Marco Rubio got an enthusiastic response from a New Hampshire Republican audience Friday with his look deep into the 21st century, insisting "2016 is a referendum on our identity."
The junior U.S. senator from Florida, who formally entered the presidential race earlier this week, spoke to about 600 activists gathered for a two-day "First in the Nation Summit” in Nashua. The meeting continues Saturday with speeches by a lengthy list of potential candidates.
Rubio’s pitch was to look to the future. "I believe with all my heart we are on the verge of another American century," he said.
The nation, Rubio said, has "too many leaders trapped in the past." And, he said, "our future has an opportunity to be better than our history."
He spoke for about 15 minutes and got a standing ovation. Rubio took seven questions. Among them was a request to list what Democrats he got along with. He joked he thought he got along with everyone, though he named working with Sens. Chris Coons, D-Delaware and Ron Wyden, D-Oregon.