For months, Marco Rubio toiled as the second-class Miami Republican running for president, dismissed by most of the ruling order in favor of his political elder, Jeb Bush, when it came to two crucial campaign yardsticks: money and endorsements. The sentiment among GOP insiders is that a Cruz presidency is a bigger threat to the Establishment than Trump.
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More than a few of them landed with Florida Sen. He said Rubio officials are “being very diplomatic” about approaching Bush supporters disappointed by the Florida governor’s flameout after contests in just three states.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wants to make a “voting issue” out of the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalia’s sudden death earlier this month.
“I worked closely with both of them and, like a lot of folks, had had some angst about shared loyalties and awareness of these two leaders”, state Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, said. Ted Cruz for the second place spot in South Carolina’s caucus Saturday, behind front-runner Donald Trump, and hopes to keep the momentum going.
That’s because nearly 60 percent of the total delegates in play for the nomination are up for grabs in March.
“I don’t think there’s anything else he can do”, said Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Harrisburg, Pa. “If he comes out of (Super Tuesday) at No. 2 with the rest of the field weakened, then I think the race goes on”.
That extra money will be enormously helpful as the number of states in play increases dramatically and Rubio’s campaign shifts from town halls and handshakes to fly-ins and TV ads.
The clock is ticking for Rubio, said Florida real-estate developer Al Hoffman, a former Republican National Committee finance chairman and Bush supporter who’s now leaning toward Rubio.
Jeb Bush is thanking his vast network of donors Wednesday and lamenting that he was unable to break through in “a year of making a compelling case to people that were deeply disaffected and angry”. There’s a unanimous sense amongst these donors that Rubio is the natural choice after Bush’s dropping out of the race.
CNN noted that when asked about the legal brothels in the state, Rubio replied, “We won’t be visiting them”.
And the man who would represent the biggest potential Florida endorsement for Rubio is still recovering from his loss.
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“What the Bush donors will do, my instincts tell me, is that a majority of them will come with Rubio”, said Kilberg. The group has reserved nearly $4 million in television advertising for Super Tuesday states. I’m just saying they have the ability to do it. “He bridges the gaps and brings everybody together”. It was his third straight commanding victory in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
