Posted by Torrance Gregory Latham on Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Marco Rubio addresses his supporters after losing to Donald Trump in the New Hampshire Primary. “If we don’t win this election, we will lose our country.” – Marco Rubio @BUNewsService #BUNS #NHPrimary
By Carly Sitrin and Jimmy King
BU News Service
Sen. Marco Rubio finished in 5th place in the New Hampshire primary elections Tuesday night polling at 10.5 percent, behind Donald Trump, John Kasich, Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush. Rubio attributed his less-than-satisfactory results to his previous debate performance.
“I want you to understand something,” Rubio said in his concession speech in Manchester, New Hampshire. “Our disappointment tonight is not on you, it’s on me. It’s on me. I did not do well on Saturday night so, listen to this, that will never happen again.”
Following a repetitious and robotic speech in a debate on Saturday, Rubio’s supporters launched a beefed-up campaign in Concord the weekend before the primaries in the hopes of salvaging his third-place spot coming out of the Iowa caucuses.
Despite the attempts, with 81 percent of precincts reporting, the Associated Press placed Rubio in 5th place, disappointing a ballroom full of supporters at Rubio’s results viewing party at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester.
“Hopefully he finishes in second, for a strong finish,” Rubio supporter and Cambridge resident Michael Skokkane said. “Hopefully this is the end of Jeb Bush’s campaign”
Slokkane —one of the younger Rubio supporters in the room — donned red, white and blue face paint and made the trek to NH to support his candidate.
“Over and over I hear him talk, and I see him at campaign rallies, and he stays 45 min to an hour, shaking everybody’s hand,” Slokkane said. “He really wants to get to know everybody. And for a presidential candidate, I think that’s really awesome.”
Despite low numbers, Rubio remained optimistic about the future of his campaign.
“Not all the days are gonna be great days. We’re not always gonna get things the way we want,” Rubio said. “But in the end I am confident that not only will this campaign be successful, but America will be successful.”
Rubio thanked his supporters and voters in New Hampshire, but with this setback, he’s already focusing on his next step.
Rubio is done. He won’t be able to shake off his debate performance. He’s an empty suit.