Dem insiders: Rubio would be toughest 2016 opponent
Democratic insiders are quite happy to see Donald Trump and Ben Carson atop the Republican presidential race, according to a new report.
An Associated Press survey asking superdelegates to this summer’s Democratic National Convention who they thought would be the strongest Republican opponent found the two front-running political outsiders far from the top of the list.
{mosads}Of the 176 superdelegates who replied, 65 selected Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as the toughest potential opponent in a general election.
“Rubio speaks well and he could generate appeal among Latino voters,” Chris Wicker, vice chairman of the Nevada Democratic Party, told the AP. “He doesn’t say some of the crazy stuff that the other leaders have said.”
“I think Rubio would give us a tough time,” added Cecil Benjamin, state Democratic chairman of the Virgin Islands.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich was in second place with 45 votes, followed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush with 36.
Trump, a billionaire business mogul, came in fourth place with 16 votes. Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, was tied with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in fifth place with four votes each.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie got two votes. And one vote each went to businesswoman Carly Fiorina, former New York Gov. George Pataki, as well as two candidates who aren’t in the race: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker — who ended his campaign in September — and Mitt Romney.
Trump leads Carson by the slimmest of margins in the race for the GOP nomination, according to a RealClearPolitics average of national polling.
Rubio checks in third place, followed by Cruz and Bush.
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