As Republican candidates continue to try to stand out from the pack and win the party's nomination for president, experts say a young senator from Florida could be the party's best hope at winning over independent voters.

That senator is Marco Rubio, and his youth and charisma could make him an appealing candidate for younger voters who are tired of partisan politics, said Susan MacManus, political science professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

The fastest growing segment of voters in Florida are increasingly choosing no party affiliation. These independent voters might soon have the opportunity to vote for a nonpartisan, open primary system in the 2016 election.

The Federal Election Commission last week turned down a request to consider a rulemaking that would force the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) to open those contests to independent candidates.

It is perhaps rarer than a blue moon that both major U.S. political parties agree on something. However, on this point, at least, there is consensus between Democrats and Republicans: The food stamps program must change.

In an exclusive interview, I recently had the privilege of speaking to an American hero, William Binney, NSA whistle-blower.

We discussed how NSA mass data collection makes us LESS safe; how the intentions behind it are not misguided but positively nefarious; how the lies that have been told about it are snowballing, and how Rand Paul's presidential candidacy may uniquely represent an opportunity for change.

Personal stories matter in politics. Personal stories connect us to the issues. They tie large, abstract issues to personal, human events. They help us empathize. They help us connect to each other, allowing us to understand, even if we don’t agree. It’s personal stories that change opinions.

Why all the buzz about whether we should call former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, "Hillary"? Or use just the familiar “Jeb” to refer to former Florida Governor John Ellis Bush.

Ron Paul and Rand Paul disagree over the Obama administration's proposed nuclear deal with Iran.

Supreme Court term limits. Currently, Supreme Court justices serve for life and can choose when they want to retire. Supporters of term limits argue that it is undemocratic for justices to serve life tenures while simultaneously not being held accountable to the public.

There has been a lot of debate recently about how to increase voter turnout -- to get more Americans engaged in the political process.

This is largely a reaction to the fact that the 2014 midterm election had the worst voter turnout in 70 years, with 36.4 percent of eligible voters casting ballots.