“Thank God. He stopped the bleeding tonight,” added Ana Navarro, a Bush friend and adviser. “This can be the start of a turn-around if he builds on this solid performance.”

While Bush avoided any reprisals of his failed confrontation with Rubio, he did come out the gate fiery. His first words were trying to get in his first words. “I got about four minutes in the last debate,” he interrupted early on. “I’m going to get my question – right now.”

Since the last debate, Bush’s donors have urged him to back away from going on offense against Rubio. Some, most notably prominent Florida bundler Brian Ballard, have gone so far as to switch sides to back Rubio in recent days. The discussion of how to take on the candidate whom Bush’s orbit still believes is the biggest threat to his nomination took on added urgency amid a report that Bush’s super PAC is considering a $20 million anti-Rubio campaign.

“There are donors in Florida who want to see peace in the valley, and rightfully so,” said Al Cardenas, a Florida Republican and Bush backer who is also close with Rubio, “and at the same time you’re in the midst of a competitive campaign.”