Does "fleeting" here mean "lasting for a markedly brief time"?

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NewHopeR

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If so, can we say any presidency is fleeting as well?

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Rubio bats away speculation about whether Romney will choose him as the GOP vice presidential nominee this summer — "Look, it's flattering; it's also fleeting" — and says he hasn't thought about whether he might run for president down the road, though he doesn't dismiss the idea.

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Raymott

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Re: Does "fleeting" here mean "lasting for a markedly brief time"?

If so, can we say any presidency is fleeting as well?

Context:

Rubio bats away speculation about whether Romney will choose him as the GOP vice presidential nominee this summer — "Look, it's flattering; it's also fleeting" — and says he hasn't thought about whether he might run for president down the road, though he doesn't dismiss the idea.

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Yes, that's what it means, but what is "fleeting" is the speculation, not any presidency.
 

emsr2d2

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Re: Does "fleeting" here mean "lasting for a markedly brief time"?

If, at some point in the future, he is elected president but is then fired after a couple of days, then it will be possible to say that it was a "fleeting presidency" but it doesn't refer to presidency in the original context.
 
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