Washington ( CNN ) -- At the Council on Foreign relations this week , Sen. Marco Rubio talked tough on the international hotspot of the day , Syria . `` It 's time to act now . I do n't want to score political points on this issue , I want to see it resolved , '' Rubio told Time Magazine 's Rick Stengel , the event 's moderator . Rubio says he does n't want to score political points , but like it or not -- every move he makes these days is viewed through one prism : a potential vice presidential pick for Mitt Romney . For many Republicans , Rubio is prime running mate material -- a fresh-faced , telegenic tea party favorite from Florida , a key battleground state . And he is , of course , Hispanic -- a fast-growing ethnic group in the United States , a group Democrats dominated in presidential elections over the past four decades . The impact of the 'Latino vote ' beyond Texas . In 2008 , only 31 % of Latinos voted for Sen. John McCain . Nearly 7 in 10 voted for then-Sen. Barack Obama . The best a GOP presidential candidate has ever done with Hispanics was George W. Bush in 2004 , and he got just 44 % of the group 's vote . A fair number of Republican strategists say that if Romney were to pick a Latino running mate , it could bridge the huge gap . `` Republicans need about 40 % of the Hispanic vote to be competitive nationally , '' said GOP strategist Leslie Sanchez . `` To add a candidate who happens to be of Hispanic descent is incredibly important , not only because it shows the party can be inclusive , but open-minded Latino independent voters will really see this is a reason to take a second look at the Republican party . '' What Latinos want from candidates ? Respect . How about Martinez or Sandoval ? Two other Hispanic Republicans who are generating VP buzz are New Mexico Gov . Susanna Martinez and Nevada Gov . Brian Sandoval . Martinez is a gun-toting conservative and the first Latina governor in U.S. history , but she has actually clashed with fellow Hispanics in New Mexico because she wants to reverse a state law allowing illegal immigrants to get drivers licenses . `` Giving licenses to people who are here illegally is wrong and overwhelmingly unpopular , '' Martinez has argued . Sandoval is a budget-cutting , government-shrinking Republican , but he favors abortion rights , which could be a drawback as a GOP running mate . And though he 's Latino , he does n't speak Spanish . Why older Latinos matter in election . Alberto Gonzales , the first Latino U.S. attorney general , says a Hispanic at the top of the ticket may help lure Latino voters , but not a No.2 . `` I do n't think it would make that much of a difference , '' Gonzales told CNN . Alberto Gonzales : Economic policies will discourage Hispanics , not voter ID laws . Experience is key , Gonzales said . Rubio , Martinez and Sandoval all were elected to their posts a little more than 18 months ago . `` I think Governor Romney is better suited looking for someone to join him on the ticket who could be president on Day One , '' Gonzales said . Still , a Romney source points out to CNN that some states may be so close on Election Day that a Latino running mate could make the difference . It 's not just states with well-known Latino populations like New Mexico , Colorado and Nevada that matter . Battleground states such as North Carolina and Virginia , where the Latino populations doubled in the past 10 years , could decide the next president . One enormous challenge in picking a Latino running mate is that Hispanic-Americans are very diverse . Rubio is Cuban-American . Martinez is Mexican-American . In the Latino community -- each poses risks for potential culture clashes . Two-thirds of Hispanics in the United States are of Mexican descent , and a much smaller percentage , about 4 % , are Cuban . `` It 's very different . It 's coming from different countries , different languages . It does n't mean we 're going to be monolithic or vote together , '' said Sanchez , the GOP strategist . Some Latino politicians and strategists argue that Hispanics are a natural constituency for the GOP -- not the Democratic party . Many Latino voters tend to be fiscally and socially conservative , they say . 'Sleeping giant ' Latino vote yet to awaken . The need for outreach . Sanchez , like other Republican strategists , said the source of the decades-old GOP problem among Hispanic voters is that the party historically did little to no outreach . That has changed in recent years , but the fight has hampered efforts over immigration reform , which many Hispanic voters perceive as anti-Latino . Romney 's stance on illegal immigration during the GOP primary battle turned particularly strident , which Republican Latino strategists worry wo n't exactly pull voters to the GOP . While GOP Hispanics such as Gonzales and Sanchez disagree over whether a Latino running mate would really help Romney with Latino voters , they do agree it would be , when it comes to inclusiveness , an extremely important gesture . And it may help Republicans with Latinos in the long run . `` If Governor Romney makes a decision that one of the people you mentioned should be with him on the ticket , and if Governor Romney were to win in November , I mean there would be a great deal of pride in the Hispanic community in having that person being in that position , '' said Gonzales .
Beyond Marco Rubio , other Latinos could be Mitt Romney 's vice presidential pick . Comment: Susanna Martinez of New Mexico and Brian Sandoval of Nevada are possibilities . Republican presidential candidates have historically had bad luck courting Latinos .