Posted on 07/31/2022 7:55:38 AM PDT by Oak007
Suffolk University has a new poll out, including a question on Republican voter preferences for the 2024 presidential election, and while it is noteworthy that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is within 9 points of former President Donald Trump at 43%-34%, what is more striking is how little support the other possible candidates get.
Vice President Mike Pence is at 7%, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WV) at 3%, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 1%.
Contrast DeSantis’s strong second-place rank to where Republicans were at this point in August 2015. Trump was in front at 22%, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was at 13%, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 12%, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) at 7%, Ben Carson at 6%, Mike Huckabee at 6%, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) at 5%.
There was no clear alternative to Trump.
SNIP
If Trump and DeSantis do both run, Trump is going to be in for a primary fight far different than the one he survived in 2016.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
You're the one who slandered everyone pushing DeSantis as a "Trump hater."
Most people here would support the free exchange of ideas within the boundaries set by JimRob. And we all reject cancel culture, where politically incorrect ideas are shouted down.
But by golly, for some folks these ideals go right out the window when talking about Trump or Ukraine.
Say something even mildly critical of Trump, and you’re a liberal troll.
Say something even mildly critical of Ukraine, and you’re a Russian troll.
Say something even mildly critical of Russia, and you’re a Ukrainian troll.
Drew, you’re now catching flak for the first one on the list. And it’s a real shame. Cancel culture is never a good thing. Reasoned counter-arguments are so much better.
Haley is anti-Confederate monuments.
Just because one likes DeSantis does not mean that same person hates President Trump. I Love Trump and his foresight about policy but he is not good at personnel choices overall. See who he picked as chiefs of staff and many advisor and cabinet positions. DeSantis has his own set of Problems but both are way better than any Democrat. I remember the Cruz vs Trump hate fest many had in 2015-16 on here. It did us no good. I supported Trump then and still do But setting up a Trump/DeSantis hate fest now likewise is not helpful.
The left and RINOs want to split the Trump/DeSantis MAGA vote. They will also add some cheating to the mix. Out of that will emerge a RINO as the winner.
‘Well, while we hate Mike Pence here on Free Republic...’
and that hatred is completely misplaced; Donald Trump knew full well that Pence couldn’t simply overturn election results without provoking a contitutional crisis...are you dense enough to think the democrats would have sat on their hands saying ‘well, I guess that’s that...’?
while you’re so busy hating Pence, think back to the election of 1960, when Richard Nixon, sitting where Pence sat, certified the election that ensured his own defeat; and no one was such a poor loser as Nixon...
I suppose that in 2016 Joe Biden, the sitting veep, failed to certify Trump’s victory on the grounds of,say, partisan perceptions of Russian interference, you would be okay with that, since you say that Pence should have done so based on similar partisan perceptions of electoral shenanigans...
Cheerleading??? The media goes after him at every turn. He’s been called a murderer, a Nazi. Newsome has made destroying deSantis his holy grail and the media trumpets his attacks. Why? Because they know there are few Never deSantis groupies while there are msny Never Trumpers. The media is trying to build hate for DeSantis to a point close to hate for Trump. So far DeSantis has bested them.
They don’t love him and I guess I kind of said that above so I was not clear.
They are certainly pushing him as the alternative to Trump though and that concerns me. IF they truly view him as more formidable than Trump (a big stretch to me - Trump is a proven commodity in the WH) it seems like they would be most afraid of him.
It does make me smile that they continue to repeat the talking point that Trump is too polarizing and could never win. I think his chances of winning are much higher than 2016 and 2020 given the direct comparison people can make across the board.
Step back from the occasional attempt at “”journalism and look at the talking point - they usually behave as lemmings at the direction on the unseen hand. The big cheese on the left is pushing DeSantis and I am uncertain if it is all designed to fracture the party (certainly possible) or if they fear Trump so badly they are simply trying to find someone with a chance to win who is not named “Trump”.
Perhaps that is all there is to it.
Again, I really like DeSantis and he is showing an impressive ability to get things done by thinking outside the box. DeSantis is also exhibiting a spine of steel as Governor.
However, in a head to head I will stick with the man who was imperfect but gave my family the best results of my lifetime and that is no slight towards DeSantis. I vote for my kids and grandkids with an eye towards their future and I do sincerely believe that DeSantis will be part of that future for them, but it’s still Trump time for me.
If Trump and DeSantis split the MAGA vote, Haley could be the RINO that will cheat her way in.
“no one was such a poor loser as Nixon...”
What is today, Backwards Day?
Nixon won the LEGITIMATE vote; JFK cheated and was installed as President. NIXON WALKED AWAY because didn’t want to put the country through the chaos of a challenge.
You call THAT being a “poor loser”?
LOL! These are the other challengers? Pence is a nice man, but pure vanilla and totally uninspiring. He is not right for the times.
Cheney? Really? She should run, if she chooses to run, as a Democrat.
And Christie? He has no national following ... and no principles.
Liz Cheney will be too busy with her new gig as Fox News Host.
I think that by definition, the MAGA vote goes to Trump. And I suppose for that purpose, I'd define the MAGA vote as those who like not only Trump's policies, but his personality. Those votes aren't going to anyone but Trump. And I think that's at least 35-40% of the GOP primary vote.
Trump may be vulnerable to a one-on-one challenger, but I don't see him losing if there are two or more. He just has a lock on a plurality within the party.
Your position is not popular here on FR, but I agree 100% and took a lot of flak for saying it back then.
Blaming Pence for what happened is like football fans blaming a kicker for missing a 60 yard field goal with 2 seconds left on the clock to tie or win.
I have no enthusiasm for Pence but it has very little to do with what happened on Jan 6th.
Thats a red herring. The electors can’t vote for both a Prez and veep from the same state, but at any point before the electors meet, Trump just needs to register in another state where he has a home. NJ, NY, probably Nevada and Cali would work. To be safe, he should maybe get a condo in a red state, but the Florida residence thing is a non issue.
I just browsed through Real Clear Politics.
The most recent Florida poll for DeSantis v. Crist is FIVE months old!
Hard to believe, since DeSantis barely beat a scandal tainted Black Democrat four years ago.
I think the Rats are keeping their powder dry for now with DeSantis, and are conceding his Florida re-election.
If they do have the dirt on him, they aren’t going to expose it now.
“ Just because one likes DeSantis does not mean that same person hates President Trump”
Then you’re not reading what I am reading or talking to people about it.
It’s human nature here and elsewhere for people to get a bit over the top about their “guy or gal” in politics.
Could it have an impact if 5% said nobody but “my candidate”?
Possibly. The left has the same problem - look at the Bernie Bros who sat out the national elections in the last 3 cycles. There were a lot of them.
I am not falling for this game and doubt many Freepers will.
Again, I vote for whomever is best for my kids. That is where my loyalty (after my faith) is at now and for as many mortal years as I have remaining.
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