Rubio Presented “Full-Spectrum Conservatism”

National Review: “Both Ryan And Rubio Stressed The Ways In Which A Focus On The Plight Of The Poor And The Aspirations Of The Middle Class Are Natural Upshots Of Conservative Principles. Unlike some past champions of a poverty and mobility agenda on the right, they offered their ideas not as a counterbalance to conservative economic thinking but as a perfectly natural extension and application of it. Theirs is not a hyphenated conservatism but a full-spectrum conservatism. … But both made the case for an inclusive, hopeful, appealing, conservative vision of mobility — a vision that sits firmly in the Kemp tradition.” (Editorial, “Moving On Up,” National Review, 12/5/12)

The New York Times’ David Brooks: “People At The Dinner Say That There Was A Hushed Silence For A Second As Rubio Concluded … Then A Roaring Ovation Swelled And Filled The Room. The Republican Party Has A Long Way To Go Before It Revives Itself As A Majority Party. But That Speech Signifies A Moment In That Revival.” (David Brooks, Op-Ed, “The Republican Glasnost,” The New York Times, 12/6/12)

Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey: Rubio And Ryan “Stressed The Need To Find Ways To Make Conservative Policies As Well As Principles Relevant To All Voters — Just As Jack Kemp Himself Attempted To Do.” (Ed Morrissey, “Videos: Rubio, Ryan Lay Out Vision For Future Of GOP,” Hot Air, 12/5/12)

Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey: Rubio and Ryan “Have Gotten Off To A Good Start. Let’s See If The Rest Of The GOP Can Follow.” (Ed Morrissey, “Videos: Rubio, Ryan Lay Out Vision For Future Of GOP,” Hot Air, 12/5/12)

Peter Wehner: Rubio’s “Tone Was Inclusive, Humane, Aspirational, And Captured The True, And Full, Spirit Of Conservatism.” (Peter Wehner, Op-Ed, “The Recalibration Of Conservatism,” Commentary Magazine, 12/6/12)

Sean Hannity: Rubio’s Speech Was “Pretty Powerful, Sounds Like Milton Friedman.” (“The Sean Hannity Show,” 12/5/12)

Rubio’s Remarks “Aimed At Turning The Page With A Fresh Emphasis On Inclusion And A Renewed Focus On Growing The Middle Class.” (Sean Sullivan, “Rubio, Ryan Look To The Future During Award Dinner Speeches,” The Washington Post, 12/5/12)

National Review’s Reihan Salam: Rubio’s Theme Is “Exactly What Republicans Need To Talk About.” “Rubio is someone who comes from a very scrappy, lower middle class background who wants to talk about upward mobility for all Americans. That’s the theme he’s going to build out over the next two years and it’s a theme that I believe is exactly what Republicans need to talk about.” (CNN’s “OutFront,” 12/4/12)

Rubio “Laid Out A Goal-Filled Policy Roadmap”

“Rubio’s Speech, On The Subject Of ‘Middle Class Opportunity,’ Was Long And Substantive.  He had clearly worked hard on it, coming to the hotel earlier in the day for a full run-through, reading it off a teleprompter, and having his staff send reporters an advance text and supporting fact sheet.  Rubio laid out a number of proposals on taxes, regulations, education, and the social safety net that were largely in line with Republican orthodoxy.” (Byron York, “Ryan, Rubio Roll Out New GOP Message: We Care,” Washington Examiner, 12/5/12)

Rubio “Delivered A Dense And Broad-Ranging Speech” (Hope Hodge, “Ryan, Rubio Reboot: Leaving Behind ‘Failures of the Past’,” Human Events, 12/5/12)

Rubio “Devoted His Long Speech To Proposals, Including Tax Policies And Education Funding, That He Believes Would Reverse ‘A Growing Opportunity Gap’ that he says now jeopardizes the growth of the middle class. But Mr. Rubio also went out of his way to describe government as a potentially benevolent force, so long as it is limited.” (Neil King, Jr., “Ryan, Rubio Seek Party Rebranding,” The Wall Street Journal, 12/4/12)

Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey: “I’ve Written About The Need To Get Specific As Part Of A More Energetic Outreach To Working-Class Voters. [Rubio’s Ideas] Are Excellent Entrées To That Effort.  … This Can Be A Powerful Direction For Republicans Over The Next Several Years.” (Ed Morrissey, “Videos: Rubio, Ryan Lay Out Vision For Future Of GOP,” Hot Air, 12/5/12)

National Review: “Senator Rubio Dwelt On Where Mobility Should Lead … From the case for spending restraint and entitlement reform to the conservative regulatory agenda and monetary policy, he argued for putting the Right’s policy proposals in terms of the needs of current and aspiring middle-class families, and for developing new conservative ideas to meet those needs.” (Editorial, “Moving On Up,” National Review, 12/5/12)

“Rubio Laid Out A Goal-Filled Policy Roadmap. He touched on free-market healthcare reform, jobs programs, tax policy, education, the Keystone Pipeline, and monetary policy, making only a few light quips before getting down to business.” (Hope Hodge, “Ryan, Rubio Reboot: Leaving Behind ‘Failures of the Past’,” Human Events, 12/5/12)

“Rubio … Gave More Of A Policy-Heavy Speech. He listed Medicare reform, regulatory reform, domestic energy development, health care reform, and education reform as top priorities for lowering the deficit and reviving the American economy.” (Rebekah Metzler, “GOP Stars Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio Shine at Kemp Award Dinner,” US News & World Report, 12/5/12)

Rubio’s Speech Was “Forward-Looking” (Gregory Wallace, “Rubio Suggests Ways To Bridge ‘Opportunity Gap’,” CNN, 12/4/12)