Sen. Marco Rubio enters the 'No Spin Zone' and addresses Romney VP rumors

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This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," May 30, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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BILL O'REILLY, FOX NEWS HOST: "Personal Story Segment" tonight, we are pleased to have the junior senator from Florida, Marco Rubio in the studio this evening. He's the author of the upcoming book "An American Son", which will be out in the stores everywhere on June 19th.

All right. So everywhere you go people ask you about the Vice President deal. You know I asked you well, a few months ago we had you on about that. Should I continue to ask you? Is it getting boring now?

SEN. MARCO RUBIO, R-FLA.: No what's -- what the difference is we have a nominee now. So I'm trying to be very respectful of their process on what they're going through.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Well they are not going to say anything until the convention because they've got to have something to get people to watch.

RUBIO: Well and that's why he deserves for us to be respectful of that process. So journalists like you are going to ask. But those of us - -

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Yes you're going to stonewall.

RUBIO: Right.

O'REILLY: Let me give you two things that two guys have said about you on this program. You know Charles Krauthammer?

RUBIO: Yes.

O'REILLY: Ok, he's a smart guy, right? Well, Krauthammer says if you are asked that you have to accept. You have to because if you didn't, you would be letting your country down. That's Krauthammer. Krauthammer predicts that if you are asked you will accept. What do you think about that point of view?

RUBIO: Well, I just tell anyone -- I'm not even talking about the whole process. And I respect him very much and what he said to you.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: But would it be disrespectful if you for say family reasons, personal reasons, would you consider that to be -- would it trouble you that your country calls and you can't answer the call?

RUBIO: Well, I hate -- being in the No Spin Zone. But I'll just say to you that I really don't want -- I've really tried not to even comment on the whole process. I think, I really believe Mitt Romney deserves to have a process where the rest of us sat here and just talking about it and giving our opinions or by process of elimination making his choices. ...

O'REILLY: All right, but answer me this, if you would. That has to be a consideration for everybody. Everybody who is in elective office, if their country calls and asks, right? You have to.

RUBIO: Look, I've never been in that position. All I -- obviously I'm being very respectful of the process they're going through and trying not comment on it. I will say this though, Mitt Romney is someone who has made a lot of good decisions in his life consistently. It's a record of good decisions in his personal life, his business life, his political life, and I think he's going to make a great decision.

O'REILLY: Yes, you're a big supporter of his, sure.

Now Dennis Miller who is coming up behind you in a couple of segments. He basically says he's going to hate you if you're asked and you turn it down. He's going to be mad at you, he's going to -- there's going to be anger, personal anger for the same reason Krauthammer said. I don't want you to comment on that but that's what Miller says.

All right, now Florida is a key state in this election. If -- if President Obama wins Florida, I think he's going to win the election. The gay marriage thing seems to have hurt him in Florida. Do you believe that? Is that an issue down there?

RUBIO: Well we have -- well, it's not the most important issue but it's an important issue to people. We have a constitutional amendment in Florida that defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman as a very particular institution.

I think a lot of Floridians believe that. And so I think that you'll see reflected in the polling and some of --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: How about in the Hispanic community and the Cuban community where you come from? Is that?

RUBIO: Yes I don't think that's the issue that's going to decide the election. I think if you ask people what they --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: But is there passion behind that issue?

RUBIO: I think so. But certainly -- but I don't want to overstate that it's going to be one that decides the election. It's an important issue. And if you ask people they will tell you they believe --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: For Hispanic Americans.

RUBIO: I think so, yes. And again I don't speak for all --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Because black Americans, they don't like gay marriage. We saw that in California. We saw that all over the place.

Now in Florida itself it's a split. It's it like four different states, Florida. You've got the north, you've got Dade County which is like a universe unto itself, you've got the central part of the state and the East and West Coast. Is it going to be a dogfight?

RUBIO: Yes.

O'REILLY: Or do you think the Republicans are going to pull away.

RUBIO: No Florida is a very competitive state; it has been now for two decades. It will continue to be competitive and whoever wins is going to have to earn that and it will be close. I honestly believe not just because I support them. I honestly believe that Mitt Romney is going to win Florida and therefore win the presidency.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Why do you believe that though if Barack Obama won last time what would be -- the economy going to be the difference?

RUBIO: Yes I think so. Well, the biggest difference I think is the same as it is nationally. Barack Obama in 2008 was an idea. He was this post partisan uniter.

(CROSSTALK)

RUBIO: Not only a record his rhetoric is like anybody else in Washington. He's divisive -- dividing Americans against each other. Floridians aren't going to like that.

O'REILLY: All right but they elect a conservative guy like you. They elect a conservative governor they being Floridians. So it's an interesting state. I tend to think it will go to Romney but he's better -- he's got to be on his game.

Mitt Romney now polling 20 percent among Hispanic Americans across the country. That's a disaster. And that's primarily because of his tough border stance. And you know you've got to go home if you're an illegal alien and you've got to self-deport if you want us to consider, you know, giving you working papers permanently.

I don't know how he is going to turn that around.

RUBIO: Well couple of things. First of all I think we -- we don't -- don't underestimate the fact that a lot of Hispanic Americans are Democrats and they have been for -- you know they live in New York. They live in California. That's what they're registered. And they are not going to change their --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Yes but Bush got 45 percent in that --

(CROSSTALK)

RUBIO: But -- but a lot of -- but a lot of it is historical. Folks have been -- you know Cuban Americans in New Jersey register Democrat even though in Florida they register Republican. So part of that is reflected in the polling.

Part of it is they know Barack Obama better. He's been around eight years and Mitt Romney is new to the equation for many. But here is what I believe first of all Hispanics don't support illegal immigration and I think that Hispanics.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: No but they -- they want a humane, you know, that kind of thing.

RUBIO: Well, I think tone matters and certainly I think Republicans need to be a better job of talking about what we're for. We're for a legal immigration system that works.

O'REILLY: All right.

RUBIO: And I think Governor Romney has begun to do that. and I think all Americans want to see illegal immigration system that works --

O'REILLY: Well, he's got to come up to about 30 percent 35 percent and that's going to be tough for him to do. And I'm going to see you in Tampa.

RUBIO: I hope so.

O'REILLY: All right. Now if you are the VP guy, you've got to give me the first interview. Do you want to promise?

RUBIO: I want to do the first interview anyway.

O'REILLY: All right, you heard it, I got him. We'll be down in Tampa. Thank you Senator.

RUBIO: Thank you.

O'REILLY: It's a pleasure to see you.

RUBIO: Thank you.