SSSETOWTF has a massive point. The 'power' of the Corps should not be underestimated on the american psyche, and therefore upon politician's minds. You also have the benefit that the B can work off both the Amphibs and also the CVNs.
The holy grail can only be for it to have a rough field capability akin to the Harrier. We have seen the YouTube footage of the Bs on Wasp, but how expeditionary could it be?
John Farley stated a few days ago, (I paraphrase here), that if all performance criteria were equal, why wouldn't you choose "Stop & Land' rather than 'Land & then Stop'? The more I have read on this site and elsewhere, the more I have altered my viewpont that perhaps the B is the better all round buy.
I guess this will mean a heli or Osprey derived AEW / ASAC in time to replace the SKs.