This is the 12th article in a weekly series looking at possible 2012 presidential contenders. Click here to learn more about the series.
Senator-Elect Marco Rubio (R-FL) just won a U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday, so it might seem premature to speculate about a 2012 presidential run.
But although the 39-year-old GOP star is unlikely to mount a bid so soon, he’s going to face some pressure from party elders to reconsider. In April, Rudy Giuliani said, “I believe that if Marco Rubio goes on to win the U.S. Senate seat in Florida in November, he should immediately think about running for president — possibly in 2012.”
Mr. Rubio is demographically appealing for the GOP. As the U.S.-born son of Cuban exiles, he can earn a significant portion of the Hispanic vote. And as a Floridian, he can help the GOP win the critical swing state.
Rubio is a media trainer’s dream. When asked to speculate, he refuses. When given an opportunity to slam the President, he passes, thus denying the reporter an off-message sound bite. When asked about his opponent’s motives, he refuses to characterize his opponent’s thinking and instead articulates his own.
Since the beginning of the 24/7 media age in 1980, all eight victorious presidential candidates have had the same seven winning traits. Mr. Rubio has all of them. His winning smile, confident body language, and everyday language complete the picture of the rare candidate who has “it.”
I’ll review Mr. Rubio’s flaws and give him his grade after the clip.
See Part Two of the interview by clicking here.
Mr. Rubio is good at articulating his message, but should weave it in to more of his answers. Even though the CNN program aired most of the interview, the network will still use short, edited clips of the conversation throughout the day. I know, because I used to be the person who cut those sound bites on the predecessor to this show, Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer.
Rubio is young. He would be just 41-years-old when inaugurated in 2011, making him the youngest president ever sworn in. For comparison’s sake, JFK was 43, Bill Clinton was 46, and Barack Obama was 47.
He hasn’t been tested (or vetted) on a national stage. I suspect he would do well, but the difference between a statewide campaign and a national one is vast – just ask Barack Obama, who took many months to find his stride as a national candidate.
In the television age, we have never had a contest between two more charismatic candidates. If Mr. Rubio runs, he would match well against President Obama’s oratorical gifts. This guy’s a phenom for a reason, and he earns the highest grade to date.
GRADE: A
To see the other candidates I’ve reviewed so far, click on their names: John Thune, Mitt Romney, Haley Barbour, Newt Gingrich, Jeb Bush, Tim Pawlenty, Mitch Daniels, Bobby Jindal, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Chris Christie, Gary Johnson, Jim DeMint, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama
