Every candidate enjoys a boost in the polls after officially launching a presidential bid. The anticipated post-announcement bump appears to be more dramatic for Sen. Marco Rubio than anyone expected.
This week in Quinnipiac’s presidential primary poll, Rubio surged to first place at 15 points. Only a month ago, he sat in fourth place behind Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.
Behind him are Jeb Bush at 13 points and Scott Walker at 11. Whether the poll can be trusted remains to be seen. A CNN poll released a few days earlier showed Rubio in third place and the Real Clear Politics polling average positions him fourth, but rising.
Nevertheless, Rubio’s unmistakable emergence in the field is reportedly being coupled with critical backing from billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Adelson’s $32 billion fortune may be the fuel that keeps Marco Rubio sustainable, ready for the long haul.
Adelson spent nearly $100 million in the 2012 presidential cycle. He was the sole reason for Newt Gingrich’s ability to remain in the race long after Mitt Romney topped him in the Florida primary.
According to a handful of sources within his ranks, Adelson has voiced support for Rubio in two areas: the defense of Israel and the broad-based appeal to new demographics with regards to youth and Hispanic heritage. Both Rubio’s defense of Israel and for his broad-based appeal to new demographics given his youth and his Hispanic heritage.
