Ahead of a make-or-break GOP presidential primary in Florida Tuesday, Sen. Marco Rubio told supporters in his home state Monday they have a choice “between optimism and fear.”
“Tomorrow we got an important choice as a party, as a country, as a state,” Mr. Rubio said at a campaign stop Monday. “Tomorrow is a choice between optimism and fear. We are Americans — we have so much to be optimistic about.
“To win in November, we must first win now,” he said.
“If we allow the Republican party and the conservative movement to be defined as anger and frustration, we will not win,” he said, saying people have a right to be angry and frustrated but shouldn’t allow themselves to be defined by those feelings.
Recent polls have shown Mr. Rubio well back of GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump in the state, and Mr. Rubio alluded to recent unrest at Trump rallies at one point.
“A Bernie Sanders sign,” Mr. Rubio said, pointing. “Don’t worry, you’re not going to get beat up at my rally.”
At a separate stop Monday, Mr. Rubio said he plans to “shock the country” Tuesday.
“Tomorrow’s the day — tomorrow’s the day where we’re going to shock the country, and we’re going to do what needs to be done,” he said. “We’re going to win the 99 delegates here in Florida and it’s going to give us the momentum we need to go into Arizona and Utah and beyond, because what’s at stake is too important.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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