Carlos Bastarache: marco-rubio.jpg

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Senator John McCain recently learned that a tweet can spectacularly backfire through the power of the platform’s “ratio” effect, but at least in McCain’s case, he was simply pleading for more Twitter followers, so he received a lighthearted dose of comeuppance. Whereas Senator Marco Rubio, who has spent the past two weeks under fire for being “so easy to buy” by the NRA, issued a tone-deaf tweet — on the same day that Stoneman Douglas High School students return to class in Parkland, Florida — to complain about the gun-control debate.

Perhaps Rubio’s lashing out in response to a new Quinnipiac University poll, which sees the Florida senator’s approval rating hit an all-time low (38%) in his state. That’s an 8% drop from July 2016 and a significant difference from his August 2015 high of 57%. Whatever the reason, Rubio declared that Americans “don’t really like each other very much.” He then accused angry citizens of being hypocritical and finished with, “[W]orst of all we have infected the next generation with the same disease.”

The debate after #Parkland reminds us We The People don’t really like each other very much.We smear those who refuse to agree with us.We claim a Judea-Christian heritage but celebrate arrogance & boasting. & worst of all we have infected the next generation with the same disease

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 28, 2018

As of this writing, Rubio’s received 12,000 replies in comparison to 2,700 retweets and 10,000 likes. Most replies are not friendly and some zero in, as with author Lawrence O’Donnell, on Rubio’s poor choice of words with “infected the next generation.” That is, Rubio sounds like he’s accusing students of being arrogant while exercising free speech after seeing classmates killed by a gun that Rubio hasn’t wanted to outlaw.

"infected the next generation"

Marco Rubio insults the Florida students who are angry about being shot at with an AR-15 which Rubio made sure the mass murderer could buy very easily. https://t.co/iA4vWuCwTg

— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) February 28, 2018

This led to a plethora of tweets defending Stoneman Douglas students and acknowledging the tough road they face, today and in the future.

I think what you meant was: “Good luck to the Parkland students who are returning to school today. Your bravery and action in the aftermath of tragedy is to be commended. We offer you our thoughts and prayers today, but also our commitment to act.”

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) February 28, 2018

Nice bank shot slipping in an insult about the Parkland kids being arrogant and boastful. And here I thought they were just exercising their constitutionally protected right to free speech by pointing out your ties to the NRA. More like accurate and angry.

— Nosferatu (@nosferatu_sr) February 28, 2018

Marco- these are kids that just survived a mass shooting, and you are conflating use of their 1st Amendment Right with showing symptoms of a disease? Wow, just wow.

— derek friedman (@dnkfriedman) February 28, 2018

People also called out Rubio for hiding behind political donations and using religion as “both a political weapon and a shield.”

Mr. Rubio, as an Episcopalian I find your attempts to use Christianity as both a political weapon and a shield deeply morally offensive, particularly on this issue. I wish I still lived in Florida just so I could vote against you.

— Wanderer (@KindBravery) February 28, 2018

You are part of a party that sows fear, hate and intolerance. Start living and governing for "we the people" and not the the wealthy donors.

— Shirley Pavlak (@metsfanheatherb) February 28, 2018

You are part of the problem when you vote according to your agenda, not the agenda of the majority of constituents. You weren’t elected to represent yourself and your donors.

— Puppy mom (@PWelu) February 28, 2018

God willing, the next generation will still be *alive* so that we can determine who has been infected with what. Unless you’re willing to stand with them? Have a seat, sir.

— Christine Goerke (@HeldenMommy) February 28, 2018