Marco Rubio Tries to Use His Inexperience to His Advantage in 2016 Presidential Campaign

The identity politics of the 2016 presidential race seem somewhat skewed. After Barack Obama became the third youngest man elected to office (behind fellow Democrats John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton), the reputation of the Democratic Party seemed to be decidedly young. However, the 2016 presidential race seems to be bucking this trend. Though Republican frontrunner Donald Trump is a year older than Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, many are surprised by the success of the 44-year-old Marco Rubio. The Florida Senator, who has only served since 2011, seems to be changing the prevailing wisdom of the Republican Party, employing younger staff members and seeking the endorsement of influential young lawmakers.

Marco Rubio's endorsements may not be particularly high profile, but, according to the New York Times, they seem to follow a trend of youth and inexperience. Endorsements for the Senator include Mia Love, a 39-year-old freshman Congresswoman from Utah, Jamie Herrera Beutler, a 36 year-old Congresswoman from Washington, and Cory Gardner who, at 41, is the second-youngest member of the Senate.

Although Rubio likes to joke that he "feels 45," his campaign has a distinct tone of generational change and transformation. A popular rhetorical phrase "yesterday's over," has peppered the candidate's campaign speeches since the inception of his candidacy.

The trend is surprising to some, who view it as antithetical to the parties' respective bases. Young people voted for Barack Obama 67 percent in comparison to Mitt Romney's 30. If this trend continues, Rubio will have a difficult time trying to reorient his party. William H. Frey, a professor at the University of Michigan and "an expert of demographics and politics for the Brookings Institution, said, "It's kind of odd that they themselves are part of a demographic that's not their natural political base." Frey referred to this election cycle as an example of "the emerging cultural generational gap."

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Marco Rubio, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton