CS: “A very respected Mashpia I know of (and respected by all communities of where he lives not just lubavitch,) when asked about the Rebbe being moshiach, simply replies, “Do you have a better candidate?””
This has been a standard lubavich rejoinder for many years. Even before the (alleged) passing of the lubavicher rebbe.
Personally, I know literally hundreds of better candidates that I can name (but won’t here for a number of reasons). They are yirei Hashem, exceptional talmidie chachomim, have limitless ahavas Yisrael without publicizing it, and they have two advantages over the lubavicher rebbe: 1. they do not try to promote themselves, and 2. they don’t put people in spiritual danger by misleading them or allowing them to be influenced badly.
Oh yeah. There is a third advantage: 3. they are alive!