Notice that all Republican "rising stars" this century have been massive duds?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Think back to the early part of the century. I remember the two "rising stars" in my state, Coleman and Pawlenty. They were turning Minnesota Republican! Future Presidential ticket candidates! And then one loses to Al Franken and one turns out to be a boring trainwreck of a national candidate who quickly faded into obscurity. Oh around the same time frame you had Rick Santorum as proof that a staunch socon could win a blue (Atlas red) state...yeah.

And think of everyone hyped up after that. Bobby Jindal! Chris Christie! Remember future House Majority Leader or Speaker Aaron Schock? Remember how Bob McDonnell was just the guy needed after proving a hard right candidate could win an increasingly Democratic swing state? Remember when Paul Ryan was a media darling? Oh hell even Eric Cantor got some hype and VP buzz in 2008.

And that's not even getting into that reformist and independent-minded Governor of Alaska elected in 2006...

Yeah it's not surprising they're on the verge of nominating Donald Trump, and quite amusing.

Also amusing is Mitt Romney was never some hyped up rising star, yet he's shaping up to be the most successful Republican to ever have ran a Presidential campaign after George W. Bush.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I feel like Ayotte and Rubio definitely aren't duds.

Ayotte is either going to lose next year or be a bland backbencher Senator for at least another term, Rubio might be the one exception if the establishment realizes he's a much better Stop Trump candidate than Jeb...but there's no guarantee of that happening.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I feel like Ayotte and Rubio definitely aren't duds.

BOOM! It continues!

(Kind of interesting that another supposed rising star basically took him down in a kamikaze attack.)