"Now, look, it's true, Americans do want leaders that will come to Washington, D.C. and work together to get things done, but that comes with a very important caveat, it depends what they're trying to do"

Marco Rubio highlights a nuanced perspective about the expectations American voters have for their elected leaders, especially in the context of political cooperation and bipartisanship. While there is a common narrative suggesting the electorate is frustrated by gridlock and craves unity in government to achieve legislative progress, Rubio points out that the desire for cooperation is not unconditional. Voters may value collaboration and effectiveness, but their enthusiasm for politicians “working together to get things done” is contingent upon the specific objectives or policies being pursued.

Fundamentally, Rubio suggests that Americans’ demand for results in government is filtered through their values and interests. Cooperation is only seen as virtuous so long as it aligns with what the public already supports. If bipartisan compromise leads to legislation or action that contradicts the strongly held beliefs or priorities of significant groups of voters, the mere fact that consensus was achieved does not make the outcome desirable. In other words, process alone, such as working across the aisle or passing major bills, is less important to many citizens than substance, meaning the actual results or content of government action.

This observation helps explain why calls for bipartisanship in politics often break down. Political leaders who simply “get things done” by compromising, especially on polarizing or identity-defining issues, may face backlash from their supporters if the achieved outcomes diverge from the supporters’ preferences. Rubio’s point also implies that politicians and commentators should not mistake general dissatisfaction with dysfunction for a universal endorsement of compromise, especially when it involves deeply contested matters.

He draws attention to the inherent tension between effective governance and representative democracy, as leaders must balance delivering legislative results with remaining faithful to the convictions of their constituents. Thus, the legitimacy of political cooperation is often determined not by the act itself, but by the aims and consequences of that cooperation, a subtlety crucial to understanding American political attitudes.