Ron DeSantis Failed Spectacularly In Iowa, But It Didn’t Have To Be This Way

The Federalist ^ | 1/16/2024 | John Daniel Davidson

[Robert DeLong]

Well, we know that the DNC rigged the primaries for Hillary. What makes you think they didn’t do the same for Biden in 2020? They had to do something to drag Biden across the finish line, for he was the most likely one to select to be the front man for Obama’s 3rd term after Hillary had failed in the General Election.

[Alberta's Child]

I honestly don't think he was ever a serious candidate to begin with.

If he really thinks he ever had a chance to unseat Donald Trump as the 2024 frontrunner, then he's not nearly as smart as the author of this piece thinks he is.

My favorite RDS meme of 2023 ...

[showme_the_Glory]

He chose . . . . . Pooorly. Bye Ron.

[hinckley buzzard]

This writer is saying what I have thought about the DeSantis campaign as I watched it collapse. Yes he had bad advice, poor consultants, but he didn’t have the gut instinct to disregard them and go his own way. That was a damaging deficiency and it cost him dearly.

[MNDude]

wow! I honestly thought you guys were joking.

[forYourChildrenVote4Bush]

I had high hope for desantis, he blew it with his robotic performance during the first 3 debates. I and millions like me were not impressed and hence the switch to Nikki

If trump wants to win he will need to sway the independents over to him and the one way to do this is to be reconciliatory like he was in his speech last night. I was one of his better speeches. Impressive , adult like , reconciliatory like

If he can keep up the way of his speech from last night he will stand a better chance with independents

[Nervous Tick]

[rdcbn1]

The problem for Desantis was that ,for his backers, it was never about electing Desantis as President, it was all about defeating and destroying President Trump.

So that was how Desantis misplayed his hand.

He lost big time and may have just destroyed any future political aspirations he had

[allendale]

One thing good about this long torturous primary process is that it sometimes weeds out people who should never become President due to character and personality flaws. DeSantis showd that he is a small minded person when he allowed himself to be filled with visions of gradeur by the likes of Karl Rove and the Trump hting Bush family. If DeSantis had been wise and maturely tolerated Trump’s eccentrics, he would have been VP in 2024 and probably President in 2028. Instead his political career is in ruins.

[nonliberal]

No. The Dems screwed the pooch the last couple of caucuses so the DNC decided Iowa was too white and yanked the first in the nation.

[forYourChildrenVote4Bush]

Wrong

Desantis was my preference because I thought of him as an articulate version of trump

Desantis , who I admire and respect , blew it in the first 3 debates by coming across robotic and mechanical. He was never able to recuperate. Haley came across as less Mechanical and more real.

Does she have what it takes to not be destroyed by the media ? I think she does

But if trump wants to win over the independents (it takes the independents to win a general election ) then he , trump , will need to be like his speech last night. He needs to be the adult he needs to be reconciliatory he needs to less abrasive

[Dr. Sivana]

If he wanted to look strong in this election season and come back with more cred in 2028 (as many past presidents have done and not won their first attempt), he would have best done it by not alienating more than half of the base.

Yup. Ramaswamy showed the way. If DeSantis would have been content with a strong second place, and let Haley or Christie be the black hat, he would have been completely set up for '28, VP, or both.

[BereanBrain]

DeSantis listened to the “experts” who wound him up like a toy soldier to go after Trump.

Instead, if he were LOYAL and ran a campaign against Biden, DeSantis would be in the #1 position for a VP shot.

Shows poor judgement. DeSantis is young, and can wait 4 more years. Instead he showed a “bite the hand” mentality.

[foundedonpurpose]

Should have stayed in and focused on Florida. The party meat grinder would have compromised the h3ll out of him. It already started.

[lilypad]

All the accolades during Covid went to his head.

[Fido969]

This guy refuted Trump claim of election fraud - but is not claiming he is victim of it.

[Fido969]

This guy refuted Trump claim of election fraud - but is *now* claiming he is victim of it.

[RightOnTheBorder]

DeSantis had one path and that was to go even more conservative, scream bloody murder about the persecution of Trump, and point to how he destroyed leftists in Florida. Instead he took the GOP coin and danced to their anti-Trump tune. He went from conservative fighter to GOPer simp, something from which Ted Cruz is still trying to recover.

[Wallace T.]

What may help Trump with independent voters this year is Biden's gross incompetence in foreign and domestic matters, a lackluster economy, the open southern border, and increasing crime rates. The Democrats lack a backup candidate who is sellable. Michelle Obama is not a good or effective speaker and not a likable person. Gavin Newsom carries the stench of California's failures on him. He is a better speaker and more likable than Michelle, but he cannot dispel the California aura.

As long as Trump stays focused, and election cheating ls held down, his re-election chances are good.

[moovova]

But, but...he visited ALL of the counties!