Politics & Power Quote by Marco Rubio

Rubio’s line isn’t really aimed at “big government” as a policy concept; it’s aimed at the legitimacy of the other side. Calling opponents “delusional” turns a disagreement about what voters want into a diagnosis of mental error, a move that’s less debate than delegitimation. It’s a neat rhetorical judo flip: rather than proving that Americans prefer smaller government, he implies the preference is so obvious that only self-deception (or bad faith) could miss it.

The phrasing also does double work inside conservative politics. “Our people” is a soft tribal claim, widening the circle beyond party registration into a moral constituency: the real Americans. That lets Rubio frame anti-government sentiment as common sense rather than ideology, while quietly suggesting that supporters of expansive government are out of touch with everyday life. It’s populism with a suit on: he’s not bashing elites explicitly, but the insinuation is there.

Context matters: Rubio has made versions of this argument during moments when Republicans face pressure to answer for popular government programs (Social Security, Medicare, disaster aid) while still selling austerity, deregulation, or cuts to federal agencies. “Big government” becomes a symbolic villain that can absorb everything from bureaucracy to cultural grievance. The line’s intent is to keep the coalition together: reassure small-government conservatives, avoid naming specific programs voters like, and recast the electorate’s contradictory desires as simple and unified. The subtext: if you want government to do more, you’ve been fooled - and Rubio is offering to be the one who sees clearly.