Ron DeSantis, Internet troll
Elon Musk!
How campaigns kick off tell you a lot about how they see themselves.
Joe Biden announced for president in 2020 with a message heavily focused on the aftermath of Charlottesville, Virginia — a clarion call to voters that suggested he would right the perceived wrongs of the Trump administration.
Donald Trump announced for president this time around with a rambling, grievance-filled speech delivered at his home base of Mar-A Lago.
Ron DeSantis is going to announce on Twitter. In a conversation with Twitter boss Elon Musk at 6 pm today, specifically.
Which is a choice!
Start here: Most Americans aren’t on Twitter. A 2022 Pew survey showed that less than 1 in 4 people are even on the site.
And that number is even lower among self identified Republicans and Republican leaners. Among that group just 17% say they ever use Twitter. 17%!
"This is one of the most out-of-touch campaign launches in modern history,” said a Trump campaign spokeswoman. “The only thing less relatable than a niche campaign launch on Twitter, is DeSantis' after party at the uber-elite Four Seasons resort in Miami.”1
All of which raises a VERY basic question: Why the hell would Ron DeSantis announce his presidential candidacy on Twitter?
The answer, I think, is that he wants to associate himself with Musk, who has emerged since buying Twitter as a sort of uber-troll, with a particular focus on stirring up shit among the online left.
Musk has, since taking over the company, embraced any number of wild conspiracy theories — including one tied to the attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of Nancy Pelosi.
DeSantis is clearly drawn to Musk’s freaking-out-the-squares approach to life in the (online) public square and wants to be close to it.
In fact, it’s useful to understand DeSantis’ public persona through the lens of an online troll.
For the unacquainted, a troll exists on the Internet to cause trouble, to stick fingers in eyes and to always always mock. Whatever you are doing is stupid and weird, says the troll. And he knows because, well, he knows best.
DeSantis has adopted that troll persona as he battles so-called “wokeness” in his home state of Florida. Whether it’s his battle with Disney, his efforts to ban certain books in the state’s school or his dismissive treatment of the media in the state, DeSantis is forever trolling.
He relishes the role. In his mind, he is a warrior against those who would foist their deluded morals and damaged ideologies on him and his constituents. Which, well, sounds a lot like what Musk would say about himself, right?
Musk is not, it’s worth noting here, endorsing DeSantis.
“I think it’s quite groundbreaking that there be a major announcement of this type on social media,” he said Tuesday adding that he was “not going to endorse any particular candidate.”
NBC also reported that Musk and the DeSantis campaign have been “in talks with Musk for at least the last few weeks….In those conversations…Musk has indicated he doesn’t think former President Donald Trump can win back the White House.”
What DeSantis is clearly hoping is that he both endears himself to and associates himself with Musk with this announcement.
And that the fact that so many Americans are not on Twitter has little impact since every reporter in the country will be a) on it and b) covering his announcement. (True!)
But it is a bit of a weird way to announce your intentions. Unless you identify — or want to identify — as a troll.
Not to be confused with Four Seasons Landscaping
Reagan announced he was a candidate in 1980 in Philadelphia, MS. What's famous about Philadelphia, MS? The murder of civil rights workers Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner. And Reagan spoke about state's rights, which he could have done anywhere but choose that location in MS. Trump announced on Juneteenth, which in his egotism he claimed made the holiday famous, but was considered "racially tinged", a euphemism for racist. And one of the major and well documented changes since Musk has taken over Twitter is the explosion in misogynist, racist and antisemitic comments. Regardless of its popularity, announcing on Twitter is cut from the same cloth.
hahahahah!! i have a T shirt from the Four Season's Landscape Company commemorating the glorious media event perpetrated by Giuliani. Cillizza, you are a hoot, thanks so much for injecting some levity into what is surely going to be seen as the most absurd period of US history in the future (god willing there is a future!) thanks, ang