Christie backs means testing of Social Security, raising retirement age

[Mr. Morden]

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-14/christie-pushes-means-test-for-social-security-in-new-hampshire

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He also proposed raising the Social Security retirement age to 69 for those born in 1960 or later and the Medicare age to 67.

Sanders immediately attacked him:

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[Mr. Morden]

Percentage of 2012 GOP Primary Voters Over Age 50 in Early States
Source: NBC

New Hampshire: 56%

South Carolina: 61%

Florida: 71%

Great way to start, Chris.

Florida isn't an "early state" anymore.  The primary is two weeks after Super Tuesday.

[Mr. Morden]

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Am I the only one surprised by this? I wonder if the establishment is convinced Rubio and Bush split the vote down the middle and don't want a spoiler to get momentum

Rubio helped push the change in the Florida primary date back in 2013.  (This was back when it was less clear that Bush was actually going to run, and the thinking was that Rubio might be the only Floridian in the race.)  The RNC had just passed tougher penalties on states other than IA/NH/NV/SC that vote earlier than March 1.  So if Florida had held an early primary again, it would have lost all but 12 delegates.  Rubio presumably figured that he wouldn't get much of any bounce from winning Florida, since it's his home state.  So he needed it more for delegates than for momentum.  So it made sense to move it to a date when it could keep all its delegates.