Sen. Marco Rubio "could be the last chance" for Florida voters to throw up a roadblock" to GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump's trek to the nomination,
the Orlando Sentinel says in an endorsement of the Florida lawmaker.
"We recommend Florida Republicans cast their ballots for another Sunshine State leader," the editorial board writes."Unlike Trump, Rubio has the knowledge and judgment to be president."
The newspaper's nod was the second in Florida in as many days. On Thursday,
the Miami Herald endorsed Rubio, calling him a "consistent favorite among traditional conservative organizations."
In the Sentinel endorsement – which was at least as much an anti-Trump attack – the paper argues the brash billionaire's popularity is based on his status as an "outsider," but that his judgment can't be trusted.
"Trump also has trouble with the truth," the editorial board writes. "Politifact analyzed 77 statements from him in 2015 and rated three-quarters as mostly false, false or pants-on-fire lies."
The newspaper added its disapproval of Trump's remarks against Mexican immigrants, Muslims, "people with disabilities and prisoners of war" and women.
And the paper said lack of details for Trump's policy plans contrasts with Rubio's focus on budget deficits free trade that "generates thousands of jobs and billions of economic activity in the Sunshine State."
The paper also took a swipe at contender Sen. Ted Cruz, calling him an "ideologue known for leading the 2013 government shutdown. He's so toxic that not even one of his Senate colleagues has stepped forward to endorse him. Nor would we."
Florida's primary is March 15.
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