Posted on 08/24/2023 11:02:56 AM PDT by conservative98
MILWAUKEE — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, once clearly shown by polls to be the top Republican alternative to former President Donald Trump in 2024, left the GOP debate stage here Wednesday night without a scratch on him.
That’s mainly because his rivals barely swiped at him — a somewhat surprising development that observers were quick to cite as evidence of his diminished standing in the race.
“It speaks volumes that just months after being the co-front-runner of this race, Ron DeSantis has fallen so far that none of his seven opponents onstage felt the need to attack him but instead went after a first-time upstart,” said GOP strategist Matt Mowers, who attended the debate.
A longtime DeSantis bundler said that coming into the debate, “major donors” were watching to see how he performed.
“I think we will continue to kick the can,” the bundler said afterward.
DeSantis still regularly polls in second place behind Trump, but it’s a distant second. These days he’s much closer to mid-tier candidates like Vivek Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old businessman from Ohio whom most GOP voters knew little to nothing about at the beginning of the year.
And it was Ramaswamy, not DeSantis, who found himself the night’s biggest target, taking the arrows normally reserved for the front-runner — or, in this case, the biggest target onstage, with Trump having decided to skip the debate. The two-hour showdown was punctuated by one-on-one fights between Ramaswamy and former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.
DeSantis made few, if any, obvious mistakes Wednesday. But even at center stage — next to Ramaswamy, because of their respective poll numbers — he was often on the sidelines
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
if a tree falls in the forest and only 12 million were there to view it........
That’s because he’s drifting in a listless rubber dingy and nobody cares
The debate was a DeSaster!
Write when his poll numbers go up....
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Do you think Lil Country Club Brett Baier could’ve been bothered to ask Pence about his comments that Americans aren’t his concern while he’s hugging up on (No Elections) Zelensky?
No questions on Impeachment. Biden Family Corruption skipped
Dan Bongino said DeSantis hesitated and looked both ways before raising his hand that he would support Trump. Not a good sign.
Pence
Christie
Haley
Asahole
They would simply take direction from Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. I’m not exaggerating. There’s not an ounce of leadership in any of those poseurs
They totally skipped over the plight of the US Middle class in that debate. Fox is horrid.
None of them did well. Rama swampy was the worst.
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CNN had a panel of Iowa Voters that watched the Debate together and went on air. It was like 22 people, or so.
Zero peeps thought Pence won.
Zero peeps thought Tim Scott won.
Zero peeps thought Christie won.
Zero peeps thought Asa Hutchinson won.
They should all tell their Deep State handlers they’re dropping out.
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If you aren’t attacked, then you aren’t a threat.
Its just not worth the waste of breath. 😉
There is nothing to attack him on.
All of Trump’s names and accusations are just bluster. Trump, who campaigns with Lindsay Graham and who endorsed Paul Ryan, and chose the likes of Wray, Bolton, and Barr, only draws attention to his own huge list of screw ups, when attempting to smear the best governor in the USA. The other candidates also have either spotty track records, or in Vivek’s case, zero track record except for the pump and dump pharma stock scam.
That’s why nobody attacked front runner DeSantis. DeSantis never chose deep state people like Trump to work under him.
LMAO. Is that like a participation trophy?
DeSantis has never and never will be a '"front runner".
Did you write this article? Do you have a twin? This blurb had to come from the same source:
From the article...co-front-runner of this race
That is some awesome abuse of the English language.
Everyone has their opinions, but I think yours is in the minority. Ramaswamy is getting a lot of positive buzz from people I have talked to today.
He have a Cabinet Posistion. 28 is for Donalds, Noem or Younklin
Net poll will show VR is the only one to get a bump.
Byron Donals would have been a good Trump surrogate who would have beaten them all.
Ron DeSantis left the debate untouched — because no one bothered to attack him!
The focus groups paid for by the other candidates, apparently didn’t feel that he was worthy of any worry or attacking.
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