Rubio rising?

[FLgirl]

Whatever his campaign is doing to make him bubble under the spotlight for now, could very well turn out to be a stroke of genius in the end. I don't see how it shouldn't be obvious to everyone that Rubio is by far the closest to occupying a sweet spot for the Republicans.

Rubio is running such an awesomely smart campaign. Quietly building support while staying out of the spotlight for the most part. Staying above the fray by not insulting opponents or wading into controversial issues just yet. Speaking out strongly on foreign policy issues, his strength. Performing impressively in debates.

It's all by design, this long game. A quiet, strong presence in a slow, steady rise. Weariness with Trump's antics will set in, the truth of the incompetence of the outsiders on top will come to light, and all the other candidates will continue faltering.

There, in the middle of it, will be Rubio, the bridge, the hope, the only answer, peaking at just the right time. Not "Aha!" but "Duh!" - he's been there all along.

[FLgirl]

Funny how Rubio wasn't even considered part of the establishment until the true outsiders... Trump, Carson, Fiorina... showed up.

Rubio's been part of the establishment wing.

Fiorina's not a true outsider. She ran for Senate in 2010, and was the Vice-Chair of the Senate Campaign Committee in 2012.

Well cruz was a domestic advisor to Dubya himself, so..

Remember guys, establishment - outsider is no binary choice, but a sliding scale from two extremes. So a candidate like Walker that unnerved some establishment factions but delighted others plays two camps?

This is why the whole notion of "outsiders" being more noble than "establishment" is whacked. There's plenty of corruption and games being played in the the business world, too. And these business people have apparently all had their hands in political circles as well. There are no outsiders. And even if one is purely an outsider, it does not, by nature, make them automatically more virtuous.

You're only an outsider until you're not. It takes a snap of fingers to switch.

[FLgirl]

Cruz will come at him soon

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From a RedState article, "Ted Cruz vs. Marco Rubio: This Is Where We Are Headed" (I can't post link).

[FLgirl]

I do see Rubio's strength as a candidate, but I'm not convinced that the boost he's been getting recently will stick.  Rubio's been fashionable twice before in this primary season, and he faded both times.

The GOP Establishment has no real alternative to Trump.  Rubio has shown some staying power and resiliency.  Everyone else hasn't caught on, and I believe that the "No More Bushes" message is being received loud and clear.

It remains to be seen if Carly Fiorina has staying power.  She's not really an "outsider", and she's the one "outsider" that the Establishment would be the most likely to make an accommodation with, but only for the VP level.  This would all hinge, of course, on whether or not she shows some staying power; the attacks will be coming in three . . . two . . . one . . .

Right now, I think the GOP Establishment would like a Rubio-Fiorina ticket if they could make it work.

It appears I'm in the minority, but I am not for Fiorina as VP for Rubio (or anyone for that matter). I was impressed by her first debate performance, but she has problems written all over her.

She's articulate, but I agree with comments I have seen around the Internet that her seemingly impressive grasp on issues is born from rote memorization and nothing more. I don't believe she has a foundational understanding, appreciation, or passion for conservative policies. (I say this based almost solely on intuition, as I haven't really read anything about her political beliefs history.)

Also, her shoddy tenures at HP & Lucent (whether fairly critiqued or not) seem to be a source of permanent toxicity to her reputation.

And there is just an overall coldness to her. I don't see her being liked at all by the general electorate. Rather than her being the smartest and most obvious choice for Rubio (or the eventual nominee) to make, I think she is the most disastrous pick.

Plus, I imagine she ain't one Marco is too fond of. I could be wrong, but they don't seem to fit together.