Every Republican has a choice to make.
Will we, as a party, nominate someone who has virtually no chance of defeating Hillary Clinton this fall and who has absolutely no record of conservatism or experience?
Or will we nominate a proven conservative, who can inspire and expand our party in ways never done before?
The first option is Donald Trump, the second it Marco Rubio.
In an average election year, Rubio would win the nomination easily.
But this is no average year.
After almost eight years of disastrous policies from the Obama administration, too many Americans feel that our country’s best days are far behind us. We refer to the “American Dream” in past tense all too often. Many have looked to Donald Trump as someone who can change our course to a more prosperous future.
If nominated, he would stray from our party’s core principles, lose to Secretary Clinton and endanger our party’s survival.
If somehow elected, his policies would drive us into recession, and he would be looked at as a farce on the world stage. He has neither the skill set nor decorum required of a President. The President of the United States is supposed to be a character who represents what is great about our country, and Donald Trump is not what is great about our country.
Marco Rubio is someone who is a living example of what the basic promise of our nation, the American Dream, is and ought to be. He is the son of immigrants, who worked hard so that he could have a brighter future than they did.
This experience makes the American Dream personal to him, and gives him the energy to serve his country through elected office. Rubio knows the stories of average Americans. He knows what it is to struggle with student loans, instead of having a free trip to Harvard Law School. Senator Rubio is man of principle and believes in conservative values, even if that means upsetting those in his own party, which he did when he challenged popular Florida Governor Charlie Crist in the 2010 Florida Senate Republican primary.
Senator Rubio has outlined detailed domestic and international policies that position our country to lead the world in this century and beyond. Most importantly, he is by far the best candidate to beat Hillary Clinton this fall. He will expand the Republican Party, bringing in new voters to its cause, especially Hispanics and young people.
Finally, Senator Rubio provides a contrast between himself, other contenders and Secretary Clinton.
The American people have a burning desire for something new, someone that can create real and effective change that will make our country better for future generations.
While people like Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump represent the past of this country, and divide us by race, gender or religion, Marco Rubio is a unifier, and a person that has the best ability and skillset to lead the country to a brighter future.
Patrick Waters is a freshman accounting major from St. Louis, Missouri.
* This is part two of a series on voting in Mississippi. The other parts of this series include columns on Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump.
