Fiscal Times: Marco Rubio One of 'Five Republicans to Watch' to Lead GOP in 2013

The Fiscal Times has named U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio as one of "five Republicans to watch for their potential to lead" the Republican Party in 2013, as the nation's conservatives and libertarians try to score more political victories in the 2014 midterm and 2016 presidential races, and recover from the defeats suffered last November.

"Of 2013s potential leaders, none bridges the gap between the tea party and traditional Republican values better than Senator Rubio," conservative bloggerEd Morrissey writes. "He was easily the most talented of the class of 2010, both politically and rhetorically. ... Of the five Republicans to watch, Rubio has the talent to provide the most unity in the short term. He has offered broad support for a strong military, social conservatism, and significant fiscal reform without alienating other factions in the party. His leadership would also allow for a public image of the Republican Party that moves away in some degree from the perception of a party of old, white men and could lift Ted Cruz and Susana Martinez, among others, to higher profiles to bolster the shift."

The other Republicans profiled by Morrissey are New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie,Texas Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.