Posted on 03/23/2023 8:52:13 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
After attempting to navigate through the politics in order to curry favor with the base Republican voters on a Ukraine position, when confronted by Piers Morgan who is a pro-NATO war voice, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis now says his former position on Ukraine has been “mischaracterized” and Vladimir Putin “is a war criminal.”
The walk back highlights once again that Ron DeSantis is an empty vessel using poll testing to formulate his policy stances.
The reversing comments on Vladimir Putin and Ukraine come from the interview DeSantis gave to Piers Morgan as noted in a recent New York Post article:
(Piers Morgan, NY Post) – Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis has branded Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” and demanded he be “held accountable” for his barbaric invasion of Ukraine.
Taking a tougher tone from his statement last week appearing to dismiss the year-long war as a “territorial dispute,” DeSantis now says Russia was WRONG to invade Ukraine and was WRONG to invade and take over Crimea in 2014, and won’t win the war. And he’s made his strongest attack yet on Russia’s dictator, calling him a loser who is “basically a gas station with a bunch of nuclear weapons.”
His assertion, in a statement to Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, that it is not in America’s “vital national interests” to become “further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia” was strongly criticized by numerous senior Republicans — including Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Marco Rubio.
When I asked him specifically if he regretted using the phrase “territorial dispute,” DeSantis replied, “Well, I think it’s been mischaracterized. Obviously, Russia invaded (last year) — that was wrong. They invaded Crimea and took that in 2014 — That was wrong.
[…] “There is a move now to hold [Vladimir Putin] accountable for war crimes,” I told DeSantis, “bombing maternity hospitals and genocidal activity in parts of Ukraine wiping out whole cities like Mariupol. Would you support that?”
“I think he is a war criminal,” he replied. “This ICC … we have not done that in the US because we’re concerned about our soldiers or people being brought under it. So, I don’t know about that route, but I do think that he should be held accountable.” DeSantis is convinced Ukraine will eventually prevail in the war. (read more)
The DeSantis team has also hired the notorious dirtbag, Jeff Roe.
You might remember Roe as the former 2016 campaign manager for Ted Cruz who falsely told the people of Iowa, on the night before the primary caucus, that Dr. Ben Carson dropped out of the race. The Cruz Crew amplified this false message, and duped Carson caucus supporters who subsequently switched candidates on election day to support Ted Cruz. Jeff Roe created the lie, then tried to deny it.
(Via Politico) – […] Jeff Roe, who previously ran Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign, has signed on to be an adviser to the super PAC, Never Back Down, according to an operative with direct knowledge of the move.
Never Back Down is being spearheaded by executive director Chris Jankowski, another seasoned Republican operative. Ken Cuccinelli, a former top Homeland Security official to Donald Trump, is serving as chair of the super PAC. Over the last several weeks, Cuccinelli has visited four key early GOP primary states. (read more)
A DeSantis political group that would hire Jeff Roe highlights, yet again, how the DeSantis 2024 campaign is a mirror of Ted Cruz campaign in 2016.
Factually, almost all of the 2016 never-Trump Cruz Crew are now members of the 2024 never-Trump Desantis Crew. To assist this overall ‘never-Trump’ endeavor, in 2024 Vivek Ramaswamy is now playing the former role of Evan McMullin in 2016.
The professional political class of the GOPe, the DeceptiCons, are never as vicious against Democrats as they are against candidates who do not conform to the Republican UniParty orthodoxy. If you want to see the Republicans fight dirty, just become a Republican political candidate that does not comply with them. Then, and only then, will you see a side of the Republican wing that doesn’t surface against Democrats.
Threaten their GOPe Wall Street multinational corporate interests, ie. ‘their money‘, and the DeceptiCons get vicious.
If the professional Republicans are NOT targeting a Republican politician, you can be assured that Republican politician is a member of the GOPe club operation.
Yes, it really is that simple, and Ron DeSantis is a member of that club.
I agree, both with this being policy and your position on Biden. This is policy. Where does Trump stand? Where does DeSantis stand? That's debating your candidate's policy.
What I see too much of around here lately is the actual infighting, name calling, etc. between the Trump supporters (I count myself as one) and DeSantis supporters. It's ignorant. Instead of standing on policy positions, I see too much mudslinging from both sides. The kind of nonsense I've seen too much of here lately doesn't win elections.
The truth is, Trump & DeSantis are both viable candidates. Obviously, we want Trump to win because we already know what he will do as President and he is not a politician, not even a little. DeSantis, on the other hand, is a very polished politician. It's highly likely, based on what we've seen in Florida, that he would govern as a politician would. Unfortunately for "We, the People", that means it will be mostly business as usual. Not necessarily a bad thing with an (R) President, but it does absolutely nothing to stop the DC Mafia.
I really don't feel the need to simply sling mud at DeSantis supporters. I'd rather debate policy, and for the moment, I happen to believe Trump's policies and abilities are what we need at the moment. I'd LOVE to see and support DeSantis in '28.
Trump is going to slice your establishment whore up in the primaries. DeSantis is the next Ted Cruz.
Remembering how Jeb Bush also did a good job as Florida Governor. This also wasn’t the whole story. Please clap.
When there is little difference in policy, there is little to debate other than splitting hairs
I applaud Trump’s efforts while President, but fear four years of coup de tat again if he is elected. He refuses to go on offense against them and they will not deal.
He followed the law and Terry was taken off life support
Oh I don't fear it. I expect it.
He refuses to go on offense against them
This is my biggest issue with Trump. If elected, and that is a BIG if (as long as the left has their voter fraud machine oiled, we're screwed no matter what), he had better go absolutely scorched earth on every single one of the rotten, traitorous anti-American leftist liberal democrats, period. There is no other choice at this point in history. It's either that, or we lose it all. When it comes to Trump or DeSantis, I trust Trump a bit more to actually do that. I really don't see DeSantis going scorched earth on them. Especially when the "them" comes to the anti-American leftist liberal republicans in the Senate.
This man has no chance.
Both sides sling mud. But this regarding Ukraine is policy and people do not change their policy in less than a week unless they were lying or using weasel words to deceive at least once. I don’t care for personal attacks that aren’t true either.
Let’s see under Trump, 1) we hit 50-year low in unemployment without 40-year high in inflation 2) Become a net exporter of oil for the first time since 1973 and were energy independent 3) Saw a record low number number for border crossings 4) He got 700 miles of wall built despite the Republican establishment and Democrats best efforts to prevent any funding for it 5) Avoid using our military as a means of enriching our political class.
Trump is going to slice your establishment whore up in the primaries. DeSantis is the next Ted Cruz.
____
You’re right on all of the above, which is why I want Trump to be president again, and don’t want anyone running a primary against him.
But you’re wrong about DeSantis being an establishment whore. If he were he wouldn’t have attacked the issues he has in FL, that NO other governor is doing. Dirtying him up does nobody any good. Both he and Trump have faults, better not to be a fanboy for either.
He did? Or did he retaliate against repeated Ukrainian incursions into Dombass and repeated encroachment by NATO?
2. He’s a criminal.
Who gives a feces? I don't care if Putin was throwing his own people into a woodchipper. Leave him and his country alone.
That's completely, categorically false.
Sending an invading army to capture a European capitol?
Ukraine is not a NATO member and doesn't belong to the EU.
And so quickly! The week he got serious about making an announcement, the announcement he had to make was, "I'm a stone-cold moron already working above my pay grade, and I'll never be President."
Whatever you guys are drinking, I'll have a double.
NATO is a bureaucrcy that lost its mission with the end of the Cold War, and in Parkinson’s Law fashion, continued to grow and expand. It needed a mission and created one. Now the useless feckless organization can fight the China-Russia coalition that the globalists manufactured for them.
5) Avoid using our military as a means of enriching our political class.
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I doubt it. Military spending increased. Probably more than necessary and with no other goal than getting the war industry off his back.
Trump didn’t start a war to enrich the war industry.
I should’ve known better than to drag a little humor past a leftoid wannabe.
Truthfully, I kind of agree with your take, but I don’t know which was more entertaining, my post or your reaction
Cheers.
They are both very bad actors. Conservatives used to be better than black and white false choices.
Grow up. I made no moral equivalency. I recognize that evil comes in many forms. I reject your your premise ans maintain both are bad and we should support niether. Not worth our money and definitely not worth our blood.
Bastard electeds who have prioritized Ukes over Americans, giving us CARTELS need to be tossed. F’em all.
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