Today Felt Like The Real Start Of The Primaries, and Trump Needs To Worry That He Peaked Too Early
Team Trump wanted the nomination to be a coronation, not a primary. Sorry, you are getting a primary, and it started today in Iowa.
Because Donald Trump announced so early, on November 15, 2022, that he was running for President in 2024, it feels like the Republican primaries have been going on forever. By comparison, Trump’s famous escalator ride at Trump Tower to announce his 2016 campaign took place on June 16, seven months later in that cycle than in this cycle.
I know, I know, we’ve been told for months by team Trump and supporters that it’s already over, Meatball ”Pudding-Lover” DeSanctimonious shouldn’t even run and if he does he will destroy his 2028 chances.
If you spend any time on Twitter or Truth Social, that’s the incessant 24/7 messaging. Scaring Ron DeSantis away from running has been the strategy of the Trump campaign, starting with Trump attacking DeSantis (and launching the ‘DeSanctimonious’ name calling) two days before the midterms (unforgivable timing IMO). And then Trump launching his presidential campaign despite pleas that he not overshadow the Georgia runoff. He launched anyway and Herschel Walker became an afterthought and lost.
Team Trump wanted the nomination to be a coronation, not a primary. Sorry, you are getting a primary, and it started today in Iowa.
DeSantis held what for the first time looked and felt like a campaign rally. Yes, he’s been on the road a lot in the past few months, and no he hasn’t officially launched, but this time it looked and felt like a presidential campaign in Iowa. There was a rollout of a long list of endorsements and campaign-style appearances attacking “Fauciism” and those who obsess over the past (a hint at how DeSantis will attack Trump).
BREAKING: More than three dozen Iowa state legislators are endorsing Ron DeSantis for president
"The total haul represents more than one-third of the Iowa Republican legislative caucus, and far outpaces the amount of support received by any of the Republican candidates who ran…
— Never Back Down (@NvrBackDown24) May 12, 2023
DeSantis: “We chose freedom over Faucism… Don’t let them rewrite history about the last three years. Faucism was wrong, Faucism was destructive to this country, and we can never let anything like that happen ever again in these United States.”pic.twitter.com/neNwLgFy6i
— Michael P Senger (@michaelpsenger) May 13, 2023
Governor DeSantis: “If we make [the] 2024 election a referendum on Joe Biden and his failures and if we provide a positive alternative for the future of this country, Republicans will win across the board.”
We cannot “get distracted” and “focus the election on the past.” pic.twitter.com/BljseHuzwK
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) May 13, 2023
Trump also recognized that DeSantis’ Iowa trip was the start of something because he counter-programmed with a planned appearance in Des Moines. That appearance was meant to overshaddow and outnumber DeSantis, but it got called off allegedly for dangerous weather, though DeSantis supporters dispute that was the real reason.
Trump says he’s been forced to cancel his outdoor rally tonight in Des Moines due to a tornado warning in the area: pic.twitter.com/2zk9wGb8UX
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) May 13, 2023
You guys can make as many excuses as you want, but the tornado watch was set to expire, there were blue skies, and Trump’s people were already on the ground
The crowd just didn’t show up.
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) May 13, 2023
Just got home from the movies and heard Trump cancelled his Iowa rally. I live 15 minutes from where the rally was intended, and just got home and saw plenty of people out and about throughout Des Moines area. It rained for a little bit, it's bright and sunny now. Of course,… https://t.co/jpVdRL8zZS
— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) May 13, 2023
How we know Trump didn't cancel his rally for a tornado watch: NOTHING else in Des Moines has been cancelled.
There's a major outdoor event going on at the Iowa State Fairgrounds RIGHT NOW.
There's an outdoor concert starting right now at the water park.
It wasn't the tornado.
— Peter Henlein (@SwissWatchGuy) May 13, 2023
For several months, the primary has been all Trump all the time. He was handed a campaign gift by Alvin Bragg, with polling in mid-to-late March showing a large rally-around effect. But how long will the rally-around effect last? Maybe a long time, maybe not.
And it’s the ‘maybe not’ that has Team Trump worried and insisting it’s over. If they really thought it was over, they wouldn’t keep saying it’s over, they’d just get about their business.
I’m not predicting a DeSantis win. I am saying that Trump needs to worry that he peaked too early in the primaries.
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It’ll be Talking the Talk vs. Walking the Walk.
DeSantis will not get my vote unless he passionately stands against political persecution and for election integrity.
Simple
The election process in Florida has become much more secure under DeSantis with results posted very soon after the polls close in a state that spans two time zones. Put that up against the Trump lawsuits, while many may indeed have merit have resulted in few positive outcomes.
Thank you for the article and I hope the assessment is correct.
I’d advise you the author of this piece is another Ivy League Law School product. So he has a certain bias for a peer like DeSantis.
I have my own Ivy Leaguers in my ancestry, and too many lawyers/politicians.
But such lineage also gives me some great political instincts: ones that convinced me 2016 and 2020 would be Trump Victories. 2008 and 2012 would be embarrassments.
If not for the heist that was 2020, I’d be batting a 1.000
But DeSantis is from a blue collar family- dad installed TV cable boxes; mother was a nurse. His daddy didn’t have a million dollars to give his son after he graduated from college, as Trump’s dad did. DeSantis worked his way up on his own, got a scholarship to Yale and had jobs all through Yale.
Trump has a degree from an Ivy League school as well
So does virtually every turncoat in the Houses of Congress. What’s your point?
There’s a lot to like about DeSantis, but I do not see him being the answer this election. If there is one.
Having worn the uniform during the barry reign of error, I have a great deal of difficulty with trusting any lawyer with a Yale or Harvard background. They’re too much in their own bubble. They can also be overly cautious, when it comes to choosing their battles.
Trump is well-known as a “blue collar billionaire,” because he chats and walks the walk with tradesmen. Which is why he’ll be on bumper stickers, lunchboxes, and hard hats for years to come. I’ve worked out in the field—Army/Upstream Oil & Gas—and been a mid-level manager. I’ve spent numerous hours volunteering for right wing and gop causes/campaigns.
I still don’t see DeSantis winning over the coalition he needs to nationwide, to have a fighting chance against the wanton electoral fraud the dems/establishment are happy to utilize.
There are great, trustworthy lawyers too, from all walks of life. But I still insist that we need a different, non-legal perspective in the Oval Office. We need a few solid generations of sound, pro-American leadership and policies in D.C. to even stand a chance of better days ahead. Things are very dire, and better days ahead are very much in doubt.
Do you know where your analysis is wrong? You talk about DeSantis not being able to win over the people he needs to win but that is exactly the power he has that Trump doesn’t. Trump has gotten almost all the votes he is going to get and all of his future rallies will be attended by MAGA voters. DeSantis will appeal to independent and moderate Dem voters where
Trump will get no support. DeSantis will also get a larger women’s vote as well as more black votes. It can’t be said too often that Trump is a vitriolically hated figure by the left and will make disappointed Dem voters who probably wouldn’t vote, come out to vote against him. I think that the more people see DeSantis the more they will realize that there is an alternative to four more years of turmoil and hate. I know, I know DeSantis will get the same treatment that Trump is getting but there is much less “There”, there than with Trump.
I don’t see DeSantis getting the women’s vote. No way. He signed a 6-week abortion ban. Women want their abortions. Especially if the economy is very bad in a year, women will want their abortions really really bad. And DeSantis governs a state. People who want abortions can always take a plane to California. Women and parents of teenage girls all across the USA will choke on any prospect of a national abortion ban. Even the slightest fear or doubt about the (R) candidate in this department will cause them to reflexively vote (D).
As a GOP Precinct Chair and Assistant District Chair, I can tell you without question that a majority of the Base is committed to Trump. Like it or not, they are not going to change their minds between now and the Primaries.
If Trump is still breathing he will be elected the Candidate.
“If Trump is still breathing. . . . ” It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the deep state has other plans.
And Biden will be the (D) candidate if he is still breathing. Possibly, even if he isn’t. Dokktor Jill will run him from his casket if she can.
For sure. Our local GOP still sells lots of Trump Gear, too.
BS! Over a year to go and you are certain that nothing will change? I think you and all of the country will see a side of Trump that no one wants to see or even knows about if DeSantis rises in the polls. He has already resorted to a 12 year old mentallity by attacking DeSantis with childish words and names. But if he starts dropping in the polls he will turn into a monster of lies and insults that we have never seen. My local GOP is like you and it is obvious that that have made up their minds, but time is not in Trump’s favor. I loved Trump’s romp on cnn but he simply cannot handle competition without resorting to the baseist level of humanity. Given DeSantis’ record in FL, and his positions on most other things that Trump never mentions, the thinking voter will see his potential because of his actions not his words.
Trump’s stock in trade is personal attacks and invective. It is to be expected. But most voters are not “thinking”. Most people vote emotionally. I am not pushing either horse in the race, since they both have plusses and minuses, but either one is going to have a very difficult time winning a general election, regardless of whether it is a 2-man race, or even worse a 3-man race with Manchin as the spoiler.
Things will change in a year. The economy is likely to be much worse. The economy could be the least of our problems by then. I’m not sure how a bad economy or international situation affects the DJT v RDS battle, though.
I seem to remember Cruz winning Iowa in 2016,
if Team Ron thinks they enjoy the enthusiasm advantage of Team Don, they best reassess things. there are lots of Blue Collar Voters that were part of the MAGA Coalition that simply do not trust DeSantis. I’ve worked alongside them in the Oilfields.
Team Trump has lots of enthusiasm. It also has Trump, for better (CNN town halls) or worse (Fauci, the Kraken, and Trump trading cards). Team Ron is better organized, well funded, and just getting started. Ron might eventually relate to those blue collar workers better than Trump.
Trump has been shadow boxing until now. Let’s see how well he does in a real fight. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
I didn’t U/V or D/V you.
But with all due respect… DeSantis is a lawyer by profession. He’s also a former JAG Officer, which is why the vast majority of the Combat Arms Troops–The Real Military–I know still in the ranks, lean Trump.
Lawyers don’t tend to know how to grind it out on the job.
I’d advise DeSantis to keep doing good things in Tally, then go all-in for ’28. The US needs good governors too. Abbott and DeSantis being among the best.
You are absolutely right about the undercurrent in the military regarding JAGs. The career field tends to be sanctimonious with very little understanding of military operations. That’s why the ‘Top Gun’ ad by DeSantis last year did not work with me. We shall see how DeSantis does, but my immediate impression is that he is not very genuine,
Absolute nonsense. He was a prosecutor embedded with the Navy Seals in Iraq. Of course he understands the military.. And at least he enlisted, unlike *bone spurs Trump who got five deferments
JAGs have the reputation of being overly cautious and political. However, DeSantis was assigned to Joint Task Force Guantanamo which likely would have been a complex, difficult assignment. His campaign thus far has mentioned very little about it, but he should give more information about his military accomplishments if he wants to win over those of us who are skeptical of JAGs.
I don’t see why DeSantis has to defend a position he held for only six years and that ended over a decade ago. But I guess if you think this matters more than his actual record in Congress and as governor of Florida, there is really no need for him to do so. Nothing he can say will make any difference.
JAG are Attorneys. It’s their lot in life to advise caution to Commanders who sometimes forget they aren’t philosopher Kings. The commander takes their input just like every other Staff Officer’s and Staff NCO’s input and then makes the final decision.
You gonna bust DeSantis balls b/c he joined the Navy and actually has a record of military service during wartime, which is in stark contrast to the other folks running for the nomination? That’s unserious.
This reply is in response to Fuzzy and CommoChief:
There is a small percentage of people in the US that has been in the military. Most people with military experience including myself are willing to talk about what they did during their service. During job interviews, it is not unusual for prospective employers to ask about specific experiences including military background that may shape the individual’s temperament and ability to work with others. There is nothing nefarious about that.
For a guy that proudly touts his recent accomplishments, DeSantis is surprisingly reticent about his military service. Yet a presidential campaign represents a vetting process that examines the candidate’s entire life. If DeSantis has any skeletons in his closet, then I want to know about them now, not in an October surprise on the eve of early voting in the 2024 election.
DeSantis is portrayed as the alter-Trump, but without ethical/moral baggage. If that is not true, then the DNC and media will keep quiet about it now, and then attempt to exploit it during the general election. So yes, I think his military record is quite relevant for the Republican primary voter.
kelly,
I don’t disagree about discussing military experience in principle but there are some things in my own military career I am not allowed to discuss at all, much less in detail.
DeSantis was a legal advisor at Guantanamo and in theater to SEALS. I would think there are a number of things he isn’t allowed to discuss given the nature of those assignments.
That said, let’s have a town hall focused exclusively on personal military service with all candidates present so folks can ask questions about their military service.
Maybe Trump can explain his military record? Oh, wait…………
Trump has had his shot- twice. He lost to a senile old man in a basement. Trump is not “owed” or automatically entitled to the nomination. He will never ever be able to win another election- ever. Trumpers who can’t see that are in denial
He didn’t lose it was stolen.
Period
I know the election was rigged without a doubt but Trump should have had what Regan had, a landslide. His opponent was a has-been pol who had lied his entire career with no accomplishments in the Senate. He campaigned from the basement and never had to answer any tough questions from the msm yet he beat Trump. It shouldn’t have been close enough to win by fraud but it was. Trump did some great things but was the most divisive pol in American history and it won’t get any better. I think the hate towards Trump was mostly manufactured by the msm but real or not he is a hated man by millions. He will bring out the lethargic Dem voter because of this hate and there will be no crossover voting for him.
Have you a clue what DeSantis has done in FL? Do you know that he was SEAL team 1’s lawyer in the Navy? He has done more than any other governor and Congress person in history for his state. He is the walking talking conservative that we expect to represent us. If you and your friends don’t trust him then it is on you not him.
Ronnie sure does , hear tell it’s up to $500,000 million from the big bot globalists!
But bro love is in the air at legalinsurrection and truth be damned..
Lines are clearly drawn,, but they were just as clear before.
You’re claiming that DeSantis has raised 500 billion dollars? I knew you had a “vivid imagination”, but this is ridiculous.
To be fair, she probably means $500 million, not $500 billion (though that is what $500,000 million actually is), but yes, it’s ridiculous, either way.
Why should I be fair? 90% of the stuff she posts about DeSantis isn’t “fair”, like trying to hold him accountable for a PAC over which he has no control, and, like her comments about Abbott, generally false.
Just check out the name and that will tell you all you need to know about the comment.
Can you post the link to the campaign disclosure filing that shows those amounts? Heck anything in the ballpark of such an absurd number? I will gladly proclaim you correct if you can do so.
I think you have a long wait.
He should relate better to blue collar workers. He actually grew up in a blue collar household, unlike Trump who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth
I think that’s “Silver foot” in his mouth.
Nonsense. DeSantis is actually from a blue collar background. Trump was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and was gifted with millions and millions of dollars from daddy when he was an adult. And judging from the crowd and reception DeSantis got last night – many looked to be blue collar- I would say that he’s definitely got some of their support
I’ve said here before that I like what DeSantis has done in Florida but something about him just didn’t feel right. Then about a month ago it came out that DeSantis is being privately supported by the Bush brothers and their neocon band of Rino war mongers.
That is enough for me. I don’t trust DeSantis and would never consider voting for him over Trump!
Politics makes strange bedfellows. DeSantis did come out supporting the Marine but that may be a negative in NYC and for low info voters… which as Trumps has noted… won’t allow a fair trial. As for peaking… a lot of territory left for the Dems/NSA/FBI/DOJ/EPA/ETC to “fortify” THEIR election. I want to forego the RINO or the GOPe for a GOPd(em) moniker.
You think anyone in NYC except for some in Queens or Staten Island would ever vote for a Republican ? I lived there for 33 years. It’s a swamp of Dems
Howdy! I live in the Alamo City currently, but see you’re in ATX. I know plenty of great folks there, too
Your right Gary bit truth is a messy thing when you have hearts in your eyes
Gary: Trump hired Karl Rove as an advisor in 2020. He endorsed Paul Ryan for speaker and has written gushing Tweets about him through the years- crowing about Ryan endorsing him and writing that Ryan was a “good, good man.” And Trump took Air Force One TWICE to campaign for Mitch McConnell in Kentucky
It was DeSantis, not Trump who defied Fauci on masks and lockdowns. By contrast Trump stood next to Fauci for months, gushing over him like someone with a schoolgirl crush. I trust DeSantis more than I do Trump. I voted for Trump twice – but never again
You are wasting your time with the MAGA crowd. They are not i nterested in facts. The video that came out with Trump working with Schumer and Pelosi on gun control did not even faze the MAGA crowd. They found a way to get around it with things like “It ws taken out of context” and “He was only playing along with them to get them”. If Trump does win the election, there will be no agency in DC that will work normally for him. He had that issue before and will have it in spades the next time around. Remember the last five months in office where everything stopped going forward except investigations of him? He explicitly ordered all Russian hoax documents released and declassified. He was totally ignored by the FBI and DoJ. Those who think he is going to drain the swamp are deluding themselves bercause the swamp cannot be drained without the help of Congress and that will never happen even if the GOP takes back both house because Congress is the swamp!
The Bush support is less about their liking DeSantis and more about hating Trump. Besides that, I’m not taking my advice from the Bush Bros., they’ve been wrong too many times.
I’ll be watching the substantive issues as they are presented and make my own judgements. Blindly cheer-leading a particular candidate isn’t going to win this one.
I haven’t seen any evidence that the Bushes are literally supporting DeSantis in any substantive way. Some random radio show host claimed in an interview that he “believes” and “thinks” the Bushes, Rove, et al. are helping DeSantis, but he didn’t provide any evidence at all and was very clear that he has none. You can be sure that this Mark Simone has zero insider knowledge of anything related to DeSantis.
Fuzzy, you have exposed the MAGA crowd’s technique. They constantly say that DeSantis is taking dark evil money from globalists and that the evil Carl Rove is working for DeSantis. In no article with any credibility have I read actual information about any of these claims. If you know or have a beef with DeSantis bring it up and let’s discuss it. But acting like Trump with bogus accusations and name-calling ain’t gonna get it. One thing that was brought up here is that DeSAntis’ new 6-week abortion ban is truly going to hurt him but what does that tell you about the man himself? He does what he believes is right, not what is the popular thing to say. How refreshing is that?
Trump needs to unite the Republican Party behind him. He shouldn’t do the stupid attacks that impugn the honor and integrity of other Republicans. At the end of the primary when he had the nomination in his hand he launched insane attacks on Ted Cruz and his family. Save those arrows for the progressive fascists like Quisling Biden and other leaders of the Dem Party.
Stupid personal attacks are Trump’s schtick. His stock in trade. He can no more stop them than a rooster can stop crowing at 5 AM.
Sure Ronnie came out in support of the marine cause his handlers told him what a good move that would be. Very MAGA like.
Plays well to MAGA voters
500 million buys a lot of advise … and people
So if anyone takes a policy position or a position on current events that ‘MAGA’ voters approve of but are not named Trump they are somehow suspect?
That’s not how politics works. You build a coalition of folks who agree with you most of the time to get as much done as possible with the power of that coalition. Sometimes that coalition is only on a single issue. Purity tests are ultimately self defeating in politics.
“That’s not how politics works.”
^ It isn’t working. At all.
“No new taxes” and sending the DOJ after the cops whom we paid to subdue dangerous drug afflicted miscreants like Rodney King.
The Iraq war. “Too big to fail”
McCain the wildly unpopular, who took his revenge on Trump by singlehandedly preventing the repeal of Obamacare.
Jeb! (Please clap.)
DeSantis? Backed by the same crowd of establishment losers who led us into the mess.
Not merely No Thanks! but also NEVER.
Trump 2024 or the GOP is done.
Unless you are telling us that a potential second Trump admin will have 60+ Senators and 218 members in the HoR who are all in on his policies without dissent or disagreement then your stated position of no give and take, my way or the highway won’t work.
Even Trump knows compromise is necessary to make a deal. His actions in endorsing three very DC Establishment figures demonstrated this. McDaniel to another team as GoP Chair, McCarthy for Speaker and McConnell as Senate minority leader. None of those three can be claimed as anything close to members of the populist right much less MAGA.
I didn’t say “my way or the highway”. I am saying that the establishment GOP is as much a part of the problem as is the left and everyone -outside- the establishment knows it.
Despite opposition from the GOP establishment, Trump accomplished quite a lot during his first term. I will support and vote for outsiders over establishment “Republicans” each time and every time.
No more of the likes of Mitt Romney who cower like deer in the headlights of Candy Crowley during live televised debates.
Trump 2024!
What you wrote was in response to my post about politics requiring compromise to get shit done.
If you wanted to make an independent post about the DC Establishment being unhelpful at best and blatantly obstructionist at worst (which I agree with) it seems out of place as a response.
Good to know that you were in the room when his “handlers” told him that. Tell us what else they told in that meeting.
Probably every MAGA like decision he’s made amd his apology on Ukraine
He misspoke/sarc
Oh, do you mean like when Trump took a truck full of water bottles to East Palestine, OH after the train derailment? Did his handlers tell him to do that? That was such a cheap political trick I was surprised that the RNC didn’t disown him. Also, DeSantis just signed a 6-week abortion ban that I’m sure his “Handlers” told him to do since that has to be the most unpopular position he has ever taken. Handlers my a$$.
Trump has had a mealy mouthed response, saying he hasn’t seen the video. Vivek the other candidate donated $10,000.
DeSantis’ feud with Disney makes me wonder if he would exhibit an authoritarian streak as president.
I absolutely favor the legislation signed by DeSantis to eliminate instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in grades K-3. I absolutely agree that Disney should not retain autonomy over the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
However, DeSantis did not move to eliminate autonomy in Reedy Creek until Disney publicly opposed his legislation on early-grade SOGI instruction. One can argue about the stupidity of Disney for attacking DeSantis. But this discussion is about the judgement of DeSantis. The law to eliminate Disney’s autonomy seems more like the conservative version of cancel culture than a principled decision to remove an unfair business advantage.
Would DeSantis have eliminated autonomy if Disney had remained silent on SOGI instruction? We will never know for sure, but my gut tells me no, that this was likely done for the sake of retaliation. I will be watching DeSantis closely for further reveals regarding any authoritarian leanings.
That’s a Leftist (or NeverTrump—same thing) argument against DeSantis. Ron DeSantis as Viktor Orban. Trouble is, DeSantis as Orban goes with Trump as Mussolini.
If you want authoritarians, vote for Democrats.
“The law to eliminate Disney’s autonomy seems more like the conservative version of cancel culture than a principled decision to remove an unfair business advantage.”
So it wasn’t the “high road?”
Good!
It’s about damn time a Republican dished it out instead of forever taking it up the rump.
You know a Democrat (e.g., Lois Lerner) would have done this in a heartbeat.
“Republicans run to be in office. Democrats run to be in power.”
We’re not going to win the culture war by playing defense.
The Florida legislature was sold a bill of goods in the 1960’s that no where near represents what has been built within what was known as Reedy Creek. Walt’s original plan was an actual city with some 20k residents and a single amusement park, there were even plans for an industrial park and an airport within the district. Where is gets complicated is that Walt died just before the district was created by the Florida legislature, however more than 50 years after the district was created there is no large residential area within Reedy Creek, no airport, no industrial park. One could reasonably argue that times changed and the plans of the district changed. However how the district is governed remains an issue.
There is also the issue of one John McGowan, Chief council for Walt Disney and Special council for what was Reedy Creek at the same time, you should read up on his conflicts of interest given his dual role.
Authoritarian streak? You mean like Trump declaring that “we take the guns first, go through due process second“? Or that 2020 election fraud/interference “allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution”?
Soon enough the primaries will begin in earnest and each candidate will be have the opportunity to make the case to GoP voters why they are the better choice to address the current set of problems.
However rough and tumble, sharp elbows thrown, feelings hurt, disappointment our candidate didn’t win, after this primary is concluded we must unite behind the nominee.
The Nation can’t take another four years of the most radical policies in history being shoved at us. We can’t take a chance on handling Biden or his successor any SCOTUS nominations.
Agreed
If only those in our party who do not want the process to play out could see this. Primaries are good for all of the candidates and show us who is still standing when the going gets tough. If Trump is going to be the nominee then let him fight for that privilege not be awarded it.
When was Pres. Trump NOT at his peak?
The answer to your question is obvious. He allowed Fauci to run the country into the ground economically for a year.
Uhhh…. besides letting Fauci and Birx into the White House (by the time Trump realized his mistake and brought Scott Atlas in, Mike Pence worked against Atlas).
How about appointing Jeff Sessions as AG? Then replacing Sessions with Bill Barr? (No way was Barr going to tear apart the FBI, or challenge the CIA.)
How about not firing Jim Comey on January 21, 2017? Then replacing Comey with Christopher Wray?
Trump’s personnel choices were mostly atrocious. The absolute worst was Sessions. Trump simply didn’t have an understanding of how government was different from business in the ways that matter. I’m sure Ron would be better in this department. But can RDS win a general election? Can he inspire and supercharge the turnout of non-college Trump voters? I have my doubts. Will RDS be hated as much by the hordes of swing voters and suburban women who watch MSM TV? No, but they might not vote for him anyway, even if they don’t hate him. And RDS has a big black mark against him – he signed a 6 week abortion ban. That will play VERY badly in a general election, particularly in swing states of MI, PA, WI, GA, AZ, etc… Millions of voters who don’t care too much about their state abortion laws will choke on any prospects of a federal ban. Trump will be very believable if he pledges to veto any national abortion bans. RDS will not. And how will either of them fare in a 3-way race with Manchin as an Independent? We know from history that a plausible (I) presidential candidate tends to help the Democrats. Ross Perot probably got Clinton elected. The Dem will get 43% right out of the box without even campaigning at all. Manchin and the (R) will split the rest. Lots of swing voters have an emotional hatred of Trump simply because the MSM tells them so. RDS may not inspire this level of hatred, but he won’t inspire the love Trump gets either. And if the (D) is Kamala Harris, Manchin could actually win if the (R) is Trump, simply because neither Trump nor Harris is likeable, but Manchin is likeable to some people who watch TV news.
The governors who signed a 6 week abortion law long before DeSantis all won re-election by a bigger margin- DeWine in Ohio; Reynolds in Iowa and Kemp in Georgia.
Trump like almost everyone in DC was not prepared for the Covid mess. He had already made many errors with his appointments and what he allowed Fauci to do was bordering on criminal. Then in desperation, he allowed big pharma to offer vaccines that had not been tested properly and on top of that gave them immunity for any damage they caused. All of his prior business dealings did not help him because he was dealing with the biggest crooks on the planet, big pharma. I would say during and after Covid, Trump’s presidency was about over.
May I remind people that in November 2007, just two months before the Iowa caucuses, Hillary Clinton was leading Obama by 20 points.
I am confused by that law in Florida, something about resign to run.. Ron was running but not running because of that law? THey changed it, right, just for Ron? Funny. Seems like he was pulling a fast one, but I admit to Team Trump bias.
I have to take issue with this,,, Team Trump wanted the nomination to be a coronation, not a primary. That kind of thinking really is insulting to people that want fair and transparent elections, a strong economy, and to stop the hemorrhaging at at our southern border. I don’t think a Rhino will do that. That takes a maverick of sorts, and RDS is not a maverick.
The phrase “coronation not a primary” has NOTHING to do with election integrity and I find it difficult to believe a reasonable person could have misinterpreted that so badly.
We don’t need a maverick. We need a solid, experienced, electable conservative Republican instead of a RINO. This is why anybody but Trump is the best choice.
Lol President Trump was the most successful President by all measures till China amd the WEF unleashed their pandemic on the world
But it’s all Trumps fault
Maybe go watch the CNN townhall for some reality check
I must say, once again, it is amazing and so very disappointing, disturbing actually, to see the Professor refuse to look at and dig into DeSantis, his backers etc maybe he has and doesn’t see a problem with the bushes, rove, Ryan, Rino inc and globalists, voting record in congress
I wasn’t here 2015, but I expressed this same thing, because in everything else, the Professor is on the right side and does his research so thoroughly, and I was informed, don’t know, wasn’t here, that this site was very much not supportive of President Trump, but if true,
Well there it is
If DeSantis is a globalist, he’s the Worst. Globalist. Ever. Just last week he signed a huge (yuge even!) anti-globalist law that protects Florida from a global–or national–digital currency. He also signed into a law a measure that bans credit card companies from tracking gun-related purchases (a big goal of the radical left and globalists as they seek to find, list, and be able to locate all guns in the U.S. . . . for some reason).
Via the Daily Wire:
Pretty sure this stuff makes him persona non grata among the globalists and other enemies of America. And it’s all LAW; it cannot be swept away by the next governor with a pen and a phone (as most of Trump’s accomplishments were the second Biden took office).
Apparently “by all measures” means record debt, record unemployment, pressuring the ATF to create and enforce their own laws, inability to serve a second term, and screwing the country over a minor cold.
How many of DeSantis’ backers have been sent to jail? Trump is up to several now.
It wasn’t the first time the FL legislature changed the resign to run law. They changed it before and then changed it back, and now reversed it again.
This is true. I don’t really know why they have it at all. I don’t think it’s a burning issue with Florida voters. Or even a mildly interesting issue for them. I have long suspected that legislatures (at the state and especially the federal level) would do well to meet much less often, pass far fewer laws, and generally go about their lives and real jobs until some business of state is required. I’m not sure the Founders intended what we have today in terms of public office.
So you think DeSantis is a RINO? He has never been a Democrat like Trump. He came from a blue-collar family. He worked his way through college and excelled. He JOINED the US Navy. He was elected to Congress and is now the governor of FL, yet you think he is a RINO? He walks the walk daily as the most conservative governor in America but you think he is a RINO. Maybe it would help if you stopped watching cnn.
Has anyone else been having trouble posting comments the last 48 hours or so? I showed up as ‘test’ at the top of the page? Finally.
Yes, I couldn’t even access the entire site.
They didn’t quite choose freedom over Faucism. DeSantis and the FL legislature took 2 years before they got around to squashing Florida counties crapping on FL law. To wit, county emergency declarations are limited to 30 days by law, so they repeatedly declared a new emergency every 30 days so they could keep their covid measures in place.
“”Florida counties crapping on FL law.””
If what they were doing was legal, how were they crapping on the law? Leftist jurisdictions do what they do, and more than likely shutting down the cities and counties under their control contributed strongly to his landslide victory last year. Could the lege have acted sooner? Sure. OTOH, if you want to play that game,Trump could have squashed this at the federal level and not left it up to the states.
Legislation takes time, so DeSantis did not wait for it; instead, he signed numerous EO’s, starting in 2020 to ensure that Floridians who did not follow local restrictions could not be fined, etc. That EO was signed in September of ’20, and he kept following up every time blue areas tried to find a new way to punish Floridians seeking freedom. You can view many (though not all, these are just highlights) here.
As a reminder, this was during the same period of time that Trump cancelled the Jacksonville, Florida RNC convention due to his fears about our state being open for business, including our schools for in-person teaching (he cancelled the scheduled September, 2020 event in August of that year). He’d been bashing Republican governors for opening for months, of course, but he followed Fauci and Birx (and the media), not the actual science as DeSantis and other GOP govs did.
DeSantis just curtailed the Florida Sunshine Laws. He signed into law SB 1616. Under the new law, details about the governor’s trips — whether on state planes or private, chartered flights — will be retracted, including names of staff and family members that travel with DeSantis. Visitor logs to the governor’s mansion and his office also will be hidden.
The retraction will shield information not just from journalists but from DeSantis’s political opponents, who would likely compile droves of research to use against the governor for public scrutiny. Chief among these could be instances in which DeSantis traveled with lobbyists or others who might have been trying to curry favor with him.
Asked about the legislation last week, during an unrelated press conference on public safety, DeSantis said the measure hadn’t “necessarily” been his idea but was “motivated by security concerns.”
“They want to put information that was formerly in the sunshine and put it in the shade because of their own political ambitions and their desire to — dare I say — not subject their trips to public scrutiny,” Block said. “That’s not sunshine and that’s not accountability.” -Bobby Block, Executive Director Florida First Amendment Foundation.
Yes, he did this for the same reason that President Trump hid his WH visitor logs from the American people. I have no problem with DeSantis OR Trump keeping these things private in order to ensure his security. Why do you?
If you read the rest of the article you are quoting (without a link or sourcing), you will get to the salient part, as well as the fact that it applies to far more people than the current (or future) governor of Florida:
And if you read the actual text of the law (linked in the article you did not link or provide a source for, though I did), you will find that it is related entirely to security, that law enforcement cannot reveal security-related information that might put one of the people–or any law enforcement/security personnel–included in the measure in harm’s way.
redacted / redaction.
Sorry not buying your explanation. Trump is a former president who receives security for life under Former Presidents Protection Act of 2012. It does not matter that this ‘law’ signed by DeSantis would cover leaders in both chambers, Florida Cabinet members and the Supreme Court’s chief justice, Florida has sunshine laws for a reason and trying to slice and dice them for this reason or that is what a career politician or democrat would do. Past governors and state politicians who fell under the Sunshine Laws didn’t feel their ‘security’ was threatened, but now under the DeSantis definition of ‘security’ Florida’s transparent sunshine laws are being destroyed one excuse after the next. . DeSantis is doing some good things as governor, signing this act is not one of them.
I’m okay with it given the current political climate and the radical left’s violent tendencies (they are actively attempting to get a SCOTUS justice assassinated . . . or seem to be, not sure what they’d be doing differently if that were their goal). But if you aren’t, that’s okay, too.
I just wanted to provide more context and explanation than you did and to point out that Trump hid his WH visitor logs starting in 2017 (which, to my mind, are certainly not a security threat given his Secret Service protection both in office and after). If it’s not okay for DeSantis, it shouldn’t be okay for Trump. At least not to my mind. Personally, I didn’t have a problem with Trump hiding his WH visitor logs, but that’s just me. I don’t freak out if I don’t know every detail of every politician’s life (just like I didn’t–and still don’t–care about Trump’s taxes, either).
Both Trump and DeSantis have pluses and minuses. Trump draws turnout nobody else does, but suburban women and other MSM TV watchers really hate him. Trump did a terrible job with personnel in his 1st term. I’m not sure which one will be better able to win, and which one will be better able to govern. And which one is better able to win could depend on whether Manchin runs 3rd party. I think in a Trump – Biden (or Harris) – Manchin 3-way race, the Democrats would be extremely favored. I am not so sure if DeSantis is the (R).
In that case, yeah, I think that a good number of disaffected right-leaning voters would vote for Manchin over Trump (or Biden, of course). And yes, it would lead to a Biden win.
That is the thing about 3-way contests. An (I) candidate who only pulls <10% is a pure spoiler. Even Ross Perot was a pure spoiler as he didn't win any states. But Manchin has the potential to be more than that. He could (and most likely would) be a pure spoiler that helps Biden (or Harris). But he could also win states like Colorado or Arizona. If it is a very close election, he could drive the election into the House. And if he had a strategy of explicitly running to get the election into the House, and running House candidates in key states where the delegations are nearly evenly split, he could tie it up an be the only possible compromise who can get 26 States when the House elects the President – on the 200th anniversary of the last time the House elected a President.
Your logic makes no sense. If Manchin runs who do you think will vote for him, Republicans? No, it will be disaffected Dems, and that will take away from slo joe. I don’t see any of the MAGA crowd voting for Manchin, and hardly any Rs, indies I’m not sure of but after his caving in on the “Deficit reduction” act I don’t think anyone trusts him.
I really can’t see who would end up voting for Manchin. Those who truly, legally voted for Biden are unlikely to see Manchin as an improvement.
Meanwhile, Trump has obviously wanted to be “coronated.” Hence the ridiculously early announcement and the sliming of an opponent not yet in the race.
If Trump still has what it takes, he’ll have to prove it during the primaries. I can’t see how sliming DeSantis for a year and a half will bring him the votes he needs for the nomination.