Submitted by Frank from Miami

Q: What role if any does the former Speaker of the House, Marco Rubio have in this convention? Who will be the leaders of the future for the State of Florida?

Answered 09/03/08 13:58:36 by Political Currents

A: Speaker Rubio did a phenominal job this morning addressing the full Florida delegation, alternates, guests and elected officials. He is a Florida delegate to the convention and has handled numerous speaking engagements for the RNC and as a surrogate to the McCain campaign. Our party is blessed with young stars who can continue to carry our successes well into the future. Young stars in the congress already include Cong. Adam Putnam, Connie Mack, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Tom Rooney has a chance to join that group. At the state level our young leader are too numerous to mention. They include future Speakers Dean Cannon, Will Weatherford, future Senate President Mike Haridopoulos, and don't forget, our own Govenor Charlie Crist is pretty young himself. We are also blessed with rising stars who currently hold local elected office all throughout the state of Florida and we are keeping a watchful eye on them. Al Cardenas

Submitted by Yaira from Hollywood

Q: I keep hearing people talk about Gov. Palin's ability to be Commander in Chief which I think misses the point. You are right in saying that no Governor really meets that standard. The problem though is that most Governors who lack foreign policy experience balance that with a great deal of domestic experience. In her case, she has 13 years of elected experience but 12 of them were on the Wasilla City Council. How can we really believe that Gov. Palin can handle any of the responsibilities of the Presidency given her lack of experience foreign or domestic?

Answered 09/03/08 13:51:08 by Political Currents

A: Our country president's have come from a wide array of experiences, some became our president directly from a military career without any governmental experience whatsoever: others have jumped from mayor's of cities to president, and yet others have risen to the presidency by being governor of states smaller than Alaska (Arkansas comes to mind). It's hard to say what particular background prepares one for this job, but we will get a good sense of it during the next 60 days. All I ask is that we give her a chance and objectively observe her. Al Cardenas

Submitted by Jack from Miami

Q: Mr. Cardenas: Does the Florida Republican Party as a group endorse Governor Palin's view that abortion should be illegal in all cases, including in the cases of rape and incest? Also, can you honestly tell us that you believe that this was the best choice for the country and, let's say, in the event of President McCain's untimely passing, we'll be better off with President Palin than President Romney? Every single Republican politician who was interviewed last night acted as though they thought this was the best possible choice, and, call me skeptical, but I got the idea that they didn't really believe it.

Answered 09/03/08 13:46:19 by Political Currents

A: It is perfectly normal to be initally skeptical about someone you have never met or heard of, being picked for such an important public service assignment. It's OK to be skeptical, but hopefully not judgemental at this time. Let's give Governor Palin the opportunity to address our nation this evening and to watch her in action during the final 2 months of the campaign and then make that personal decision. I will tell you that my experience has shown me plenty of leaders who are ready for major responsibilites in their 30's and a lot of others with years of public servivce who are well into their 50's and 60's just weren't vice presidential material. Sen. McCain believes her to be the right choice and I am willing to trust his judgement and look forward to having Gov. Palin justify my faith in her. Regarding the abortion issue: as you know there is a full array of different thoughts on this. Our party's national platform which all states adopt, takes a similar position to that of Gov. Palin. At the same time, many of our national leaders like Mayor Guliani, Gov Ridge and others take a different view and are well accepted in our party. Al Cardenas

Submitted by Jose from Miami

Q: If I choose to vote for McCain; how can I be sure that he will not get this country in a messy situation like Bush did with Iraq and what is his plan to fix the economic mess we are all living right now??

Answered 09/03/08 13:35:24 by Political Currents

A: Regarding the economic mess: there are immediate steps that must be taken. One, adopt a comprehensive energy policy that calls for short term implementation of alternative sources of energy, conservation, and safe off shore drilling for additional domestic sources of energy. About at least 20 percent of the value of each barrel of oil is based on speculation as to future supply and demand. This law, once adopted will immediatley reduce the price of oil. It is unforgivable that the Democrats have taken a congressional recess in the midst of this national crisis. Number 2, John McCain will balanace our budget and eliminate our nation's deficits within 4 years. That should reduce interest rates, make capital available for the growth of our economy, and reduce our dependency on China and Middle Eastern countries who are buying our debt. Third, reduce taxes across the board to stimulate the economy. There are a host of other economic issues to get our country back on our feet. I urge you to visit the campaign's website where it is all fully set out. Regarding further military exursions, please know that few living Americans have lived and endured the pains of war as John McCain has. It is percisely this type of experience that will make it more likely that John McCain will keep us out of war compared to the inexperienced Senator Obabma, who is likley to be tested early in his administration by America's most dangerous enemies. Al Cardenas

Submitted by The right facts from Miami, FL

Q: There has been much talk about McCain's age in terms of the presidency. However, no one has made any mention of the fact that President Reagan was less than a month before his 71st birthday when he took the oath in 1981. Why aren't the Republicans mentioning this fact to debunk the age issue?

Answered 09/03/08 13:25:20 by Political Currents

A: To anyone familar with the rigors of a presidential campaign, it is obvious that the process is exhausting to 30-year old staffers. Therefore, a presidential candidate who is able to withstand the longest presidential campaign in our history has made it obvious to everyone that his physical, emotional, and mental fitness is beyond question. Most Americans of any age would hope to operate at his energy level. Your point is well taken though. We need to improve on our abilities to convey this to those who are not as familiar with the candidate. Al Cardenas