Behind Marco Rubio's survival strategyDES MOINES-- Marco Rubio won’t finish first in Iowa's caucuses six days from now, but he and his allies have increasingly positioned him to make a third-place showing look like the victory they always wanted...
...“Marco’s goal all along has been to survive, wait for other people to get kicked off the island and pick his moment – and that’s what you’re seeing in Iowa,” said one Republican familiar with the campaign’s approach. “The only thing that has changed is the staying power of Donald Trump. And that might be a good thing for Marco.”
Indeed, Rubio’s campaign is now casting Trump as an enabler in Iowa. If the New York billionaire wins there, it means Rubio’s biggest rival, Ted Cruz, does not—and a second place finish, even though it puts Cruz ahead of Rubio, would be viewed as a disappointment for the candidate who held a double-digit lead in the state just weeks ago.
...But make no mistake: Cruz and Rubio have long eyed one another as their most dangerous opponent, each being the likeliest second choice of most of their supporters. Following a contentious exchange over immigration in the December debate, their sparring dominated coverage of the race through the end of the year. Now, Trump and Cruz are going at it—and no one is happier about it than Rubio.
“Iowa’s going to play an important role in helping America begin to narrow its choices. And Iowa’s always done that,” Rubio said. “Then as we move on into other states, obviously, the election will take different twists and turns. It’s been an unusual year.”...
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