Rubio took third place in Iowa, and it was reported like he won. Cruz took third place in NH, and apparently that counts as a win and makes him front runner. I can see why the establishment loves Jeb so much - Jeb Bush could come in third in a two person race, and they would report that as a win.
I guess you missed (and you’re obviously not alone in that) the essence of the article - the point.
“Jeb Bush could come in third in a two person race, and they would report that as a win.”
Maybe that is the goal they are trying to build up to.