Pop the popcorn. The Republicans are in the middle of claiming the famous Will Rogers quip about not being a member of any organized political party for their own.
I think you are being far too charitable to DeSantis. The man oozed prickliness and discomfort. So much so that even R primary voters are being turned off.
I have a phrase that I use when talk turns to the general. Ron DeSantis has the charisma of a 2 week old dog turd on your lawn. People see that, and are turned off.
I think he is a dead man walking, and all the late entrants will continue to pull from his shaky pier of support, rather than from Trump, and as you mention, he will be the man not he stage that they all gun for since I would bet my bottom dollar that Trump avoids that August debate.
You may be right! Early returns are definitely not promising for DeSantis. I DO think he has a bit of a cushion given where he is in the polls to sort of coast until he gets to the debate in August. But, if Trump is a no-show that could well mean all of the attention is focused on DeSantis.
I have not been convinced DeSantis would be attractive once he got out of his echo chamber (Florida & Fox) and into the rest of the country. He is not very dynamic, not great on his feet, and limited platform for broad appeal - not unlike Trump. And he has so far been very muted on his attacks on the frontrunner, so he is not communicating he really is in the race to win...or is trying hard to keep open a possible VP spot. His (and maybe the party's) possible downfall is his large war chest - tends to make it easier for candidates to overstay their welcome.
It's still too early to write off DeSantis. Remember that most of the polls so far have been national polls and not state by state polls . He has raised a lot of money which he can and should use to advance his conservative policies . I would like to remiind people of what happened in 2008 between Obama and Hillary Clinton.
DeSantis has the issue that he won’t pass Trump and Trump will never ask him to VP. He, like the rest, seem to be playing for a scenario where Trump is ineligible somehow
What may have helped DeSantis is getting in the race earlier and attacking Trump. However, it didn’t happen and moving forward he needs to be in everyones face. Get out there and make a name for himself. I am not sure it would be enough to catch Trump but he is not being aggressive and must not want this bad enough. Either that, or he already knows he’s losing and not able to muster the strength to do what he needs to do. Either way, don’t see him going anywhere. If the rest of the pack has someone to come up and surpass DeSantis, so be it.
I think if DeSantis fails to take off, we will look back at the 5 months of the year when he wasn't in the race but Trump was. I think that gave Trump a chance to define him -- negatively -- and to re-capture the momentum in the race.
DeSantis’ only chance is that Trump gets disqualified and he gets the MAGA votes.
But if the Never-Trump GOP candidates coalesce around one credible candidate DeSantis is in trouble, he just not likeable or approachable. Stiff as a board and arrogant.
I just don't see how Trump gets disqualified. If he hasn't already been disqualified in the eyes of Republican voters, what is going to tilt that scale?
Scott Walker, Rick Perry, and Jeb! are starting to look like the comparables to DeSantis. The question will eventually arise, though, as to not just whether he’s scaring anyone out of the race, but whether the stampede of people vying to be #2 will make it impossible for anyone to actually catch Trump. His support is softening, but the crowd of people smelling blood in the water will complicate anyone’s ability to pull ahead. And if GOP voters aren’t sure, they’re likely to just take Trump as the default. This is also part of the reason the others have to take him on -- if they don’t give primary voters a reason to actively want one of them in particular over Trump, they will lose.
As a loyal Dem I used to be scared by this guy's potential to win a general. Now I'm convinced his "woke goes to die" brand is swing-state toxic. Not to mention - any nonTrump candidate necessarily will lose that section of the loyal MAGA base that won't vote for anyone but 45 (the people Trump brought in from the political wilderness in 2016). Maybe Brits are more politically (and in life) polite, but I contrast "nasty Ron" with UK conservative David Cameron who won elections there in 2010 and 2015 by appearing conservative but soft and nice. Kind of like Mike Huckabee's "I'm a conservative but I'm not mad at anybody about it". The same "too hard-edged" label applies to Sanders and Warren on my side.
The blood they smell is not DeSantis’s but Trump’s. Something tells me TFG won’t stay in it till the end. Health reason, grifted enough, needs to use money for lawyers, loss of followers. This is the only reason I can think of for why so many would enter a race where the present leader has about 70% support.
You mention the debate, if Trump doesn't show, it's going to be a 3 hour attack on DeSantis and that's where I think things could get ugly.
A good point!
Pop the popcorn. The Republicans are in the middle of claiming the famous Will Rogers quip about not being a member of any organized political party for their own.
Would enjoy watching that, like TV wrestling matches, all performance.
I am an avid professional wrestling fan
Why?
I could understand your statement back in the 1970s when there was a dearth of cable TV entertainment.
Since then there is 100x better satire.
I do have to admit I was addicted to "Celebrity Deathmatch" amazing writing, claymation artistry, and hosts' backstories.
Truly a beautiful kiss of satire at "Studio wrestling" and the "American Celebrity obsession."
Because wrestling's awesome? It's a soap opera where people get hit in the head with chairs.
I think you are being far too charitable to DeSantis. The man oozed prickliness and discomfort. So much so that even R primary voters are being turned off.
I have a phrase that I use when talk turns to the general. Ron DeSantis has the charisma of a 2 week old dog turd on your lawn. People see that, and are turned off.
I think he is a dead man walking, and all the late entrants will continue to pull from his shaky pier of support, rather than from Trump, and as you mention, he will be the man not he stage that they all gun for since I would bet my bottom dollar that Trump avoids that August debate.
You may be right! Early returns are definitely not promising for DeSantis. I DO think he has a bit of a cushion given where he is in the polls to sort of coast until he gets to the debate in August. But, if Trump is a no-show that could well mean all of the attention is focused on DeSantis.
And I can't imagine Christie not taking swipes at DeSantis. The target is too tempting.
If he does that, then his whole justification to join the race, to go mano-a-mano with Trump is shredded.
I’ll bet a dollar he flails around like a drowning man during the debate.
And it will be AMAZING to watch
He’s gone from being dog food to dog 💩. Poor Ron, we hardly knew ye.
Has Scott Walker been talked up as entering the race yet? He’d be as viable a candidate as Will Hurd or Rick Scott. Or 5 or 6 others.
Christopher,
I take umbrage with your header...he sure as hell scares the hell out of me on so many levels.
Ron’s weasel words on Ukraine also hurt him.
I have not been convinced DeSantis would be attractive once he got out of his echo chamber (Florida & Fox) and into the rest of the country. He is not very dynamic, not great on his feet, and limited platform for broad appeal - not unlike Trump. And he has so far been very muted on his attacks on the frontrunner, so he is not communicating he really is in the race to win...or is trying hard to keep open a possible VP spot. His (and maybe the party's) possible downfall is his large war chest - tends to make it easier for candidates to overstay their welcome.
I think he is trying to win, for sure. He and Trump couldn't be on a ticket together because they're both from the same state!
It's still too early to write off DeSantis. Remember that most of the polls so far have been national polls and not state by state polls . He has raised a lot of money which he can and should use to advance his conservative policies . I would like to remiind people of what happened in 2008 between Obama and Hillary Clinton.
DeSantis has the issue that he won’t pass Trump and Trump will never ask him to VP. He, like the rest, seem to be playing for a scenario where Trump is ineligible somehow
What may have helped DeSantis is getting in the race earlier and attacking Trump. However, it didn’t happen and moving forward he needs to be in everyones face. Get out there and make a name for himself. I am not sure it would be enough to catch Trump but he is not being aggressive and must not want this bad enough. Either that, or he already knows he’s losing and not able to muster the strength to do what he needs to do. Either way, don’t see him going anywhere. If the rest of the pack has someone to come up and surpass DeSantis, so be it.
I think if DeSantis fails to take off, we will look back at the 5 months of the year when he wasn't in the race but Trump was. I think that gave Trump a chance to define him -- negatively -- and to re-capture the momentum in the race.
DeSantis’ only chance is that Trump gets disqualified and he gets the MAGA votes.
But if the Never-Trump GOP candidates coalesce around one credible candidate DeSantis is in trouble, he just not likeable or approachable. Stiff as a board and arrogant.
I just don't see how Trump gets disqualified. If he hasn't already been disqualified in the eyes of Republican voters, what is going to tilt that scale?
A legal restraint is probably the only official disqualification, but may be unlikely.
More indictments may convince enough supporters to look elsewhere until Trump’s electability is very questionable.
Or, he may have a physical or mental medical issue arise that disqualifies him in the eyes of the public.
The only legal restraint is conviction for Sedition or Treason, or the R's having the stones to have convicted him in one of the impeachments.
That Trump could serve from a prison cell is really a flaw in our founding of the country
Scott Walker, Rick Perry, and Jeb! are starting to look like the comparables to DeSantis. The question will eventually arise, though, as to not just whether he’s scaring anyone out of the race, but whether the stampede of people vying to be #2 will make it impossible for anyone to actually catch Trump. His support is softening, but the crowd of people smelling blood in the water will complicate anyone’s ability to pull ahead. And if GOP voters aren’t sure, they’re likely to just take Trump as the default. This is also part of the reason the others have to take him on -- if they don’t give primary voters a reason to actively want one of them in particular over Trump, they will lose.
As a loyal Dem I used to be scared by this guy's potential to win a general. Now I'm convinced his "woke goes to die" brand is swing-state toxic. Not to mention - any nonTrump candidate necessarily will lose that section of the loyal MAGA base that won't vote for anyone but 45 (the people Trump brought in from the political wilderness in 2016). Maybe Brits are more politically (and in life) polite, but I contrast "nasty Ron" with UK conservative David Cameron who won elections there in 2010 and 2015 by appearing conservative but soft and nice. Kind of like Mike Huckabee's "I'm a conservative but I'm not mad at anybody about it". The same "too hard-edged" label applies to Sanders and Warren on my side.
The blood they smell is not DeSantis’s but Trump’s. Something tells me TFG won’t stay in it till the end. Health reason, grifted enough, needs to use money for lawyers, loss of followers. This is the only reason I can think of for why so many would enter a race where the present leader has about 70% support.