After a second place finish in South Carolina’s Republican primary on Saturday, is Marco Rubio “The Boy Who Lived?” A pro-Rubio super PAC would like you to think so.
In a fundraising memo to donors Sunday night, Conservative Solutions challenged the notion that billionaire Donald Trump is now the inevitable Republican nominee after his wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina. In making its case for the freshman senator from Florida, the Super PAC compared the current political duel between Trump and Rubio to the one between boy wizard Harry Potter and the evil wizard Lord Voldemort.
Related: Rubio, the Unlikely Establishment Candidate, Is Now Trump’s Main Rival
"In Harry Potter lore, Voldemort, the Dark Lord, had a secret to his strength. His secret was his horcruxes," the email said. "As each horcrux was destroyed, Voldemort became increasingly vulnerable, not increasingly strong. When all of the horcruxes were gone, Voldemort lost his one-on-one battle with Harry Potter."
Therefore, each opposing candidate who leaves the GOP field, like former Florida Jeb Bush did this weekend, leaves Trump more exposed as “the last choice of more voters than any other Republican by far.”
"Like Voldemort's horcruxes, the large candidate field shields Trump from harm. At each step of the primary process, Trump is losing his shields, and that is making him more vulnerable,” the memo argues.
Related: Rubio sharpens attacks after latest Trump win in White House race
“Extending this analogy puts Marco Rubio in the role of Harry Potter.”
For the record, a horcrux is an object in which a dark wizard or witch has hidden a fragment of his or her soul in the hopes of attaining immortality. To date, there is no evidence that Trump has instilled part of his soul into Sen. Ted Cruz (TX), Ohio governor John Kasich or retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, the former reality TV star’s other remaining rivals.
Even the super PAC admits it’s pushing the limits of its analogy by comparing the real estate mogul to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
"Note: we are not calling Donald Trump evil. This is an analogy, not a direct comparison,” the memo says.
Related: With South Carolina in Hand, Trump Continues His War with the GOP
The message concludes with a vow that Conservative Solutions will be "active in nearly every state that votes in March," and a solicitation for donations from muggles and wizards alike.
Rubio, who has yet to win a Republican primary, certainly could use help as questions arise about if and when he’ll come in first. The GOP will hold its caucus in Nevada on Tuesday, followed a week later by Super Tuesday, when a slew of states host their nominating contests.
Rubio would do well to practice his Patronus Charm between now and then in order to better ward off his political rivals. What shape might Rubio’s Patronus take? Our guess is the Florida panther, the official animal of Rubio’s Sunshine State.
