For such a talented politician, it’s amazing that Marco Rubio chose to tangle with Ted Cruz instead of lining up the moderate wing by going after Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, and John Kasich. Someone told him he had a better chance trying to pull conservatives. Someone told him a lie.
Rubio, once considered the most likely “last man standing” when the dust of this crazy GOP political season finally settled, is appearing more and more to finish behind Christie in the Republican Establishment’s moderate lane of the party. He and his super PACs continue to go after Cruz. In doing so, they’re highlighting their own deficiencies when it comes to amnesty and his Gang of 8 debacle.
The campaign and super PACs are unsuccessfully trying to paint Cruz as lighter on national security and a flip-flopper on immigration. This may have been the only chance they felt they had if the race came down to the two of them, but he’s starting to show signs of losing favor even on the moderate end of the spectrum. Christie is surging in New Hampshire, a state the Rubio would have to finish in the top three to be even a minor consideration for the nomination. If things continue down this path, he’ll finish fourth behind Donald Trump, Cruz, and Christie. There’s even an outside chance that if Bush and Kasich can make strong moves in the state, Rubio could fall to fifth, effectively ending a once-promising run for President.
The strategy that he needs to switch to very quickly is to go after all of his moderate competitors. If he can united the moderate Republican vote under him, he’ll be in much better position going into the March 1 Super Tuesday to compete. The problem he’s looking at now by going after Cruz is that his numbers are dropping while Cruz’s numbers are skyrocketing. When you’re the lesser contender falling and shooting at those who are surging, it seems desperate.
He hit his stride when he was defending himself against Bush in the first three GOP debates. That’s when he was moving up and for some reason he abandoned that position. Perhaps he thought he had that battle already won. Perhaps he wanted to pivot towards conservatism in hopes of uniting both wings of the party against Donald Trump. Perhaps his campaign staff is just too inexperienced and the candidate himself is too cocky.
The good news for Rubio is that he’s very well positioned to be picked as a Vice President candidate if Cruz gets the nomination. To keep that status alive, he needs to abandon his failed attacks and focus on consolidating the moderate lane under him.