going to investigate all the serious candidates and write stories about their findings. (Some admittedly pathetic, like the Rubio family moving violations.) Unfortunately, given the state of the newspaper industry, it's pretty much down to the NYTimes, WSJournal, and LATimes/ChicagoTrib doing the heavy duty investigating. They do it not for other candidates but for Pulitzers (check out the winners and finalists for the past decade). Calm down. All the serious candidates will get this treatment.; 6/10/15, 5:35 PM
kcom said...: "Calm down. All the serious candidates will get this treatment."

I refuse to not comment on their absurdly stupid behavior. Paraphrasing, "Between them, he and his wife got 17 tickets". And on closer inspection you find out only 4 of them were his. What is the point of that obvious misdirection in a "serious" newspaper? And the time frame involved is 18 long years, no less. Insurance companies don't care after 3 years. It's dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. And cheesy, cheesy, cheesy, cheesy, cheesy. It should be beyond embarrassing for them. If they are one of the few left to do the heavy lifting we're screwed, because they can't tell heavy from stupid.

P.S. When you said "all" the candidates, did you mean all the Republican candidates or all the candidates?; 6/10/15, 5:53 PM
Michael said...: Original Mike

Had I known you were a Saab buff I would have understood your position. Wouldn't agree but would understand. As mentioned above I have both a old Volvo and a very old Land Rover in inventory. Not to mention a great running Land Cruiser circa 1988. I love these vehicles but I do not rely on them for daily transportation or long road trips.; 6/10/15, 8:15 PM
DanTheMan said...: Mary,
Why did you delete your post??? Did you think my calling you out (jokingly) for being "offensive" was serious?; 6/10/15, 8:45 PM
Anonymous said...: Blogger DanTheMan said...
Mary,
Why did you delete your post??? Did you think my calling you out (jokingly) for being "offensive" was serious?

She is banned here. She didn't delete, she gets deleted. She has been banned for years, but keeps coming back and getting deleted.

Must be a mental issue.; 6/11/15, 12:09 AM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: @Michael

You're the one that asked me about the benefits of paying cash over leasing. So I told you my reasoning.

Why do so many people who lease seek to justify it to people who don't?

I don't care if you lease your car. I don't even know you.; 6/11/15, 6:35 AM
Original Mike said...: I think my comment got deleted. Does Althouse hate Saabs?; 6/11/15, 9:05 AM
DanTheMan said...: Well, not my original post is gone, too.
What the heck?; 6/11/15, 9:18 AM
Original Mike said...: Dan - Along with Mary's posts, she deletes posts that refer to Mary.; 6/11/15, 10:12 AM
DanTheMan said...: But my original post did not refer to Mary... just Marco Rubio, and by inference, The Athlete Formerly Known as Bruce.; 6/11/15, 10:58 AM
Unknown said...: The NYT isn't looking for a big thing to kill Rubio - they'll throw out a bunch of little bullsh*t non issues that for one reason or another various "principled conservatives" just can't abide.
Todays disqualifier = He leased a car.
Tomorrow? He's a "cat" person. He puts strawberry jam on his PB&J. He listens to "soft rock"
Divide and conquer. They know us better than we think; 6/11/15, 11:11 AM
ken in tx said...: If you post about or reply to the one who must not be named, your post will be deleted. This one might be as well.; 6/11/15, 11:21 AM