Posted on 04/09/2023 1:13:46 AM PDT by RandFan
Massie has stayed in frequent touch with DeSantis since the Florida Republican left Congress....
He isn’t under any delusions that the upcoming primary will be a strictly academic exercise. Massie once believed that libertarians like Sen. Rand Paul had a shot at the presidency because of policy.
“But after some soul-searching,” he previously said, “I realized when they voted for Rand and Ron and me in these primaries, they weren’t voting for libertarian ideas – they were voting for the craziest son of a bitch in the race. And Trump won best-in-class, as we had up until he came along.”
How does that rubric apply to the coming primary?
“I know DeSantis can win,” Massie said, skirting the question somewhat, “because I’ve seen him up in the polls just four months ago over Trump in Kentucky, which is Trump Central. He’s got a great chance. People want somebody who can drain the swamp.”
He chalked up Trump’s recent surge in the polls to his legal troubles, what Massie called “unfair persecution.” But he added that DeSantis has strong support and “is not even in the race.” After Trump-backed candidates faltered in the midterms, he noted that DeSantis’ win in Florida “was the bright spot” in an otherwise “post-election malaise.”
Why DeSantis over Trump though? While Massie had his differences with the former president, he often voted in support of his agenda. “Trump had a tough job – it’s a deep swamp,” he replied. “But he did make some mistakes, like hiring the wrong people and keeping the wrong people around too long,” Massie continued, pointing to Fauci in particular.
“And these are things that Ron DeSantis will get right.”
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Pro-DeSantis Freepers will like the comments. He's being fair and respectful which I think is the right way.
Massie is my favorite Congressman. He is excellent.
That said, I would prefer DeSantis in 2028, after 4 years of Trump.
DeSantis and his supporters have one strategy to lean on.
The “I hope multiple indictments of the 45th President leads to a DeSantis nomination.”
It isn’t much of a strategy, but that’s the strategy.
That said, I would prefer DeSantis in 2028, after 4 years of Trump”
Trump has a mile-wide base, but we need DeSantis as VP to put us over the Dims’ vote-stealing!
Trump has a mile-wide base, but we need DeSantis as VP to put us over the Dims’ vote-stealing!
********
From what I’m hearing, DeSantis can’t play “second fiddle” and doesn’t want to hurt his ‘brand’ by being associated with the 45th President.
As if a guy born in 1978 with his limited resume, has a better brand than the 45th President.
“It’s laughable.”
DS can’t win and everyone knows it.
1. He claims that Trump hired too many of the “wrong people,” and that DeSantis would “get this right” … but DeSantis will be backed by the same GOP establishment whose approval (Senate confirmation) will be required for any of his key hires. How is this going to work out?
2. Massie has spent his entire political career casting principled — but useless — votes as a “constitutional libertarian” in the House. What makes anyone think that a guy who is usually on the losing end of a 425-5 vote in Congress can pick a winning presidential candidate?
Very good point on hiring.
Trump 2.0 is less likely to appoint swamp creatures this time around given what he’s saying now and due to lessons learned.
You have to factor in this experience...
DeSantis will not gather any extra votes that DJT won’t get.
However DJT will get votes ron won’t.
“DeSantis will not gather any extra votes that DJT won’t get. However DJT will get votes ron won’t.”
...and that is EXACTLY why the Democrats need Trump locked up and out of the way. And beyond that, the Democrats have exhausted their usual campaign tools* against Trump, they really don’t have any more to use - it will be much more of an election about which way to take the country.
*DNC campaign tools typically are ‘invented’ things from the past, such as finding Democrat women to make up stories about the Republican candidate. With DeSantis, they’ll just find a new batch of Democrat women from his past (or men, or whatevers) to make up stories, once again.
Drain the swamp by fronting for the swamp! Oh yeah, the Bush family is what we need to drain the swamp!
His twitter feed is all pro DeSantis all the time lately. Kind of bizarre for Massie. People say he’s going for McConnell’s seat once McConnell finally retires or does. Not sure if this has something to do with that or not. Doesn’t help that Trump said he should be kicked out of the party because of his vote against the CARES act aka COVID stimulus trillions.
People say he’s going for McConnell’s seat once McConnell finally retires or "dies" (not does)
Maybe Massie thinks he'll need the establishment to get McConnell's seat so he's cozying up via DeSantis now.
Remember when Massie did everything possible to keep Trump from building the wall? He claimed using military funds was unconstitutional. When 80 million of us were disenfranchised, crickets from Massie. He’s my congressman. The day after the steal he did a local Cincinnati radio program. The SOB was cutting up, laughing, not word one about what had just transpired. He’s OK with VegPres as long as he and Uniparty were able to save the country from Trump.
We hoped for a DeSantis nomination LOOOOONG before the indictment. The indictment makes Ron's path more difficult, actually.
“Trump has a mile-wide base, but we need DeSantis as VP to put us over the Dims’ vote-stealing!”
I don’t believe the President and VP can be from the same state. Read it or heard it from somewhere.
Maybe Massie has a “Crush” on RD.
I hope you are correct. I hope he has spent the last several year vetting people and has stopped listening to the wrong advisors.
I noticed.
Bear in mind he worked with him/knew him for 6 years in Congress. I think this explains it i.e he knows him personally and talks to him a lot.
It’s not just that though his picks have to get through Senate confirmation.
It’s so hard and difficult when up against the Uniparty.
A lot of people have given up.
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