Just because the Washington Post, neo-journalist David Gregory and his mother say so doesn’t make Marco Rubio, the Republican senator from Florida, the most popular Republican.

A piece in the newspaper’s online edition is just one example showing that the elite, intellectual mainstream media are already searching for the best Republican to be beaten by the next Democratic nominee, in 2016, be it Barack Obama for the third time, a jaded Hillary Clinton or pseudo-comedian David Letterman.

The Post has joined other influential newspapers in choosing for Republicans their most popular fellow. In a February 6  online piece by Chris Cillizza, Rubio was touted as one of the hopefuls of the party, and was even dubbed the “new leader of the Republican party” (the headline did not capitalize ‘P’ as in party).

Remember that the Democrats’ major propaganda arm, the mainstream media, orchestrated Bob Dole’s nomination as the Republican standard-bearer in 1996; John McCain’s nomination in 2008; and Mitt Romney's  nomination in 2012.

In all three instances the media and Democrats convinced the Republican establishment that Dole, McCain and Romney, respectively, were the three best candidates to beat Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Barack Obama, respectively.

They said that if a conservative won the nomination they couldn’t win the general election, so Republicans didn’t nominate a conservative in 1996, 2008 and 2012.

As predicted by the media prior to their nominations, Dole, McCain and Romney won resounding victories, didn’t they?

The elites said that these candidates, McCain especially, would have the best chance to win in the general election because they would capture a large majority of independent voters.

Of course they didn’t get the independent vote, McCain especially. As near as anyone can tell, McCain got a total of 19 votes from independents, four in Nebraska,  three in Massachusetts and the other 12 in New Jersey. And that was higher numbers than either Dole or Romney got.

Most of those touting Rubio today seem to be saying that he would capture most of the Hispanic vote, being Hispanic himself. That’s like saying that a black Republican gets the majority of black votes. He doesn’t and is doubtful that Rubio would get more Hispanic votes than McCain received independent votes.

Yet, they still argue that unless Republicans win a sizable portion of Hispanic votes, they can’t win any election, for whatever position.

The Post chose Callizza to write this brilliant piece in honor of the Republican leadership’s selection of Rubio as the one to deliver the Republican response to President Obama’s State of the Union speech.

Rubio is called a conservative by Callizza “without being frightening to voters outside the party base.” He is the obvious choice to make the response, the article says, particularly because of his recent leadership on a compromise immigration reform measure, “a piece of legislation that is of massive import to the GOP’s future political prospects.”

Sounds a little like the old description of McCain or Romney, doesn’t it?

And so, the Post says: “Enter (at least in theory) Rubio. In addition to his natural political skills, Rubio has also proven decidedly deft at navigating between the tea party and the GOP establishment during his brief time in the Senate. That decidedly rare skill – Boehner (John), Mitt Romney, John McCain and many others lack it – coupled with the sense that Rubio is the person best positioned to put a Republican back in the White House in 2016 – could well provide the momentum he needs to be the GOP’s answer, figuratively and literally, to President Obama.”

That thought should gladden the hearts of all concerned conservative Republicans who are eager to join the failed Republican Party establishment in putting down the extremist tea party adherents, who can’t win elections, according to the clan of leaders who put forth the likes of Dole, McCain and Romney.

Better to forsake a few principles in exchange for winning an election now and then.  At least you can get on a few talk shows.

After all, Republicans have shown they don’t know how to govern when they are in power. They seem to be more comfortable when they are in the minority in the Senate and House, and act as foils for Democrats.

L.E. Brown, Jr. may be reached at [email protected].