Yup, former state GOP finance chairman Al Austin says in today's story, who as Charlie Crist's finance chairman when Crist tried to take on Bob Graham understands underdog campaigns: "Rubio's going out there doing so poorly that he might want to reconsider his decision to run," said veteran Republican fundraiser Al Austin, who hosted a Crist reception last month and noted the difficulty raising money in a poor economy. "I'm not very optimistic about where the economy's going. Fundraising is going to get tougher with each passing month, so getting ahead at the early stage of the game is a huge advantage. It's just hard to generate support when people think you haven't got a chance."

Our take? Rubio's still a (limping) contender, but the next three months in the fundraising doldrums of summer are make-or-break. As much as we love the idea of covering this whole battle-for-heart-and-soul of the GOP stuff, the reality is you can't  tweet your way out of 30-point poll deficit and eight-to-one financial disadvantage.