Marco Rubio: The candidate who is fighting to be heard
- Published
The young senator from Florida, Marco Rubio, was expected to rise to the top of the Republican field of presidential hopefuls. But it hasn't happened.
The 44-year-old Cuban American seemed to have all the ingredients to succeed, at a time when the party is trying to broaden its appeal.
He has youth, sharp debating skills and Hispanic appeal. For months, he has been labelled the "real" frontrunner by experts who feel he is the strongest candidate on paper.
Yet his campaign has failed to ignite. He earned plaudits after one very strong debate performance but has been forced to watch as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz dominate the race.
He possibly has his nose in front among the four "mainstream" Republicans in the pack.
And he did just gain the endorsement of the influential Des Moines Register, external, the daily newspaper in Iowa, the US state which holds the first presidential caucus.
"[Senator] Marco Rubio has the potential to chart a new direction for the [Republican Party], and perhaps the nation, with his message of restoring the American dream. We endorse him because he represents his party's best hope," the newspaper's editorial board wrote.
"It could be the party in which the son of an immigrant bartender and maid could become president," it said.
"We hope Marco Rubio and his party take a different path, one that can lead to the opportunity and optimism he so eloquently articulates."
He told CBS News the endorsement does not make him the "establishment pick" for the Republican party.
"It means that if I win the nomination, I'm going to unite the party, and we're going to beat Hillary Clinton," he said.
Mr Rubio has had some strong debate performances
Mr Rubio's life story reads like a classic expression of the American Dream.
His parents moved to Miami, Florida, from Cuba, where they were living under Fidel Castro's rule.
He was born in Miami before moving to Las Vegas, where his father was a barman and his mother a housekeeper.
After high school, he got a degree in political science and then in law, but the fees contributed to a $100,000 student debt that he says he has only recently paid off.
Mr Rubio has come under attack at times from his mentor-turned-rival Jeb Bush
He married his wife Jeanette, a Miami native with Colombian parents, in 1998. They have four children and live in West Miami.
Stu Rothenberg of the Rothenberg Political Report told the BBC in October that Mr Rubio probably had the best chance of anybody of being nominated.
"If you gave me [truth drug] Sodium Pentothal and asked me who I thought had the best chance to be the presidential candidate, I would say Marco Rubio. He has charisma, pizzazz, youth and he's a terrific speaker."
Marco Rubio with his family in Miami
Despite strong debate performances, Mr Rubio's campaign has struggled to gain momentum.
National polls have kept him in a consistent, and somewhat distant, third place, external for quite some time.
While his youth - long considered a vulnerability - has seemingly not damaged his campaign, he has fallen victim to attacks from his mentor-turned-rival Jeb Bush, as well as other so-called establishment candidates like Chris Christie and John Kasich.
In the coming weeks, he'll be looking to gain momentum in the early primaries - especially South Carolina, where reports suggest, external he is investing his resources heavily.
Where Rubio stands
Immigration: Used to be pro-citizenship but now takes a harder line
Iran: Will undo nuclear deal "on day one"
Pro-life: Right to life "trumps virtually any other right"
Healthcare: Repeal Obama's signature law that extends insurance to millions
Climate change: No evidence that humans responsible
China: Promises to "get tough" about human rights
Gun laws: Violence is due to mental illness