Marco Rubio, Rand Paul: GOP's Exploratory Soldiers

Marco Rubio and Rand Paul are more than charismatic risk-takers who handle the media with skill and confidence and want to be president.

The Washington Post Group's daily online magazine Slate claims "the GOP is going through a molting period. The route each man charts and how successful he is in capturing arguments of the moment -- on immigration, drones and whatever else comes up -- will tell us something about what the emerging Republican Party values and what it might look like as it tries to get in shape for the next national contest."

Slate claims if the GOP embraces either Rubio or Paul, it will be a radically different party: "If either is elevated into a serious national candidate, it would reverse two old truths about presidential politics: that opposition parties promote candidates who are distinct from the sitting president and that governors have the advantage over senators."

With three years to go, the party shouldn't assign too much weight to what they do now, says Slate. But it should see how they shake out as Republicans see whether they're willing to change.

Read the full Slate story, Rand vs. Rubio.