future of the GOP

There is an article on Politico today written by Alexander Burns detailing the depth of  potential GOP vice presidential candidates. Pictured at the top of the article is Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, and New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez. Many others are mentioned throughout the article and it is an impressive list to say the least.

The majority of these potential candidates came into office during the 2010 elections and some are holding office for the first time. Additionally many of them are very young including Marco Rubio who is 39.

The obvious good news about this plethora of potential VP candidates is that there will be plenty of options for the future Republican nominee. There will also be  many fresh faces to choose from. The bad news is that there seems to be more excitement over the VP field than there is for the presidential field. Right now the potential candidates are made up of a who’s who list of 2008 rejects.

I believe the most significant information this article gives us is that the national elections after 2012 will have strong candidates representing the GOP. As Burns writes,

The numbers tell that story best: Between 2006 and 2008, Republicans elected only three new senators and five new governors, including Palin. In 2010 alone, voters put 14 new GOP senators and 15 new Republican governors into office, giving the party a class of new leaders who could fill out a ticket in 2012 — or lead one in 2016.

The future of the Republican Party is bright.