Marco Rubio's Theory: 'I Am Not Going to Win the Philosophy Vote in America'

Davenport, Iowa -- Marco Rubio has a new postulate about the 2016 race -- he's not forging any friendships in the philosophy world and instead finding his Nietzsche among welders.

After arguing in last night’s debate that the country needs more welders and less philosophers, the Republican presidential candidate is taking his case to the campaign trail.

"I am not going to win the philosophy vote in America,” Rubio jokingly told the audience at his first post-debate event in Davenport, Iowa, where he dished out joke after joke at the expense of the nation’s philosophy majors today. "I’m gonna find another major to pick on here soon.”

At last night’s fourth Republican debate, Rubio was credited with having one of the best lines of the night when he argued that the country needs more welders and less philosophers.

"For the life of me I don't know why we have stigmatized vocational education,” Rubio said Tuesday night. “Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers."

And on Wednesday, he drove the point home.

"I said it last night, a welder makes a lot more than a philosopher, and it's a lot easier to find a job there are a lot more openings for welders than philosophers in America today,” he told a packed house in Jersey Grille restaurant.

The only problem with Rubio’s argument is that it’s not the norm for welders to make more than philosophers with college degrees, as the New York Times has reported. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage of welders was $40,040 in 2014, compared to the $71,350 mean annual wage of philosophy and religion teachers.

Knocking the concept that trade school is simply being an alternative for students who might not have the grades to attend a traditional four year college, Rubio called trade school the right choice for the "kids that want a job that pays 50 thousand dollars at 19 years of age.”

Rubio’s new attack on philosophy majors found its place among some well-used lines in his standard stump speech, going on to joke that four-year college still has an important role to play —- at least when it comes to football.

“We’re still going to have four year colleges,” Rubio said, “We are, because how would we have college football, so we’re still going to have them.”

Being that it is Veteran’s Day, he found a way to work appreciation for veterans into his comedic tackle on traditional university curricula.

“If you’re a veteran and you served in the Middle East two tours of duty, I’d say that's worth at least 4 credit hours of Middle Eastern Affairs,” Rubio said.