Marco Rubio's wife Jeanette has kept a relatively low profile despite her husbands growing national profile. While he's in Washington, Jeanette Rubio usually stays behind in West Miami raising the couple's four children. Though, she just gave her first extended interview in conjunction with her hubby to Politico. The timing is interesting. Senator Rubio has a book coming out, sure, but he's also considered a hot prospect to be named as Mitt Romney's running mate. Is the former Miami Dolphins cheerleader preparing for the role of Second Lady?
Senator's wives often aren't very high profile. Can you even name Senator Bill Nelson's wife? (It's Grace, by the way). Jeanette Rubio did join Marco on some points along the campaign trail, but has never delivered a stump speech and until now never submitted to a lengthy interview. The wives of presidential and vice presidential candidate, meanwhile, are often thrust into the spotlight. And in a year when the Republican party is trying to downplay the notion it's waging a "war against women," Ann Romney and whomever her VP counterpart is (assuming, of course, Romney does not pick a female running mate) will likely be expected to be even more visible.
Jeanette tells Politico she'd be up to the challenge should she someday need to be.
"I think that as time went by, I would probably feel more and more comfortable with that role."
Though Politico reported last week that Rubio may not be as high on Romney's list of potential running mates as the media seems to think, Jeanette talked vaguely about the possibility.
Jeanette's own credentials are also given a boost in the interview. She's said to have spurred her husband's interest in ending human trafficking, and works part time at Norman Braman's Braman Family Foundation.
Sen. Rubio's own stance on whether he could be named as a VP candidate has gradually shifted from "I won't accept," to "I don't think I'd be asked," to "I'm not going to talk about it."
Submitting his wife to an interview though seems like he is quietly putting his case together. Though, he does also have a memoir, An American Son, coming out on June 19th. It seems somewhat natural then that she'd give her first lengthy interview now. But in addition to building up buzz for the book could this also be a calculated move to build up buzz for Rubio's own VP candidacy? Only time will tell.
