PrintFebruary 21, 2011
A Madisonian Case for Rubio in 2012
When James Madison described an "extended republic" in his famous Federalist No. 10, he rejected the received wisdom of his day. Most educated Americans then agreed with Montesquieu and many other political theorists that a republic could only exist in a small city-state. No, argued Madison, the actual history of those little republics makes the case for an extended republic because those city-states all succumbed to factional strife. Only when you extend the territory over which the republic would exercise its authority would the factions check and balance each other. By countering in this one instance the revered Montesquieu, Madison prevailed. And we have endured.The case I offer for drafting Marco Rubio in 2012 likewise runs counter to the received wisdom. Most commentators agree that Rubio is the "future star of the Republican party," as Juan Williams has called him. Rich Lowry acknowledges that Rubio in 2016 will be "seasoned" enough to be...(Read Full Article)
