Politics & Government

Rubio Greeted By Fans at Book Signing

Florida Senator Marco Rubio made a stop in Gwinnett as part of his book tour. Many at the event hope Marco Rubio will be named Mitt Romney's running mate.

A long line of political fans snaked through in Lawrenceville Thursday.

They were waiting to see the latest superstar in the Senate—.

The Florida Senator’s tour promoting his new autobiography “An American Son: A Memoir,” made a stop at the day after .

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Fans like Debbie Houston of Lilburn waited for more than an hour to get Rubio’s autograph. Houston said she’s excited about Rubio as a politician because “he’s young, he’s well-spoken, he’s conservative.” 

Mollie Hagger won’t be voting in November’s election because she’s only 16. Hagger, a junior a Chattahoochee High School in Johns Creek, is civically involved although she still has two years before she is able to vote.

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“I think it’s good for the younger crowd to be involved in politics,” said the teen. “Especially for when they so they already know ahead of time what’s going to be going on and what they’re going to have to be looking out for.”

At about 12:45pm, Rubio’s bus emblazoned with his image and book cover pulled up to a side door at the bookstore. The line of people erupted in cheers as the Senator walked by and greeted the crowd. Many captured the moment in photos and videos on their smartphones. From there, Rubio sat down at a small table and began shaking hands and signing books, smiling the whole time.

Brandon Cable made the trip to Lawrenceville from Marietta just to have a moment to say hello to the Senator and get a couple of books signed. “I fully believe he’s one of the few good guys up in Washington that is helping us right now,” said Cable. 

Judy Bailey of Lawrenceville was wearing a T-shirt in support of Republican Presidential candidate at the event. She said Rubio even complimented her on her attire. Bailey said she is inspired by Rubio’s story. “The way his family came here and the way he rose to the Senate,” said Bailey holding a bagful of books.

According to his official Senate website, Rubio was born to Cuban immigrants who left their homeland in 1956, just after Fidel Castro took control of the Caribbean nation. He was born in Miami where he lives now with his wife Jeanette and their four young children.

Bailey is a member of the Gwinnett County Republican Party and will be an alternate delegate to party's national convention next month in Tampa, Fla. It’s possible she may see Rubio standing on stage next to Romney as a Vice-Presidential candidate.

Many waiting in line felt Rubio would be the best choice for Romney’s running mate. If picked, Rubio would be the first Latino to run on a Presidential ticket.

“I would love for him to be our next Vice-President. I’d actually love for him to be President at any time!” said Houston. Others echoed her sentiment, hoping they'd just met a future Commander-In-Chief.

Do you think Rubio should be Romney's running mate? Tell us why or why not in the comment section below.

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