Trying to shrug off a fifth-place finish in New Hampshire, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida on Wednesday told a crowd in South Carolina he was disappointed in the results from Tuesday’s GOP presidential primary but that he is the conservative who can unify the GOP heading into November.
“You may have watched me last night — I was disappointed in the way it went,” Mr. Rubio said in Spartanburg, saying his team on the ground worked hard in the state. “They worked hard, and unfortunately, it didn’t work out for us very well, at least the way we wanted it to. We wanted to do a lot better.”
Mr. Rubio’s performance in New Hampshire came a few days after Saturday’s debate where New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was able to put him on the defensive, characterizing Mr. Rubio as overly scripted.
“But here’s the good news: we got a game coming up,” Mr. Rubio said. “There is a future here for us and for this campaign, but more importantly for this country.”
Mr. Rubio said he’s someone who can unite the GOP and grow the conservative movement.
“We cannot lose this election, and if you nominate me we will not,” he said. “I am as conservative as anyone in this race. I will hold my record up against anyone running for president on the values of free enterprise and limited government and strong national defense.”
“But I am the conservative that can unify this party,” he said. “We can’t win if we are divided against each other. The Democrats would love us to continue to fight against each other well into October. I will bring this party together.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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