Senator Marco Rubio is an intriguing candidate for the nomination of the Republican Party. He is young, 44 years old. He has experience in that he was the Speaker of the Florida House, and is now a sitting senator from one of the more electorally rich states in the United States. He has a good personal story to tell being the son of immigrants. Most importantly, he connects with people. He speaks well, and is likable. These are all important qualities when seeking any political office.

Of the many candidates from the Republican side of the aisle his throwing his hat into the fray will be a formidable one. One can see, him being in the top tier, in the top 4 or 5 of the at this point 19 or so candidate. Senator Rubio and Jeb Bush will vie for the donor dollars from Florida.

The recent criticism of Rubio and his handling of his personal finances is a red herring , similar to the non-issue personal attacks that the current Democratic front runner faces. Whether Senator Rubio’s candidacy is successful will depend on how much the voters like him personally, not how he handles his own finances.

Walker should do well in Iowa, with New Hampshire up for grabs. If the same 4 or 5 are at the top in the first 3 primaries, the others subject to how close they are to the front runners should fall by the wayside. A late entry like Governor Kasich can come from behind. I predict that Senator Rubio will be among the survivors of the early part of the decision making process.

Senator Rubio is articulate and his ability to communicate better than his challengers should become evident during the debates. The early debates will be messy and the voter will have a hard time discerning any real differences between the candidates. Once the field of candidates slims down to a more realistic amount of candidates, Rubio’s communication skills should help him and separate him from his fellow competitors.

Ladies and gentlemen you’ve started your engines, we shall see who can keep their engines purring.