Posted on 02/12/2023 11:58:09 AM PST by conservative98
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida prizes preparation and the way it allows him to control his political narrative. But suddenly, he was on the verge of going off message.
He had traveled to a Central Florida warehouse this past week to promote a $2 billion tax cut proposal when he was confronted with the inevitable: an especially ugly attack from former President Donald J. Trump that seemed to warrant a strong response.
Mr. Trump had insinuated on social media that Mr. DeSantis behaved inappropriately with high school girls while he was a teacher in his early 20s. As a reporter asked for his reaction, the Florida governor — standing amid kitchen stoves and boxes of baby diapers — inhaled sharply. He straightened the papers in front of him and raised his open palms to interrupt the question.
But instead of slamming the former president, Mr. DeSantis demurred.
[cut]
But Mr. DeSantis’s above-the-fray posture carries risk. One of the central tenets of the modern Republican Party under Mr. Trump has been the willingness to fight, ruthlessly and tirelessly.
While the Florida governor has successfully portrayed himself to conservatives as a cultural warrior, his actual experience mixing it up with powerful opponents is thinner. He was barely tested last year during his re-election bid, his first since emerging as a national political figure.
[cut]
Taking on Mr. Trump is complicated. Republican rivals have been unable for seven years to thwart his personal attacks or to dissuade an abiding loyalty to the former president among about one-third of the party’s voters.
There is often little room to question or debate Mr. Trump without being cast by him and his allies as a political adversary, or even a traitor to the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Flummoxed is a great word.
De Santis has already set the stage for 24 by apparently accepting money from big time Republican donors. That leaves DeSantis owned like every Republican candidate for President in 16, except for Trump.
Now, all Trump needs to do is try to get back those of his base he lost by promoting more exceptions for legal abortions and celebrating gay marriage at Mara Lago
The writer is awfully anxious to see a fight betwen DeSantis and Trump. So far DeSantis isn’t taking the bait.
As long as Trump remains a viable candidate, DeSantis should remain on the side lines, and it seems like that is his intention.
In any case, if more isn’t done to prevent open electoral fraud, none of this is going to matter.
Fauci declared there would be a pandemic in Trump's presidency…2017.. I contend the COVID scare would have been unleashed regardless of who was president. Fauci was not going to be fired.. that would have been grounds for removal.. by the Senate after he was impeached.
Desantis is hooking up with the very peoples that never cared for or about the State of this Union!
This would all be for nothing if DeSantis says No to 2024, but yes to 2028!
“DeSantis should ignore Trump. Trump is his own worst enemy.”
Exactly right. What is the sound of one hand clapping?
trump’s “operation warped speech” against desantis for his doing things right is a losing strategy...
desantis is teaching people how to win instead of whine...
Trump will sink... because he can’t control his immaturity. God help us if he gets the nomination... he will go down in flames and we will be stuck with the same loon and or a new liberal loon. I work with a bunch of conservatives... they voted for Trump in 2016, many of them didn’t vote for him in 2020...and only one will vote for him 2024. He needs to away.
It's not 2016 and Ron DeSantis isn't Ted Cruz. Trump is no longer the warrior outsider taking on a field of lightweights that the base has little enthusiasm for.
Trump is now a defeated Washington insider with a tarnished record whose handpicked candidates were thoroughly rejected during the midterms while Ron DeSantis is the most popular Republican governor in the country, re-elected in a massive landslide and enjoying an 85% approval rating.
If Trump thinks he's going to roll over Ron DeSantis like he did Cruz, Rubio, or Jeb, he's in for a surprise. DeSantis has an army of enthusiastic supports who love the fight he's put forth in championing conservatism while destroying liberal institutions in Florida.
DeSantis is taking on the Biden Administration while Trump tweets about Stormy Daniels, Rihanna, throws gay soirées at Mar-A-Lago, and needlessly attacks Republican leaders who are wildly more conservative, likable, and accomplished than he is.
“Trump would so help himself if he were to modify his tone.”
***
Yes, but he doesn’t care.
desantis issued a statement 3 weeks ago instructing people not to donate any money to any organization that claims he’s running for president in 2024...
people know this yet they continue to drive the wedge deeper...
“This would all be for nothing if DeSantis says No to 2024, but yes to 2028!”
***
Yes, DeSantis is not running in 2024.
I have great doubts there will ever again be a honest presidential election. 2016 election is most likely our last.. Too many pretender republicans helped put the demented, demonic Biden in the White House.. pox on them and theirs.
DeSantis Achilles heel is that he’s endorsed by and takes money from the hated Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. This alone will sink his candidacy. McConnell and Ryan control Republican Elite money but Trump has the votes.
DeSantis should continue to ignore Trump and start creating more distance from the maga mess.
He can make his own way of making America great.
A "glowing article" from the New York Times, uh-huh.
NYTimes; eh?
People are going to throw money at DeSantis because he has a proven record of winning elections.
McConnell, Ryan, McCarthy, McCain, Romney, Ben Sasse, and Susan Collins? All received Trump's endorsement.
The only "winning" Trump has been doing lately is in sending Democrats to Washington.
“Besides, Ron DeSantis has a state to run for the next four years, can’t be gallivanting off on some wild goose chase.”
***
Yes Ron has a state to run while Trump is going to give a DNA sample in a sexual assault lawsuit.
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