Where I come down on this at the moment, is that he is being used to 'rebrand' the GOP, but in the McCain old sense (think more 2004). They are trying to make him the ethnic kid because we all know all non whites think alike, and will be swooning over him for that.
It means he is consciously giving up the 'tea party' meme as is Ayotte and I think THAT means (since they are establishment kid wonders) that the establishment sees the tea party as tainted in its image (thanks to astroturf, if you ask me, but not entirely.) And they are moving to brand a 'new conservatism' and trying to make Rubio or Ryan different flavors of it. Ayotte is the woman, with consideration given to Hillary. Ryan imho will play the more 'establishment but cool conservative fiscal guy' and run for speaker. They are playing different roles.
So that leaves open the tea party role. And Rand is trying to take that. Whether or not he has enough establishment support to be the guy THEY back in that role - which they see as the 'losing role' as Santorums was, or not, I dunno. They might go Cruz or someone else.
This is entirely a figment of my own dreams, but it is coalescing some what in that direction, imho.