So, what happened to Rubio?

[retromike22]

Look at Rubio in the chart and scroll down.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html

Currently he's behind Walker, Perry, and Carson.

What caused this?

[Mr. Smith]

Immigration reform of course

[pbrower2a]

He showed himself quickly as a marginal leader. He fit a promising narrative, only to show himself below average for Presidential prospects. He now looks like the sort of pol who gets swept in in one partisan wave and gets swept out in the reverse wave. 

[BaconBacon96]

He spoke too much.

[Lief 🗽]

You have to understand that the GOP base is animated by fear. Most of that fear is fear of the browns (moving into their neighborhoods, taking their jobs, attending their schools, having sex with their daughters, etc.). They were willing to give Rubio, a noted brown, the benefit of the doubt for a time. But once he embraced amnesty (for the browns) it was over.

[Bull Moose Base]

Look at Rubio in the chart and scroll down.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html

Currently he's behind Walker, Perry, and Carson.

What caused this?

Almost everybody is behind Carson. But to answer the question, immigration.

[NHI]

He never struck me as a Presidential candidate, at least not in the near future. However, his biggest detriment has been immigration reform, which is sad, but not surprising as the base of my party is so strictly opposed to any reform.

[Flake]

1. The GOP hates any sort of immigration reform apparently
2. Marco Rubio couldn't speak well (like some sort of rally) if his life depended on it.

[Maistre]

Amnesty is a deal-breaker. Even Mitt had to tip a hat to conservatives on that one.

[CountryClassSF]

He decided to overthrow GOP base and ended up exposing himself as a phony

[Cory]

You have to understand that the GOP base is animated by fear. Most of that fear is fear of the browns (moving into their neighborhoods, taking their jobs, attending their schools, having sex with their daughters, etc.). They were willing to give Rubio, a noted brown, the benefit of the doubt for a time. But once he embraced amnesty (for the browns) it was over.

Lol no. In America race isn't about your actual heritage, it's about the color of your skin. Rubio is white.

[justfollowingtheelections]

He's not particularly bright.  People figured that out when he gave the "I'm not a scientist man" interview. The only reason he was popular in the first place was because he was a pretty boy with a Spanish name.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Was he ever high in the polls?

[IceSpear]

Was he ever high in the polls?

He led in most of them in early-mid 2013.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html

[Vega]

He'd be a better VP than President.

[Likely Voter]

Was he ever high in the polls?

It was more about the media elites and some in the mainstream GOP who saw him as the solution to the loss in 2012. Which resulted in this cover in early 2013.



In a sense, Rubio was the party's rebound fling after getting dumped in 2012. It was a fun flirtation with diversity but in the end they will go back to their true love (some white guy)

[Vega]

^ Wasn't Time saying the same thing about Christie?

[Likely Voter]

^ Wasn't Time saying the same thing about Christie?

Yes they did. In 2013 Time gave Christie two covers (January and November)
 


Again the media elites saw him as bipartisan blue state hero who will win over the party and moderate it. But then came Bridgegate.

[henster]

I can't see him being VP because he still has to run for re-election.

[Lupo]

Rubio seems more long-term to me than, say, Ted Cruz or Rand Paul.  He realizes he'll have many more opportunities to run and, with Jeb likely in, he knows this isn't his time. 

Can't see him being a runningmate though.  He's top of the ticket or nothing.

[Keystone Phil]

Even with the immigration issue, it's been so strange (and upsetting) how he isn't even really part of the conversation anymore.

[The_Doctor]

He ran into the buzzsaw of immigration reform without the Presidency behind him. Only a Republican President can take on immigration reform and win. Anyone else doesn't have the clout within the party to do it.

[RogueBeaver]

Immigration hurt because he went open instead of keeping an open secret - 2010 was an exception to his views before and since. The ironic thing is there's hardly daylight between Pubs on this issue - even Cruz. Had he rolled out his domestic proposals first and left immigration alone... but since Jeb's running this is all moot. Even if Rubio had a smooth 2013, Jeb running would keep him out.

All this said, in a (increasingly unlikely) situation where Jeb doesn't run and Walker doesn't catch fire, I could see Rubio being nominated.