Marco Rubio Is Running For President

Marco Rubio has never waited his turn in politics, and the 2016 presidential election is no exception. Announced Monday by the Associated Press, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is running for president, a move that could mark the peak of the 43-year-old's quick ascent into the top echelons of Washington. Though inexperienced and largely unknown to America, the junior senator has represented defiance against the GOP establishment, and if the Republican Party decides to take the unconventional route, he could be the surprise candidate that nabs its nomination. Having officially announced the run in a call to donors Monday morning, Rubio is expected to announce to the public later Monday at Miami's Freedom Tower.

While Hillary Clinton, who declared her candidacy on Sunday, appears to be the all-but-certain Democratic nominee, support within the Republican Party has been fragmented. More than a dozen Republicans have shown some interest in becoming president. Rubio is the third to make it official. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul have already announced they would attempt to grab the Republican Party's nomination. That kind of open field has made Rubio, the "crown prince" of the Tea Party, a one-to-watch kind of candidate.

Unlike GOP establishment man Jeb Bush, who has yet to officially announce his run, Rubio presents himself as a fresh take on party politics, which could resonate with younger voters, according to columnist Charles Krauthammer. On Friday, Krauthammer made Rubio his pick for the Republican nomination during Fox News' Special Report. Krauthammer said Rubio could be this generation's JFK — a young politician capable of charming America and making it excited about a new political era.

He’s [Rubio] my underestimated dark horse candidate who threads his way, young, energetic. He’s got a program, and I think if he runs against Hillary, the contrast say the vigor, the energy that Kennedy-esque idea will be be a major one.

Similarly, Rubio has been likened to Obama, who, as a first-time U.S. senator, secured the Democratic nomination in 2008 and won the presidency. Twice. But Rubio has dismissed those comparisons, saying he has more experience. That question of experience though is what his opponents will likely harp on and will be the main struggle of Rubio's campaign. Can he become a household name and secure the big bucks from GOP donors? And with Bush, a former Florida governor, likely to enter a presidential bid, Rubio faces a tougher fight at home for votes that would normally be considered a given.

But considering the trajectory of Rubio's career, which has somewhat been marked by his knack for being in the "right place, right time," he could be the dark horse that Republicans desperately need, someone who can galvanize GOP support and take on the Clinton powerhouse. Rubio's run gives him a real chance to speak directly to the country, and that means America might finally know him as someone other than the guy who had that water break that one time on live TV.

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