Fellow Republicans: Please vote for Rubio instead of Trump

Today is one of the most important days in American political history. March 15th, 2016, could be the day the Republican Party dies. If Donald Trump wins Florida and Ohio, both winner-take-all states delegate-wise, he’ll be on the mathematical fast track to the nomination.

A Trump nomination will split the party and hurt the GOP’s election prospects across the board. While a Trump ticket may bring swathes of new voters to the polls, fury and disgust at the prospect of a Trump presidency will likely bring out more.

There is one candidate who can defeat Hillary Clinton, and that’s Marco Rubio. Oddly enough, Rubio seems to have been written off in recent weeks as Trump has continued to surge and Cruz attempts to wield the anti-Trump mantle. Despite these recent developments, Rubio is still the Republican party’s strongest candidate and best bet to take back the White House in 2016.

First off, he’s experienced

Rubio bolsters an extensive resume of public service including a term as city commissioner of West Miami, eight years in the Florida House of Representatives, a term as speaker of the Florida House and his current term as a US Senator. In an election with a critical focus on foreign policy and America’s role abroad, Rubio is the only candidate left with experience on the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee.

Marco has spent years occupying important positions and getting things done. He has sponsored legislation regarding property tax cuts and revising the student loan process, and he was part of the Gang of 8 immigration reform group in the US Senate. He has a wide array of experience of working with both Democrats and Republicans.

In comparison, Ted Cruz is the most hated man in the Senate just four years into his first term, and Trump…well, we all know The Donald isn’t exactly the nicest guy.

Secondly, Rubio is not a bigot like Trump

I truly bemoan the fact that the Republican party has come to this. The amount of xenophobia and racism Donald Trump has riled up is unbelievable. Race relations are at an all-time low and we want to elect a man who wants to BAN all Muslim refugees, immigrants and tourists from our country? Donald Trump has even recommended “shutting down certain mosques.”

However, Rubio continues to shine as a beacon of hope amongst the demagogues. He knows the damage that could occur if Trump wins the nomination. We can’t just write off entire religious and minority groups and hope to be demographically solvent in the elections in years to come.

Rubio is realistic about the real threat of radical Islam, but unlike Trump, he’s able to separate the radicalism from the religion as a whole. There are millions of Muslims in this country who love America and the opportunities that have been provided to them.

While Donald Trump has supported building a wall and even going TO WAR with Mexico over the affair, Rubio spent his time in Congress drafting a bipartisan immigration reform bill, which set guidelines for undocumented illegal immigrants becoming naturalized US citizens. This legislation is just another great example of how Rubio can come together with Democrats and break today’s partisan gridlock.

Rubio represents the future

In a nation of rapidly changing demographics, Rubio is the perfect candidate. He’s a youthful Hispanic with a life story that invokes the American Dream. We need to nominate a candidate who reaches out to minorities and tries to heal the mistakes of the past, not one who only deepens today’s divides with harsh rhetoric.

Marco Rubio has mass appeal to multiple voter groups like college students, Hispanics and staunch conservatives. He has stood by his core values, while also working for reform on student loans, immigration and defeating Obamacare. We cannot nominate a candidate who rails against minorities. These aren’t demographic groups we should either pander to or rant against – these are real people and citizens of our great country.

The Republican Party must be forward thinking and more inclusive to all people no matter their race or skin color. We can never let the party devolve into tribalism and alienation. Plans to build a giant wall or ban Muslims aren’t conservative whatsoever. Rather, they are authoritarian boasts that only appease the right-wing of the party.

And while the right-wing of the Republican Party may be powerful in the nomination process, it’ll never be enough to carry Trump to victory. Instead, we need to make the forward-thinking and pragmatic choice in nominating Marco Rubio.

Years from now, I hope we are asked the question: “What did you do to stop Trump?” As a Republican, I refuse to let a racist malcontent hijack our party.

While it’s looking difficult (if not downright impossible) for Rubio to get to the magic number of 1,237 delegates, there’s still a realistic chance he can stop Trump from reaching it if he’s able to do one pivotal thing: defeat The Donald in Florida.