If Marco Rubio is going to play the part of Republican savior, he's running out of time

Sen. Marco Rubio has long been the presidential choice for Republican politicians, pundits and functionaries who want to pretend that their party has not gone completely insane. Like Jeb!, he's been able to rally big donors behind him. Unlike Jeb!, he has the assistance of a political press only too willing to pretend that a third or a fifth or a distant second place finish are damn good showings.

But the majority of the Republican base would prefer—and they have been making this quite clear, thank you very much—a crazy person. Marco Rubio may be a tea party conservative, but have you seen the newest 2016 makes and models? They've got features like the willingness to call Mexicans rapists, and a little button you can press (the thing seems to stick quite a bit, you may have to pry it back up with a screwdriver) to shut down the entire federal government whenever you please. And Marco Rubio, who once attempted to do something, aka anything, about the "immigration" issue back when he, too, thought the party base would be willing to put up with such a thing, is running out of time.

With four states having voted, Mr. Rubio has not won a single contest or managed to commandingly defeat Mr. Cruz, despite his formidable advantages. In South Carolina, he campaigned with a popular governor who had endorsed him. In Nevada, he continually reminded voters of the six years his family had lived in Las Vegas.

And yet voters insist on not voting for him. Go figure.

And Mr. Rubio’s entire strategy could be in mortal danger if he fails to win Florida or Ohio, the two delegate-rich, winner-take-all primaries scheduled for March 15. Mr. Trump’s popularity in Florida and Mr. Kasich’s home-state advantage in Ohio could put both states out of reach.