Marco's Moment

SAN DIEGO -- Even with the media's fascination with the use of a government credit card, here is something you can take to the bank: This is Marco's moment.

Buoyed by solid debate performances, and the growing realization among GOP primary voters that Florida's junior senator may be the best natural communicator to seek the presidency in a generation, Marco Rubio is winning the buzz primary.

Rubio does his homework on policy issues, and probably sleeps with a briefing book under his pillow. He speaks with passion, exudes optimism and generates excitement. He is a young, fresh new face and has an inspiring life story that embodies the American Dream. Best of all, in a field of presidential hopefuls who seem to think that they are -- because of wealth, success, experience or family legacy -- entitled to the presidency, Rubio is clear on the fact that he owes America and not the other way around.

Yet can the U.S.-born son of Cuban immigrants inspire Mexican-American voters in the Southwest to support him?

We might have to wait until the general election to find out, if the 44-year-old makes it that far. The overwhelming majority of Mexican-Americans and naturalized Mexican immigrants are Democrats who can't vote in most Republican primaries.

Those Mexican-Americans or Mexicans who do get the chance to weigh in on Rubio will have to overcome an ugly anti-Cuban bigotry and resentment toward Cuban senators who want to crack down on illegal immigration to keep out people from Mexico and Central America but won't repeal the archaic 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, which all but guarantees a path to citizenship to Cuban refugees who reach U.S. soil. Others, including many who initially admired Rubio, will have to look past the fact that they don't trust him anymore because he flip-flopped on whether undocumented young Dreamers should be allowed to stay and abandoned his own immigration bill as part of the Senate's Gang of Eight. While both Republicans and Democrats have correctly pointed out -- usually when it serves their purpose -- that immigration isn't always a top issue for Hispanics, respect still ranks high. And Rubio has not treated this issue with nearly enough respect.

This could all wind up being sorted out in a state where people aren't afraid to gamble. You can bet that somewhere, at the Miami headquarters of Rubio for President, there's a calendar with a red circle around the date Feb. 23.

That is the day of the Republican primary in Nevada, which just might be Rubio's first "win." If you believe the polls, Ben Carson will likely win in Iowa, and Donald Trump should win in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

But Rubio could still strike it rich in the Silver State, where he spent part of his childhood while his mother worked as a hotel maid and his father as a bartender. Latinos make up 28 percent of Nevada's population and a sizable chunk of the electorate. It's there that Rubio can chalk up a victory and seize the momentum before March 1 -- the fabled "Super Tuesday" when 12 other states hold primaries.

And, it's in Nevada that Rubio might have an edge with Mexican-Americans and Mexicans. And not just because some of them, like my parents, are simply eager to vote for someone with a Spanish surname for president. When cultural pride and party loyalty collide, the outcome is a crapshoot.

Under normal circumstances, it might be difficult to get Mexican and Mexican-Americans excited about voting for a Cuban-American. Despite what it says in the brochure, Hispanics are not one big happy familia. Different subsets have different histories, experiences, interests and priorities. They're not enemies, but nor are they always simpatico. At best, these are distant relatives.

Yet this is a presidential election like no other. And, in this climate, to many Latinos, old feuds are likely to seem petty. Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have come to hate Trump with the heat of a thousand suns. And if the billionaire blowhard struts into Nevada with a pair of victories under his belt, his critics will be out to stop him -- even if it means closing ranks with Cuban-Americans.

It's right about then that we can expect yard signs to pop up in Mexican and Mexican-American neighborhoods bearing a defiant message: "Viva Rubio!"

And just like that, the deck gets reshuffled. And it'll be a whole new game.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.