Over the last five years, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has risen from a former state legislative leader who was an underdog to win a U.S. Senate seat to a possible presidential contender, a phenomenal ascent over such a short period.
Rubios march to the Republican nomination in the 2010 Senate race was improbable, especially with then-Gov. Charlie Crist starting out as the favorite. But Rubio sensed very early on that Republicans could turn against Crist once they realized the depth of his support of President Barack Obamas economic policies.
Rubio worked the conservative grassroots and offered a laser-like focused effort to tie Crist to Obama. It succeeded brilliantly and soon Crist, who had been a Republican candidate for statewide office four times before, fled the GOP to salvage what was left of his political career and continue his Senate bid with no party affiliation.
Conservatives across the nation noticed Rubios wins over Crist in the primary and the general election and started boosting him as a star for the GOP. Cynics dismissed Rubios quick ascent due to Republicans needing to do better with the increasing number of Hispanic voters and Florida being a crucial state in national politics. But there was far more to Rubios rise. An excellent, often inspiring speaker, Rubio presented an optimistic vision for what America could be, much like the best Republican and conservative politicians over the years.
As he continued to rise, Rubio made some mistakes. He had some minor headaches over the years due to having a Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) credit card during his time as House speaker, his close ties to scandal-prone former U.S. Rep. David Rivera, R-Fla., and bungling his family history about why and when they left Cuba.
Rubio also turned off many conservatives with his leadership on the Senate Gang of Eights immigration reform proposal. While he has been with conservatives on many other issues ranging from abortion to repealing Obamas health-care law, plenty on the right have never forgiven Rubio for his high-profile role on immigration reform.
This has hurt Rubios presidential prospects. In national polls and surveys of key primary and caucus states, support for Rubio has dropped noticeably over the last two years.
Despite this and the presence of longtime ally former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., Rubio looks set to run for president and even forego a second term in the Senate. Whatever their problems with Rubio, conservatives like him more than they do Bush. At the same time, Rubio doesnt scare away the Republican establishment as much as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., Dr. Ben Carson and other conservative hopefuls do.
Rubio has been adding to his presidential credentials considerably in the Senate by focusing on foreign affairs, not exactly a major topic when he campaigned against Crist five years ago. Now chairing the Senate Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Rubio has been sharply critical of Obamas policies in regard to Cuba, the Middle East, Russia, China, Israel and the war on terror. While the topic rarely decides presidential elections, Americans are growing more concerned about foreign policy and Rubio is increasingly looking like a hawk.
Over the last five years, Rubio has moved from an underdog Senate hopeful to a possible presidential candidate. Rubios ascent -- and his occasional stumbles -- have made him one of the leading figures in Florida politics and, increasingly, one of the main players on the national political stage. Whatever happens, Rubio appears set to play a major role in Florida and the nation for years to come.
(ABOUT THIS SERIES: Marco Rubio is the 17th in a special anniversary series of 20 political personalities who loomed large since early 2010, when Sunshine State News set up shop in Tallahassee.Who else made the list? Click here to find out.)
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
