Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the lying liar who lies, Charlie Crist, held their one and only debate last night. Of all the gubernatorial debates so far, this one was probably the best. Thankfully, DeSantis won the debate on substance because Crist just sucks. However, DeSantis flubbed the most predictable question that was asked.
Every Floridian should vote for DeSantis, because Crist is just an unbearable alternative. That said, the insufferable Charlie Crist asked Governor DeSantis to commit to a four-year term in office and promise the Florida voters he would not abandon his state to run for the GOP nomination in 2024; effectively making DeSantis only a six-month reelected governor because national campaigning will start in June 2023.
It is true, the question should have come from the moderator, because it’s a transparently obvious and predictable question. However, regardless of who actually asked it, the non-response from Governor DeSantis was telling.
WATCH (just first minute):
A few things about that non-response are remarkable.
First, even a middle school debate coach would have known that question was likely in the debate. The fact that DeSantis did not have a well-rehearsed and prepared canned answer to the question is a reflection of stunningly poor debate prep.
Second, the evasive and non-truthful answer he did give, totally avoiding the question, shows the incredible weakness within a candidate that is a specific outcome of a lack of honesty. That response is also reflective of why Donald Trump wins every debate. Trump wields truth as an effective weapon.
HONESTY – Ron DeSantis could have said,
“Charlie, because of my successful leadership in the state of Florida, there are a lot of people who want me to run for the GOP nomination in 2024. There are also a lot of people offering money as an incentive for me to make that decision because the current state of our nation under Joe Biden is in such a mess. Whether I will or not is an open question that voters should consider; but I can assure everyone my work on behalf of Florida -a state I love- will never change.”
That type of an answer would be honest and respected. Florida voters deserve to know where Governor DeSantis stands on a 2024 presidential campaign. After all, it will consume most of the focus and time of the governor for 18 months before November 2024.
That type of an answer should also have been canned in a response awaiting the question. The absence of that type of an honest answer tells us something about the campaign authenticity aspect to Ron DeSantis.
The truth has no agenda, while the absence of truth always does.
This authenticity aspect is why Donald Trump won every one of the dozen debates in 2015 and 2016. He just speaks the truth regardless of comfort, expectation or disposition.
Q: “You have called women fat pigs etc.?” – A: “Only Rosie O’Donnell”…
Q: “You called Mexicans rapists etc.?” – A: “Well, someone’s doing the raping”…
Q: “You only support people who like you?” – A: “It’s true. I only like the people who like me”…
Q: “You have been talking to Kim Jong-un?” – A: “True. Shouldn’t we talk to everyone and try to avoid conflict? We also got along great”…
There’s no pretense in Trump’s responses. There is an authenticity in the humanness of the honesty. Trump wins debates because he answers the questions honestly as he sees them. He’s not uncomfortable being honest about his intent, reasons or even his own self-image.
Ron DeSantis on the other hand avoids his own discomfort in answering a question that should have been easily predicted. There is something very unnerving about it.
Every Floridian should vote for Ron DeSantis, granting him the benefit of the doubt that he will be around as governor for the next four years. However, if/when DeSantis wins reelection, he would destroy his own career by announcing a 2024 run six months later.
Here’s a video of the full debate:
