Top DeSantis Super PAC Strategist Departs as Campaign Creeps Closer to Collapse

Breitbart ^ | 17 Dec 2023 | BRADLEY JAYE

[conservative98]

Jeff Roe, longtime Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) consultant and chief architect of his flailing political operation, resigned Saturday from the super PAC charged with realizing the governor’s increasingly quixotic presidential aspirations.

Roe announced his departure hours after a damning Washington Post report on the collapse of Never Back Down (NBD), the super PAC Roe conceptualized to send DeSantis to the White House and usher in a new era of super PAC-driven presidential campaigns.

The Post report comes after five senior officials, pre-dating Roe’s departure, left NBD since late November and three others with Roe’s firm were fired. The Post writes of the dysfunction:

[T]he board chairman and the founding chief executive both resigned, amid internal concerns about legal compliance.

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But there’s no questioning Roe’s historical importance to DeSantis, or that his Shakespearian arc mirrors th:at of DeSantis’s tragic rise and fall.

Roe made millions while emerging as perhaps the preeminent Republican campaign operative. His firm, Axiom, grew to be the largest Republican consulting firm in Washington.

He maintained his image as a campaign guru despite suffering high-profile — but lucrative — losses that included Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) unsuccessful 2016 presidential bid and a string of failed Senate races.

Never Back Down was intended to be the culmination of years of work building his profitable operation.

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The strategy sought to take advantage of existing loopholes and absorb responsibilities traditionally held by campaigns, including advertising, field programs, candidate travel, and events.

But instead of the beginning of a new era in presidential campaigning, NBD might be remembered by history as the manifested failure of not only DeSantis but Roe.

[1Old Pro]

Ron, get on the Trump train.

[conservative98]

And, for its donors, NBD could serve as a painful lesson for putting hopes and fortunes behind the wrong candidate without the vision or operation necessary for victory.

“The super PAC model of winning a presidential primary, I think, is staggering, if not on the ropes,” said one DeSantis donor to the Post. “And if you’re going to have a successful presidential primary campaign you need to be able to raise hard dollars.”

[conservative98]

Every “Never Back Down” strategist decided to back down. 😂 #Trump2024TheOnlyChoice pic.twitter.com/10QR3Fv70p— Makaveli Memez (@MakaveliMemez) December 17, 2023

[Georgia Girl 2]

I think it collapsed awhile back. 🙄

[Leaning Right]

> Ron, get on the Trump train. <

Yep. Primary contests are a healthy thing. But at some point it’s time to unite. When is that time? It’s when the front-runner is so far ahead that he cannot possibly be caught. We are well past that time.

So why are DeSantis and the rest still hanging on? They all must be hoping that Trump will be in prison shortly. That’s dishonorable and ghoulish, to say the least.

[gibsonguy]

Oh the humanity!!

[gibsonguy]

Oh the humanity!!

[Buttons12]

Shakespearean arc? Who writes this drivel? The DeSantis campaign never got to Act III. It’s been long, flat denouement most of the time.
I see holiday yard inflatables with more life in them than the prematurely deflated DeSantis campaign.

[Boogieman]

"He maintained his image as a campaign guru despite suffering high-profile — but lucrative — losses..."

This is 90% of the GOP Presidential candidates' game plans:

[catnipman]

this whole deal seems like nothing more than a repeat of the Jeb! debacle, the main difference being that unlike in 2015-2016, Trump was essentially unknown, whereas now Trump is an extremely popular and formidable former President with one of the most amazing set of Presidential conservative accomplishments in modern history ... so, like they said on Pulp Fiction, “Ron should have F-ing better known better” ...

[bantam]

Every one of these primary candidates’ campaigns are going to collapse, because PDJT is the only one people want!!!!
Stop wasting people’s $$$ idiots!
Get on board with Trump!

[Seruzawa]

Whaddya mean “closer”? It already has. I’m not anti-DeSantis but it’s time to face reality. Even if Trump is jailed conservatives won’t accept any of these people currently running against him.

[mass55th]

"Ron, get on the Trump train."

He won't leave until the last dog is hung. Back on May 24th, the day he announced his candidacy, he signed the law that he had the State Legislature change, so he didn't have to resign to run, and has been living for free off the back of Florida taxpayers since then.

[poconopundit]

Excellent commentary, Buttons. And with a literary flair.

Speaking of inflatables, I heard DeSantis has one big campaign surprise (pic) that my have an impact :-)

[poconopundit]

Never Back Down was intended to be the culmination of [Roe’s] years of work building his profitable operation.

* * * *

It’s a culmination alright. And the result is Never Hire These Bozos Again.

Good! Trump has effectively neutered Jeff Roe’s RINO organization. It’s a great start as he hunts down and unmasks other RINO operatives.