Posted on 03/25/2023 2:07:33 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is recalibrating his strategy and messaging amid signs that his presidential ambitions may be faltering before his campaign even gets off the ground.
DeSantis began the year with clear momentum in the nascent GOP presidential primary, topping former President Trump in head-to-head polling and drawing unparalleled interest from Republican voters and operatives eager to see a fresh face at the helm of the party.
But there are signs that his momentum may be stalling: he’s faced weeks of relentless attacks from Trump and his allies, fellow Republicans have criticized him for dubbing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “a territorial dispute” and some recent polls have shown his support in a hypothetical GOP primary slipping.
“I think for all the fanfare about DeSantis, there’s still a lot of stuff he needs to work on,” said one Republican strategist, who plans to back the Florida governor in the 2024 primary if he runs. “That’s normal when you’re exploring this kind of thing. But I think he needs to rethink things a little bit.”
To some degree, that already appears to be happening.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
I guy with a lot of energy, bold and unafraid to be who he is.
Trump loved the troops and they loved him.
The truth is a constant.
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That’s equivalent to saying the truth is the truth, which is tautological! Moreover, since certain truths are unverifiable it is common for a prevailing opinion to be considered the “truth” as long as that opinion has not been disproved!
I guy with a lot of energy, bold and unafraid to be who he is.
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Thanks, I never heard that term before.
Some people need to be insulted.
do you believe an anonymous internet poster that the governor is being blackmailed?
hmmmm..
maybe 6’1” in his heels.
I’m sure Rove and Lindsay Graham and Fox News Murdoch Ryan Doocy et al will be DS baxkers BIG TIME!
Then more Biden 4 years!
“He’s what? And he dissed the military? Please provide some documentation!”
Regarding disrespect for the military, while in a public argument with McCain, this is what President Trump said about McCain in 2015:
“He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
That’s tough (and ignorant) talk coming from someone who never served and had the chance to do so. If someone wants to serve in the military - they can serve.
I wonder what President Trump would have had to say about POWs James Stockdale. Or Jeremiah Denton. Or Humbert Versace.
I didn’t understand the “DeSanctimonious” moniker when Trump rolled it out, but it became clear.
As always he has a pretty shrewd strategy.
RDS was “running/not running” as he allowed surrogates to attack Trump while he stayed “above the fray.” “No, I am busy running FL” kind of thing, meanwhile doing a national book tour, meeting with big donors, etc. That really irked Trump because he, despite everything else is fundamentally honest and expects people to be so as well. He expects dirty. That’s ok to him. Not lying.
So he labels RDS “DeSanctimonious” over a month ago while RDS was in stealth mode. Then RDS goes up to meet with Paul Ryan (Ru Paul) and Karl Rove and gets the endorsements of Yeb. They told him “Trump is going to be taken out. He will be indicted.”
THIS IS WHY IT IS CLEAR RDS KNEW ABOUT THE MAL RAID & SAID NOTHING. Yes, as a gov he could “DO” nothing, but he should have made a statement specifically about Trump-—because that raid wasn’t just “weaponization” or overreach: it was a deliberate attempt by the Cabal to take out a popular former president. RDS said nothing.
So here comes the indictment, except it doesn’t. (I think it will will come, but won’t hurt Trump). Trump accelerates the attacks and now, RDS-—thinking that Bragg will clear the way for him-—begins to “come out.” He kind backs away from the Uke war due to populist/base opposition to the war, but the donors weigh in and he has to U-turn. Then Trump attacks his record as gov.
NO TRUMP DOESN’T THINK CHARLIE CRIST WAS A BETTER GOVERNOR. But he knew that would finally get RDS to respond. So RDS makes his comments about Bragg and the “weaponized DA.” Now, that’s true but it’s kind of irrelevant. The only reason the DA is weaponized is TRUMP. By trying to “fight” the deep state and yet trying to avoid the elephant in the room, which is that it is TOTALLY 100% directed against one man, RDS looks terribly dishonest.
So then RDS couldn’t resist, and threw in the “porn star payoffs/bribes” lines. Bingo. Trump’s “DeSanctimonious” came out. Within four or five weeks of using the moniker, Trump egged RDS into the mud with him, and Trump loves it there. Realize that RDS’s backers have been pushing him as a “kinder, gentler Trump,” a Trump who doesn’t say outrageous things, who is “above it all.” That just went kabloowey. And all of a sudden the sanctimonious RDS was right down there trading insults with Trump.
You can think what you want about Trump but he is one of the all-time best at reading opponents (wish he read his friends better).
And immediately after the last two weeks come several stories that donors and the GOPe don’t think RDS is ready yet, that one big donor is pulling his money and putting it behind Tim Scott/Nikki Haley.
And those two combined would get about the same number of delegates Kamala Harris got in 2020. Zero. Mission accomplished. Trump now is anywhere from 15-30 points up, RDS is falling in every single poll and he lost his “clean” advantage.
. it definitely shows the character of these people.
“He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
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Trump said what he said because in his view, like millions of other Conservatives, myself included, McCain wasn’t any more of a war hero than every other service member on active duty. Moreover McCain was criticized by many who served with him for behavior thought to be less than admirable for an officer and a gentleman. And there’s no need to describe how much of an assh*le he turned out to be as a “Republican” politician.
Yup. Common sense isn’t common anymore.
Re: 214 - President Trump did not qualify his remarks as being confined to McCain - that’s a plain reading of his remarks. And regardless of what millions of other Conservatives believe, McCain is entitled to the respect of someone who was a POW. That does not mean he walks on water (e.g. Keating Five).
Yup.
DeSantis needs to understand that his Deep State “supporters” are playing him.
They are only using him to get rid of Trump, they will turn on him, once that’s done.
Why would anyone listen to a “strategist” when most people are capable of using common sense and critical thinking skills. Imagine AOC as your strategist? DeSantis ain’t no dummy and doesn’t need some dopey, unemployed “strategist” what to say.
Agree he’s just a state operator he hasn’t done the dealings like Trump has done with world leaders even before he became president.
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