Marco Rubio Is the Likeliest Florida Man on the 2024 Republican Ticket

[Heebie Jeebie]

Trump is too old and is afraid of losing to Biden again.  DeSantis is a garbage governor riding a wave of undeserved hype.

But Marco Rubio is an influential two-term Senator who has experience running a presidential campaign.  He's likely to beat Val Demings in a very high profile race next year, and use the positive headlines to leap to the front of 2024 field.  He might not be at the top of the ticket, but he'd be an ideal running mate for Mike Pence or whoever ends up winning the nomination. 

[Heebie Jeebie]

What about Rick Scott?

He might try to buy his way onto the ticket.

Scott's Senate seat is up in 2024, and there'll be a lot of pressure on him to run for re-election as an incumbent.

[Heebie Jeebie]

One view of the future:

2022
DeSantis really leans into Trump, getting a big endorsement and a big Trump rally, but surprisingly only wins his gubernatorial race by a relatively  thin margin.  Rubio gets the Trump endorsement, but generally keeps his distance and plays to the middle.  He surprisingly beats Deming's by a wide margin and is suddenly the Florida golden boy again.

2024
Rubio considers another presidential run but in the end decides to pass.  Trump doesn't run.  Rubio gives DeSantis an obligatory fellow-Floridian endorsement, but mostly keeps a low profile.  DeSantis runs a garbage campaign and the nomination eventually falls to Mike Pence, who inspires no one but is nevertheless universally well-known.  Pence is running against a semi-popular incumbent Biden and knows he can't win without Florida.  DeSantis is a loser, but Rubio has a strong track record in the state, so Pence picks him.  Picking Rubio also serves as an olive branch to the DeSantis folks, given Rubio's earlier endorsement.

[Heebie Jeebie]

I just think Rubio's time has come and gone, he's old news and I don't see any scenario where Trump doesn't run and easily win but if he doesn't DeSantis, overhyped as he is, probably takes it.

He's only 50 years old, and he's only been in Congress since 2010.  He might not have the pizzazz of a newcomer, but he's almost comically fit for the veep role.