Posted on 11/30/2023 5:53:49 AM PST by MtnClimber
Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom will face off on Fox News in the great “Red State vs. Blue State” debate, AKA the GovShove or the Acrimonica in Alpharetta or Sir Galahad’s Lament .
Whatever it is dubbed, the debate is important for both men, with DeSantis – why didn’t he wait until ’28? – having to prove that his terrible campaign has been a mere eight-month “oopsy” and with Newsom having to prove that he is a human being and not just an autobot bred for office by the San Francisco elite.
Over the past few months – with DeSantis’ campaign having been a central Asian multiple incursion that Meg Whitman’s and Jeb Bush’s consultants would be proud of – it had seemed that Ron needed this way more than Gavin.
But with the largely negative fallout from Newsom’s global galivant and the growing national public realization that California is an utter mess – Gavin now needs it to go very well, too. That means Gavin will most likely go full jargonaut as he usually does when asked to, um, “explain” why the state is in such a roiling mess (remember, this is billed as the “Red State Vs. Blue State” debate.)
DeSantis cannot let that happen. He cannot let Newsom confuse-a-buster his way through the 90 minutes. He needs to throw him off his game from nearly the get-go – let the nation see Gavin in all his nonsensical glory for a few minutes and then drop the hammer.
And, amazingly enough considering who, what, and where he is now, DeSantis should take a cue from Stephen Colbert – yeah that guy.
Because before his utter woker-than-woke conversion was complete, Colbert could make a good point here and there. With one guest – I cannot find the clip and am pretty sure it’s waaaaay buried or literally gone – near the beginning of the Hillary-Barack Democratic nomination contest he agreed that Obama shifted personas based upon his audience and tended to be “as black as it was convenient to be.”
Interviewing Gavin in 2013 about his book “Citizenville” – imagine reading Gavin instead of merely having to listen to him – Colbert actually called him out on his nonsense:
Newsom: “The whole idea is this: Right now we have a broadcast model of governing. You vote and I decide. You understand this intimately. You’ve seen the contours of this change with the media, you’ve seen it, certainly, in the music industry. Big is getting small, small is getting big. Technology has the ability to level the playing field —
Colbert: “What the f*** does any of that mean? … The big is getting small and the small is getting big? What are you talking about? Is there a glossary [in the book]? Is there a bullshit translator?”
It is this type of thing DeSantis must do, in part because it is absolutely 100% true and in part because Newsom really really doesn’t like it when he is challenged and he will be on his back foot for the rest of the debate.
Recall this gem from the Newsom recall campaign, his chat with the editorial folks from the Bee newspapers:
That’s the Newsom DeSantis wants to debate and the Newsom the nation needs to see with its own eyes.
A note: While Twitter can often be a morass of irritation, occasionally a comment appears that is hilariously on-point. So credit where credit is due, Pete Campbell @googlewell, for coming up with this gem after watching the video:
“Good thing California doesn’t have nuclear weapons.”
This sort of unhinged tetchiness is not a DeSantis problem. If you recall DeSantis dealing with a hostile national press corps when the national press corps saw him as a threat, you will know that is true: he calmly wiped the floor with reporter after reporter and that’s how he needs to approach Newsom.
Newsom’s thin skin – a product of California’s cosseted, cradle-to-grave, challenge-free environment that is the political equivalent of a climate-controlled, custom-built, full-time gardener-attended, glassed-in arboretum, a hothouse designed to grow only one type of flower and a flower that does not transplant well beyond state lines – has on occasion been on display before.
While – save for the recall question – the local press has not dared to confront him about anything ever in the past decade or so, at one point it did, showing that Newsom’s tendency to lash out and whine is not a recent issue.
Here is then-San Francisco Mayor Newsom responding to a reporter’s question about underage drinking and then referencing reports that Gavin’s 20-year-old girlfriend at the time has appeared drinking in public:
Newsom went to rehab – sorry, re-centered his life – shortly thereafter.
If DeSantis can unleash the real Gavin – the petulant, coddled, selfish, actually not terribly bright – Newsom he will not only prove he is really ready for the big leagues but also unmask Newsom for the manque he is, hopefully sparing the nation from having to listen to him for the next five years.
Oh, and he would make Kamala very very very happy, too.
The leftist gerontocracy will not let go of power but, thankfully, the Grim Reaper is starting to take them to hell where they belong.
Just yesterday Kissinger died. What joy.
If this is going to be a real debate, an actual debate and not just joint press conferences like political debates tend to be, this could be very enlightening for the American people.
An actual debate could really point out the differences between liberalism and conservatism.
If Newsome is put on defense, let him defend the problems of California, and how his governance has not solved the severe problems in that state. Let him defend liberal policies and let him explain how his liberal policies have not done anything to solve the problems of his state. Point out how the California legislature is dominated by Democrats, so he cannot blame his problems in his State on Republicans.
If this event would be a real debate, and real back and forth between a liberal governor and a conservative Governor, this could really educate the American people.
Perhaps a wild card , is Hannity going to get in the middle of good discussions. Maybe Hannity orchestrated this whole thing just to help his own ratings and his own image.
“ DeSantis has all the wrong friends while President Trump has all the right enemies.”
That’s a very astute observation.
L
Stop worrying. That is a done deal, with Whitmer as VP.
Any photons that are posting about "Biden" as a candidate are just a waste of time and energy.
How will they get rid of Harris without upsetting the black voters?
But he has great hair, and he's rich!
Both of these ALONE are a lot more important than GOP lies about his so-called "record". He's TRYING, and he CARES.
Why are you so mean? A lot of voters hate mean people, especially mean people who attack rich men with great hair. And mean people who are mean to the Happiest Place on Earth, gays, and trannies?
Who even listens to people like that?
The same black voters that got Harris 3 delegates?
No blacks, and ESPECIALLY no black women, care anything about Harris, for three reasons:
1) She's not really black
2) She married a Jew
3) She sent a lot of brothers to prison for weed.
How they make her disappear, I have no idea. But she's over.
Biden has been being moved out for a year.
All hat & no cattle, all hype & no substance, kabuki theatre. A trumped up exercise in empty posturing.
A strangled desperate last gasp for relevance.
But I could have just said DeSantis Newsome debate and all the rest is understood.
Methinks the Dims have a black problem (think Harris, how do they move her out of the way without angering blacks?).
Will the winner of this debate get to be governor of CA or FL or both? Not really understanding what the goal is here?
For sure, neither are party nominees for anything and neither are running against each other for anything.
She was just Impeachment Insurance, nothing more.
And DeSantis doesn't have the backing of BLM; that will hurt him.
DeSantis has a good record as governor of Florida, no question. However, he has so far shown himself to be not-ready-for-prime-time in his Presidential campaign. On substance, DeSantis will likely win this debate but the spin doctors will declare Newsome the winner and heir-apparent to Brandon.
He has ALREADY lost.! He lost the second he agreed debate the POS... NEVER let a rat sit at your table..
It is a dumb idea to debate any Democrat that isn’t part of the final run for President. Newsome isn’t even technically running for anything, but he is likely a prominent replacement for Biden when he’s finally forced out of running again by his controllers. For DeSantis to debate him only elevates Newsome in the national eye and provides a whole lot of risk for DeSantis in terms of how he performs. Even if DeSantis is a huge firecracker winner, the MSM and poweratti will just do the same thing - keep saying Newsome won so it’s settled.
The deal is that Desantis will appeal to the Hannity crowd and Nuisance will appeal to the RAT crowd, blacks and young people.
That said, this most likely will not get a big audience because people find Hannity as obnoxious and so is FOX.
But given his record in governing California, the Republican attack ads will write themselves.
Doesn't matter. Gavin is handsome and will thus garner votes from millions and millions of suburban women. Sad, but true.
I am in total agreement with the author!
my opinion of desantis is he should remain gov . He is doing such a great job in Florida; he needs to be there for Floridians . Who could ever take his place? ,certainly no one knows who would . And just because he is doing a great job as gov doesn’t mean he is qualified to be POTUS, if he thinks so, then he has been sorely mislead.
that greasy slimy power hungry creep from Cali needs to be told to stand down in so many words and hit the bricks . He should be thankful for what little moral compass he has and crawl back to his corrupt corner of the world . His over preening makes me sick
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.