Since the press last declared his latest moment, Rubio is up 0.2 percent in Iowa and 2.9 percent in New Hampshire and down 0.5 percent nationally. In that same time Ted Cruz is up 14.4 percent in Iowa and 9.9 percent nationally. As of January 10, the supposedly-moribund Bush campaign has gained as much support in New Hampshire as Rubio even though the nation has been enduring two months of Rubio moments. Oh, and we haven’t even dealt with Trump yet.

Rubio has the sympathetic coverage and interest of the Beltway media. He has basked in open cheering from influential conservative outlets like National Review Online and The Weekly Standard. He’s collecting endorsements from conservative congressmen. He and his allies have spent an enormous amount of money — second only to pro-Jeb Bush groups — trying to blunt the rise of Chris Christie, John Kasich, and Ted Cruz. And yet every poll for months in the first two nominating contents has him between 10 and 14 percent. He’s had 15 moments in the media over the past three months. And 15 weeks of same in the polls.

Maybe we should all hold off on declaring the coming good fortune for Marco Rubio unless and until the RNC rewrites the rules to award the nomination to the candidate who thrashes wildly while remaining in third place the longest.