If Rubio does better on March 1, there will be a powerful surge of establishment unity behind his candidacy and huge pressure on Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) to withdraw and support Rubio. If Rubio does poorly on March 1, there will be chaos, panic and bedlam throughout the GOP establishment, which could well turn to 2012 nominee Mitt Romney with a huge and sudden draft movement in a last-ditch attempt to save the party from Trump.

In recent days, Romney has emerged with his call for Trump to release his tax returns and his prediction that the returns could include blockbuster bad news for Trump. Romney clearly possesses presidential stature, the capacity to self-finance a national campaign almost immediately and the capacity to raise enormous campaign money from large donors within days.

Fasten your seat belts and stay tuned. The next week will be one of the most dramatic weeks in the modern history of presidential politics. Either Rubio will have a very big day next Tuesday or party leaders could well turn to Romney. In the meantime, Chris Christie’s endorsement of Trump creates indescribable fear and loathing throughout the GOP establishment while virtually all Democrats — myself included — have big smiles on our faces right now, courtesy of the governor of New Jersey.