Marco Rubio a Sharp Contrast to Hillary Clinton

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., aim to make history in 2016: the Democrat as the first woman to be elected president while the Republican hopes to become the first Hispanic one. But that is where the similarities end.

Clinton launched her presidential bid with aides making the announcement on Sunday. Unless something drastic happens, Clinton is well on her way to becoming the Democratic presidential nominee and she is in a far better position now to win the nomination than she was in 2008. Having been on the national political stage since 1992, Clinton is one of the most well-known political figures in the nation.

Jack Reilly, an assistant professor of political science at the New College of Florida, assessed Clinton’s chances on Monday. “Hillary Clinton’s command of the resources of the Democratic Party — from early endorsements to fundraising prowess to popular support to a lack of serious internal competition — suggest that she is the prohibitive favorite to win the party’s nomination,” Reilly said. “Her apparent strength at this point in the primary race is almost unprecedented in modern American politics, and suggests that she may be able to turn her attention to the general election well before her eventual Republican counterpart.”

Rubio has scheduled his kickoff for Monday at an event at the Freedom Tower in Miami, a far bigger production than Clinton’s launch over the weekend. Having been in the Senate only since 2010, Rubio is far less known but, as his win over then-Gov. Charlie Crist shows, he is a skilled campaigner.