Senator Rubio’s time at UF has prepared him for the White House

Florida’s Presidential primary is quickly approaching, so if you’re an undecided voter it’s time to start taking a serious look at the Presidential candidates. If you’re registered as a Democrat your choices are pretty limited but, if you’re a Republican you have quite a wide array of options.

But there is one candidate who truly shows White House potential. One Republican runner who should tug on the heartstrings of the Gator Nation. One of us.

Senator Marco Rubio, a University of Florida Alumni, is the embodiment of all the greatest qualities of a Gator. His charisma, honesty, and desire to serve the people are all undoubtedly traits that he acquired during his time here at UF. Senator Rubio has certainly earned my vote but if you’re still on the fence, here are a few of the ways Senator Rubio embodies the true Gator spirit and would launch this nation into A New American Century:

He knows how to work for the “Gator good”

The University of Florida prides itself on it’s diversity and encourages it’s students to collaborate with one another despite any glaring differences. Senator Rubio has received a great deal of retaliation for collaborating with the Democrats on the Senate Gang-of-Eight Bill. What many people overlook is the sheer amazing fact he was able to reach across the aisle and work with the Democrats to actually accomplish something. In our current extremely binary political environment, this kind of collaboration is, for some reason, viewed as betrayal.

But in reality, Senator Rubio’s ability to compromise with members of the other political party is a very promising characteristic that nearly every other Presidential candidate lacks. Senator Rubio’s ability to mediate and actually reach a point of compromise is practically unprecedented among this election’s GOP runners. Regardless of whether or not you agree with the Gang-of-Eight bill it’s still worth acknowledging that Senator Rubio is one of the few, if not the only Republican candidate who has demonstrated that he can successfully work with Democrats to get some kind of legislation passed.

He’s a realistic dreamer

The University of Florida is known for equipping it’s students with the tools necessary to tackle the most pressing issues in society and Senator Rubio is truly one of UF’s finest products. In an increasingly cynical world, Senator Rubio’s realistic optimism is both refreshing and inspiring. He is not one to propose radical and ineffective reform like banning all muslims from the U.S. or “carpet-bombing ISIS into oblivion.”

Instead, Rubio often proposes gradual reform. His immigration reform doesn’t involve mass deportation or blanket citizenship, but entails more gradual but long-term solutions such as implementing an E-Verify system and hiring more border patrol agents. This method of gradual rather than radical reform makes it easier for him to come to Bipartisan agreements and actually be productive (a concept that has become foreign in Congress).

He is one of us

When I say “one of us” I don’t simply mean a Gator, I also mean he’s been in the position of most middle class Americans. Senator Rubio is not a man of acquisition. He was not born into a wealthy family or granted “a small loan of a million dollars” from a rich father. Rather, Senator Rubio’s achievements can be wholly attributed to his hard work and dedication to public service. Senator Rubio has a personal tie to so many of the issues he seeks to reform and has experienced many of them firsthand. He knows the burden of student loans after struggling to pay back his own personal loans after graduating from law school and knows personally the effects of immigration as both his parents were immigrants from Cuba.

Senator Rubio has lived through many of the same situations that millions of middle class Americans have, and because of this he’s able to propose realistic and effective reform. I do not want a President that is unable to relate to the average American. Someone who has lived in a bubble of affluence their entire lives can’t truly understand the everyday American’s needs because they have never experienced it. Marco Rubio has lived it, and because of this, he has and will continue to work tirelessly to better the lives of average Americans.