( CNN ) Marco Rubio is all in . The Republican senator from Florida has announced that he is seeking the Republican presidential nomination , running on an optimistic message that he embodies the promise of the American Dream . With his youthful energy and Hispanic roots , it 's tempting to see Rubio as the new blood that the GOP needs in order to compete against Hillary Clinton in 2016 . Yet Rubio has been his own worst enemy on what could have been his two signature issues : immigration reform and Cuba relations . He holds little appeal to Latino voters . And unless he can offer new ideas , his climb to the Republican nomination will be steep . Back in 2013 , Rubio was a member of the Senate `` Gang of 8 '' that crafted a bipartisan proposal for comprehensive reform , including a path to citizenship for the nation 's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants . He later distanced himself from the bill after it ran into resistance from House Republicans , and now says he favors a piecemeal approach , starting with securing the border . His retreat on immigration means that Rubio has missed an opportunity to set himself apart from most of the presumptive Republican presidential candidates . That 's a shame , for this issue was supposed to be his calling card to Latino voters . Instead , Rubio has embraced a typical conservative approach to immigration . He believes that President Obama 's Deferred Action program , offering deportation relief to young immigrants , should be ended . He has stated that the President 's executive action on immigration , on hold pending a circuit court review , sets a `` horrifying precedent . '' Meanwhile , both the Deferred Action program and President Obama 's executive action on immigration are overwhelmingly favored by Hispanics . No wonder the research firm Latino Decisions reports that , `` We find no evidence that Rubio 's candidacy will draw significant Latino support for his candidacy or for his party more generally . '' So , if Rubio is counting on his ethnicity and personal history as the son of immigrants to win over fellow Hispanics , he is mistaken . At a private breakfast Monday for supporters , Rubio described running against `` one candidate in the race who 's from yesterday , and one who wants to take us back to yesterday . '' But when it comes to Cuba policy , Rubio himself seems firmly stuck in the past . Over the weekend , he called the recent thaw in relations between the two countries ridiculous . He has warned that Cuba is taking advantage of the United States . Here , he is an increasingly lonely voice . Most Americans support better relations with Cuba , as do a majority of Cuban-Americans . By clinging to the notion that isolating Cuba is better than engaging with the communist country , Rubio has marginalized himself on an issue where he could have provided insight and leadership . Immigration and Cuba policy aside , Rubio 's political philosophy will be a tough sell to Hispanics . He is a fierce opponent of `` Obamacare '' and wants the law repealed . However , the Affordable Care Act has led to a 12.3 % drop in the Hispanic uninsured rate , making Latinos the demographic with the largest gain in insurance , thanks to the law . ( In fact , Rubio signed his own family up for `` Obamacare '' on the Washington exchange , taking advantage of a generous federal subsidy offered to lawmakers . ) Rubio favors smaller government , while Latinos are more likely than the general public to say they favor a bigger government that provides more services over a small government that provides less . And though Rubio doubts that climate change is caused by humans , The New York Times has noted that Latinos view global warming as a problem and favor government action on the issue . Sure , Rubio is young and charismatic . But his work on the failed immigration bill notwithstanding , Rubio has a significant lack of accomplishments to show for his five years in the senate . In February , he was reported as topping the list of absentee lawmakers by the website Politico . Another Rubio weakness is his lack of bold policy proposals . Consider that his fellow contender for the GOP presidential nomination , Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky , has been willing to present new ideas to the Republican base , such as reforming the criminal justice system and legalizing medical marijuana . Or that another GOP candidate for president , Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is entirely comfortable with his image as a conservative firebrand . By comparison , Rubio seems cautious and ill-suited to the task of rousing Republican voters . With his early leap into the 2016 race , Marco Rubio is positioning himself as the next generation of GOP leadership . Unfortunately , a fresh face on stale ideas is not a winning combination -- not for Rubio , and not for Latino voters .
Raul Reyes : In seeking to vote , Marco becomes his own worst opponent on two key issues : immigration reform , race relations . He says on health care , climate change and other issues , he breaks from voters ' positions . Polls say they do n't favor him .