A little of Column A, a little of Column B.
Why should Rubio drop out in favor of Kasich? Kasich is doing even worse.
At least in my part of Florida I have seen zero evidence Rubio is a candidate. No signs, no ads, no buper stickers. Nada.
As far as I can tell he didn’t have a very high profile as a senator in the public’s eye either. Folks knew the name, but he wasn’t newsworthy or a topic of conversation.
Given all that, at least from where I sit, the idea that he’d win Florida in 6 days is ludicrous.
I admit he might be insanely popular in the Cuban expat community and I’d be unaware of that. But it’s not obvious to me how much Cruz can lay claim to the same ethnic connection while having that other useful political boost: actual winning potential.
Rubio is winning the bumper sticker battle in my neck of the woods (Orlando where I work leans D, but Oviedo where I live, is strongly R) out of the GOP candidates. I’m not sure that counts for much, though, since Romney was winning the sticker battle during the last general election.
I do too. That explains the funny looks when they handed me a Dem ballot, right after I mentioned it’s my first Florida vote.
FWIW, the Trump signs were out at the library before the Rubio signs. And apparently the Florida law is that the no-campaign zone is about half a meter from the door.
Kasich may have a better chance to win Ohio than Rubio does to win Florida. Kasich may be the Last Best Hope for TPTB, and that will keep him in as long as it’s the case.
Besides, there’s the argument that getting humiliated in his own state may end Rubio’s chances for any other elective office here, but he still has the chance to show some statesmanship by punching out before that happens.
Bolding mine.
You misspelled “cowardice”. 
IMO he ought to stay in through the FL primary just so the voters can deliver a clear verdict on him. I don’t think this’d be in *his *interest, but it would be in the state’s interest.
Rubio and Kasich are both prime candidates for the VP spot, and any delegates they can bring to the party at a brokered convention will work in their favor in that regard.
Kasich would be a particularly good VP pick for Cruz. He would help moderate the image of the ticket, and he might be able to deliver Ohio, which would be crucial to Cruz’s chances in the general election. Kasich also brings executive experience and a host of relationships with people in Congress. He’s worked in the executive and legislative branches, and would be on paper possibly the best VP candidate the Republicans have fielded since George HW Bush.
Winning Ohio would help cement that, and give him some delegates to bargain with at a contested convention. And, he’s probably the best hope for keeping Trump away from Ohio’s big bag of delegates.
He’d be an even better VP for Trump, and could possibly bring in the not-batshit vote. I don’t think he’s going to carry Ohio himself and could not carry it for Trump.
It’s all over. Trump is the nominee.
I think the problem is that all three non-Trump candidates have an argument that the other two are less likely to win, so all three will stick it out through at least next week.
I’m not sure who would pick Rubio for VP. Cruz doesn’t need a second one-term senator on his ticket. I seriously doubt Trump would offer, or Rubio would accept. I guess Kasich might, but there isn’t really a shortage of young, ideological GOP office-holders, and given Rubio’s squandering of his chance in the primary, I kinda doubt he would. (though I guess Kasich and Rubio might still do the “corrupt bargain” thing).
Cruz would have to pick somebody who *doesn’t *know him. Trump will go with somebody who doesn’t want to go down in flames with him. If Kasich sees himself as The Electable One for 2020, which may be the case, he’s not going to raise the Trump flag.
I don’t see that as a problem. 
Fox News reports that if Rubio’s internal polling doesn’t show any promise of winning Florida, he’ll drop out before Tuesday. Don’t know if he’ll try to cut a deal with Cruz of if he’ll hang in there for one more debate to pile on Trump.
Florida is a TV state, and Rubio’s Super PAC has had a lot of anti-Trump commercials on lately. A debate could create opportunities for Rubio to look bad, and he might not want to take the risk.
AFAICT, tomorrow’s Republican debate is the last one before Florida.
Correct. And the Chicago Tribune endorsed Rubio today but refused to endorse either Democratic candidate. Strange timing for a Rubio endorsement.
Or someone who has already gone down in flames and has nothing left to lose by playing second banana to The Donald. Perhaps someone who has already dropped out of the presidential campaign and pledged support to Trump. Someone like a governor, probably from a Mid-Atlantic state. I’m sure there’s somebody like that out there…
Timing is everything in comedy.
At this point, I can’t see anyone thinking Rubio would help their ticket; he’s pretty much damaged goods right now. He’d probably jump at the chance to be anyone’s running mate. He needs the veep slot to keep his political career alive, but nobody needs him for it.
Assorted people are suggesting that Rubio should try to cut a deal with Cruz, no later than tomorrow, where Rubio drops out in exchange for the veep slot if Cruz wins the nomination.
I can see Cruz telling the world what Rubio had suggested, and publicly trashing the whole idea.
Rubio still says he will win Florida, which doesn’t sound like a drop out is imminent. But if he wants to participate in tonight’s debate, he has to say that. I think he wants to take a few more swipes at Trump and see what the his pollsters say on Monday morning.