Rubio flak: 'We're going to surprise a lot of people on Saturday'… by coming in third

by Joan McCarter

Daily Kos Staff

Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016 Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016 at 11:37:58am PST

LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 14: Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio speaks during a campaign rally at the Renaissance Las Vegas on December 14, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marco Rubio is campaigning in Las Vegas a day ahead of the final GOP debate.

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There's expectation setting and then there's expectation setting.

CHAPIN, South Carolina — Todd Harris is feeling the mo.
The senior adviser to Marco Rubio wouldn't predict that Rubio will overtake Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in Saturday's South Carolina primary. But Harris was plainly upbeat Wednesday after his man scored the coveted endorsement of Gov. Nikki Haley. […]

"Given that our campaign was written off for dead eight or nine days ago, I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people on Saturday," he added.

Still, Harris said it would be a stretch to eclipse either Cruz or Trump.

Remember back to, like, a month ago, when Rubio was on his amazing trajectory with his 3-2-1 strategy? Third in Iowa, second in New Hampshire, and first in South Carolina? Yeah, that, but 3-5-3 is pretty close, right?