When will Rubio emerge as the presumptive nominee?

[Talleyrand]

Currently, I'm thinking he'll have locked it up by around early May (although there's a good change it could be a month earlier or a month later).

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Never

[eric82oslo]

Either late February or early March.

[Talleyrand]

Either late February or early March.

How is he going to emerge as the presumptive nominee after only four contests, one of which he has already lost???

I think he has this locked up, but that's just ridiculous.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Sadly TRUMP Has a lead with pretty much every demographic in the GOP, Rubio isn't winning

[eric82oslo]

Either late February or early March.

How is he going to emerge as the presumptive nominee after only four contests, one of which he has already lost???

I think he has this locked up, but that's just ridiculous.

I think Rubio will win both South Carolina and Nevada, and I think he has a serious shot at winning New Hampshire as well. After these 4 contests, most of the establishment candidates (probably all except perhaps Bush) will have dropped out, further increasing his momentum. Also, about 90% of all endorsements coming from elected officials over the next 3-5 weeks will go to Rubio. Suddenly, the massive attention that the media has solely been giving to Trump over the past 7 months will start heading Rubio's way instead. In other words, all stars will align. And Rubio's brilliant debate skills will further cement this image. I've always believed that either Rubio or Bush would be the eventual nominee, and after I lost all my faith in Bush in October after a number of horrific debate performances, I've never had any doubt that Rubio eventually would emerge as the nominee.

I think Rubio will lose the general to Hillary though. I'm unsure if he will try again in 2020, because it's just not common that a losing candidate tries his luck again already in the next election. However, due to his very young age, I'm pretty sure that he will run for the nomination once more, probably in 2024 when there is no sitting president to obstruct his chances. If he wins that nomination, which I think is highly likely that he would, I think his chances in the general would be at least 50%. By then, he would be recognized as a statesman. Perhaps he's already been elected Governor of Florida or something by then. Perhaps he will be running as a sitting Governor. 2024 might be an all-latino general, in the case that Hillary does in fact chose Julian Castro as her running mate, something she's been flirting with for a long time already. However, after 16 years of Democratic presidents, it would be very hard even for a charming young lad like Julian to beat an optimistic, visionary Rubio which at that point will be drowning in political experience, both foreign and domestic. By 2024, Rubio should long have abandoned his ultra controversial abortion stance as well, if not it might be the sole thing that could derail his campaign in the general. (More likely than Rubio, Ted Cruz as this year's runner up, will be the presumptive GOP nominee in 2020. He will probably win the primary, yet lose the general badly. The GOP will get its 2nd Goldwater experience, which will lead the party onto a whole different path, finally staring the inevitable future in its eyes. After such a humiliating defeat, what remains of the Tea Party and other party reactionaries (call it the Sarah Palin meets Santorum fraction) will be put on the sidelines in shame and disgust, even from the voters themselves who will be so tired of constantly losing at that point.)

[Torie]

If Rubio wins SC, at that point, absent surprises, I think the race is essentially over.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

If he wins SC. If Trump wins NH by 15-20 points, then I'm not sure.

[Asian Nazi]

TRUMP will have this thing wrapped up by the end of the month.

[Oakvale]

TRUMP will have this thing wrapped up by the end of the month.

Yes. A huge victory in NH despite the media shilling full-time for Narco will allow TRUMP to move to Stage 2 - the Art of the Comeback.

[Lord of the Dome]

Depending on the results in New Hampshire and South Carolina either directly after Super Tuesday or by the end of March.

[Publius]

If by "presumptive nominee" you mean he has the 50%+1 of the delegates, then probably the end of May (June's California Primary at the outside).

But if you mean, "The writing is on the wall," it'll be by the end of March.

[emailking]

Either late February or early March.

How is he going to emerge as the presumptive nominee after only four contests, one of which he has already lost???

I think he has this locked up, but that's just ridiculous.

I honestly don't understand how you can think he has it "locked up" after 1 contest in which he came in 3rd. Sure there is a plausible argument for why he'll win or "emerge", but there are such plausible for several other candidates, including Trump, Cruz, or even Kasich.

Also, if he has it locked up, then there's no need for him to "emerge", unless you're just seeing something the rest of us aren't.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

TRUMP will have this thing wrapped up by the end of the month.

Yes. A huge victory in NH despite the media shilling full-time for Narco will allow TRUMP to move to Stage 2 - the Art of the Comeback.

Yep. If Trump wins a huge victory in NH and Rubio fails to get a solid 2nd, I don't see how he becomes the nominee. He'd have to win SC, and I can't see Trump losing his big lead here if he wins NH.

I strangely know a lot of Trump supporters in my area, but I've never come across a Cruz supporter.

[Lincoln Republican]

TRUMP will have this thing wrapped up by the end of the month.

Only if Republicans want to be represented by a candidate who spews venom, hatred, bigotry, intolerance, who makes fun of physically handicapped people, and who doesn't like American military who were captured and imprisoned.

[Asian Nazi]

Only if Republicans want to be represented by a candidate who spews venom, hatred, bigotry, intolerance, who makes fun of physically handicapped people, and who doesn't like American military who were captured and imprisoned.

Rubio is a disgusting fascist bigot and you should be ashamed of supporting him.

[Lincoln Republican]

Only if Republicans want to be represented by a candidate who spews venom, hatred, bigotry, intolerance, who makes fun of physically handicapped people, and who doesn't like American military who were captured and imprisoned.

Rubio is a disgusting fascist bigot and you should be ashamed of supporting him.

Please, show some respect for Marco, your next President.

[Phony Moderate]

TRUMP will have this thing wrapped up by the end of the month.

Only if Republicans want to be represented by a candidate who spews venom, hatred, bigotry, intolerance, who makes fun of physically handicapped people, and who doesn't like American military who were captured and imprisoned.

But enough about Cruz and Rubio.

[Maxwell]

TRUMP will have this thing wrapped up by the end of the month.

Only if Republicans want to be represented by a candidate who spews venom, hatred, bigotry, intolerance, who makes fun of physically handicapped people, and who doesn't like American military who were captured and imprisoned.

And a significant sliver, if not an outright majority, want that.

[President Johnson]

The nominee will be TRUMP.

[Beezer]

Never. The more scrutiny he receives, the weaker he'll appear. The guy is a complete lightweight.

[Joe Biden is your president. Deal with it.]

Rubio won't win. I don't know why people are jerking it over him just because he came in third place. It will boil down between to The Donald and Rafael Edward Cruz.

[Lincoln Republican]

Rubio won't win. I don't know why people are jerking it over him just because he came in third place. It will boil down between to The Donald and Rafael Edward Cruz.

But you say that, because, as a Clinton supporter, you know full well that Rubio is the only Republican who can defeat Hillary.

[Mr. Illini]

Never. The more scrutiny he receives, the weaker he'll appear. The guy is a complete lightweight.

Low-energy, too.

[Beezer]

Never. The more scrutiny he receives, the weaker he'll appear. The guy is a complete lightweight.

Didn't expect his flaws to be exposed this badly and this quickly.