Marco Rubio is best choice among Republicans

To the editor:

Four years ago I gave a strong plea for Mitt Romney at our caucus. Looking back, a majority of us wished he would have won.

He did not win for several reasons. Many senior citizens did not vote for him because they feared losing Medicare benefits. Some Republicans did not vote because they thought he would easily win. Obama thought so, too. So in desperation, he used the 'rich' card, claiming Romney was so rich that he would only favor the 1 percent rich and ignore the 99 percent poor. As a result, many people who thought they were poor voted for Obama.

We Republicans need to improve our conservative image to win the independent vote. We need to raise the federal minimum wage, lower student loans, give more support to the middle class and bring more manufacturing jobs back to America. And for sure, hold fewer tea parties.

We need a winning candidate for president. I like Donald Trump somewhat, but if Romney was too rich, Trump does not stand a chance.

I really like Marco Rubio, from Florida, for several reasons: His knowledge of foreign affairs, his youthful vigor and his humble upbringing. With John Kasich from Ohio or Carly Fiorina as vice president, we would have the best chance to win.

We need more young and interested people attending the Republican caucuses. Please locate the time and place of your caucus and attend. Be sure to vote for the best person to win. That is Rubio, because Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush fear him the most.

Ivan Hardt

Cedar Rapids