The Establishment would have voters believe that Marco Rubio is absolutely killing it on the campaign trail, and when they talk about the inevitable fade of Trump, it’s Rubio they see as the natural favorite to be the nominee. The last debate was supposed to be a showcase for Rubio, where he would build on his momentum and take his place at the top of the heap. But polling suggests just the opposite. As Kevin Boyd notes:
After the latest Republican presidential debate, GOP insiders (or hacks) told Politico they thought Marco Rubio won. These are the same people who have gotten nearly everything wrong so far in this presidential election.
In the meantime, the national and state polling taken since the debate all show Rubio’s poll numbers have either stalled or declined.
The national polling done after the December 15 debate shows that Trump and Cruz were the big winners with Rubio flat lining.
The flat line is fitting, considering how unremarkably Rubio performed when it mattered. If he wants to be the guy to take on Hillary Clinton, he’s going to have to do better.