It’s probably not too early to start the vice presidential speculation, and since Florida Senator Marco Rubio was in the news today – he caught Nancy Reagan in mid-fall at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California — why not start with him.
Rubio is at the top of every Republican’s list. He brings to the table four key ingredients:
- He is a popular senator from a key swing state;
- He is Hispanic – the son of Cuban refugees – which would make him the first Hispanic candidate on a national ticket in U.S. history;
- He has rock-solid Tea Party credentials, and
- He is young, energetic, bilingual, and good-looking.
Rubio told Associated Press in May that he would not be running as a presidential or vice presidential candidate in 2012, but that was before President Obama’s numbers tanked. Rubio must be re-considering.
Down sides on Rubio are few. He looks young for 40, boyishly young, but he is a father of four. He hasn’t been on the national stage very long, but he survived the media scrutiny generated in his insurgent run against former Republican Governor Charlie Christ. He knows how to handle pressure. Rubio is also on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, so he can boast international knowledge. In short, there are very few strikes against Rubio at this point. It’s all upside.
Grade as a potential VP candidate: A
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