2016 Presidential Candidates: Marco Rubio and Bobby Jindal May Save GOP From Itself in 2016

Republican Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), two of the youngest and more diverse faces of the GOP, seem to be showing the kind of leadership that suggests they'd consider a 2016 presidential run. 

After the 2012 GOP defeat, almost universally blamed on the Republicans' failure at connecting with an increasingly more diverse American electorate, these two figures are calling on 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's post-election "gifts" comment. 

Romney, who confessed he thought he was almost certain of winning the election, told his donors during a conference call, that the reason why Obama won reelection is because of the "gifts" he promised to women, blacks and Hispanics — the increasingly important voting blocs that helped reelecting him. 

"We have got to stop dividing the American voters," said Jindal in response to Romney's comment. He added the GOP should go after 100% of the electorate and not only after 53% (a reference to a previous comments by Romney that 47% of Americans see themselves as entitled victims and will vote for Obama "no matter what"). Jindal was scheduled to speak at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa but cancelled at the last minute to deal with Hurricane Isaac in his state. 

And then is Marco Rubio, the young Cuban-American senator and Tea Party darling who was considered as a potential running mate by the Romney campaign, and delivered a passionate case for American conservatism at the 2012 RNC. 

Rubio said that Romney’s "gifts" remark were nothing else that "an analysis to donors." However, he also distanced himself from them by saying, "our mission should not be to deny government benefits to people who need them," but the party should work to ensure "less people need government benefits."

In another rebuke to Romney's infamous "47%" line Rubio continued, "I would just say to you, I don’t believe that we have millions and millions of people in this country that don’t want to work. I’m not saying that’s what he said. I think we have millions of people in this country that are out of work and are dependent on the government because they can't find a job."