Posted on 04/21/2023 8:37:33 AM PDT by conservative98
THINGS FALL APART — “Frustrated and tired: DeSantis’ demands wear out GOP Florida allies,” by Gary Fineout: “Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS’ iron-clad grip on the Republican-controlled Legislature may be slipping amid growing frustration among GOP legislators.
“Republican lawmakers are stalling a handful of his key remaining legislative priorities with just weeks left in the annual session. And what started out as whispers in private about unhappiness over the governor are starting to become louder …. DeSantis’ announcement this week that he wanted legislators to take aim again at Disney has irritated conservative Republicans loath to target private businesses. One GOP legislator privately said: ‘We’re not the party of cancel culture. We can’t keep doing this tit for tat.’”
Right on cue: Three more Florida Republican members of Congress (Reps. VERN BUCHANAN, GUS BILIRAKIS and CARLOS GIMENEZ) are gearing up to endorse DONALD TRUMP over their home state governor in the 2024 GOP primary.
THE PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: CHRIS CHRISTIE — For a while now, the conventional wisdom in Republican circles — even among high-profile Trump critics — has been that if you want to beat the former president, you have to market yourself as Trump without the drama — which means not criticizing him directly.
Enter CHRIS CHRISTIE, the two-time New Jersey governor who says that’s all bull, and is now considering taking the former president on himself.
This week, Rachael sat down with Christie to press him on how a Republican can beat Trump while going after a man many GOP voters idolize. The most striking part of the conversation centered on Christie’s own deliberations about whether to run.
The short of it is this: It appears that he’s absolutely itching to get into the race.
The one thing holding him back? Christie, who has never garnered more than low single digits in 2024 polls, is unsure if he can win — and says he will only run if he thinks he plausibly can.
Today, Christie is back in New Hampshire for a second town hall, testing the waters on whether GOP voters are interested in his brand of pugnacious authenticity. A few noteworthy nuggets from Rachael’s full story, which just posted:
THE CASE FOR RUNNING: Christie is exasperated by Trump’s top-tier challengers skirting direct confrontation with the former president, including their unwillingness to even name-check him.
Take DeSantis, who attempted a passive-aggressive jab at Trump over the allegations at the center of his recent indictment in New York. “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star,” DeSantis said — then quickly reversed course amid blowback.
Christie said DeSantis’ gibe was “way too subtle.” “Oh, so that’s supposed to prove to me that you’re tough enough to take on Donald Trump?” Christie asked. “This is a guy who said TED CRUZ’s wife was ugly. Like, you think he cares that you made a little sideswipe at him?”
The former governor has no such trepidation about criticizing Trump directly.
“I don’t believe that Republican voters penalize people who criticize Trump,” he added. “If you think you’re a better person to be president than Donald Trump, then you better make that case.”
That brawler’s mentality is central to Christie’s appeal, and a key reason why some Republicans are looking to him to enter the race — including, Christie says, one unnamed former Republican presidential candidate, who recently urged him to run and take the fight to Trump, saying: “No one else has the balls to do it.”
An opening at an all-you-can-eat buffet?
the chances of me voting for him are about the same as me for Pence.
Conservative Republicans better figure out real quick that they're in a culture WAR and they'd better learn friend/enemy distinction.
Christie THINKS there is an opening.
An opening? His pie hole?
That line was supposed to read: That blowhard’s mentality is central to Christie’s appeal, and a key reason why so few Repubics are looking to him to enter the race.
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The Cape May Orca can’t run on his NJ record https://t.co/UvyJLUv4Mz— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) March 28, 2023
These guys really don’t get it
Who believes this crap?
If DeSantis is struggling to pick up Trumps scraps ,why tf is Christie even bothering...
Let me save you a few bucks, gov.
I don’t see that he’s any better than Nikki Haley.
DeSantis’ announcement this week that he wanted legislators to take aim again at Disney has irritated conservative Republicans loath to target private businesses. One GOP legislator privately said: ‘We’re not the party of cancel culture. We can’t keep doing this tit for tat.’”
Get rid of the Rino who speaks inprivate.
Me too!
He looks like he’s waddling to the buffet!
Go eat a French fried Shetland pony you fat RINO.
Go eat a donut.
Christie sees an opening...Must be a donut in it...............
Like I believe what Politico has to say and why! They will say anything to try to divide the right. Good gravy why do we give these folks any airtime?
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