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DeSantis is a Republican establishment win-win
The Spectator ^ | 8/22/22 | Daniel McCarthy

Posted on 03/01/2023 5:31:57 AM PST by cotton1706

What’s left of the Bush-Cheney wing of the Republican Party doesn’t like Ron DeSantis. But it’s eager to see him run for president anyway. For if DeSantis challenges Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination, the old establishment stands to gain no matter who ultimately gets the nod. The Florida governor certainly seems to be ideologically closer to Trump-style populism than to the neoconservatism that prevailed among elite Republicans from the end of the Reagan era to the defeat of Mitt Romney in 2012. Why, then, would those who pine for the likes of Bush and Romney want to see a choice between Trump and DeSantis, both right-wing populists, two years from now?

snip

Thus, even though DeSantis may indeed be closer to Trump than to the old guard, he may prove to be an instrument for reducing the sway of populism within the party. And that’s true whether or not he actually beats Trump in the race for the nomination. What is important for the ideological future of the party is that there be an anti-Trump pole around which the old guard can coalesce. It may even be optimal for Trump’s GOP critics if DeSantis falls short of the nomination, so that he can be discarded in the favor of a more thoroughly conventional Republican in 2028, assuming (as the old guard generally does) that Trump loses in 2024 or for one reason or another cannot complete his term even if he wins.

DeSantis as a hybrid candidate, part-populist, part-conventional, holds promise for those who want to roll back the GOP’s turn toward populism.

(Excerpt) Read more at thespectator.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections
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To: Dr. Scarpetta; All

Not true. The enemy is behind DeSantis to take out Trump.

Their original narrative last Dec-Jan was to cheerlead DeSantis over Trump reporting fake stats that Trump supporters were flocking to DeSantis. Their ploy was posted here on FR.

They went silent when it was clear that by supporting DeSantis, they were helping Trump.

But DeSantis has not caught major appeal despite his actions against woke Disney.

Now the enemy are starting to pivot to “DeSantis is Dangerous” to see if that makes him more appealing to smart conservatives. The BlackRock media knows they are hated, distrusted and it follows they can’t be seen supporting DeSantis.

DeSantis himself is believed to have skeletons that very few know. One thing is clear is DeSantis will usually get carried off by money streams. A careful study of his history reveals he gets or is pushed on board with issues that have large money behind them. Right now, he appears to be ‘prodded’ by billionaire Anti-Trumpers Paul Singer and Ken Griffin, among others. Jeb Bush recently endorsed him.

He’s also Ivy League, a Yale grad. People in the know view such as a dubious sign of membership in a pipeline of agenda captured recruits.

Here’s a summary of what he’s up against:

https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4134321/posts?page=31#31


21 posted on 03/01/2023 6:12:11 AM PST by Hostage (Article V)
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To: Dr. Scarpetta
Leftists, like Joy Reid, think DeSantis is more conservative than Trump, and they fear him.

That may, in fact, be true. It is unlikely DeSantis will be as pliant about massive FedGov spending as Trump was, even for pet causes, on principle. It is also unlikely that DeSantis is as smitten with celeb worship as Trump is. And finally, DeSantis' temperament is what one could truly call conservative, in the non-political sense of the word, as opposed to Trump's unpredictable, unrestrained outbursts.

22 posted on 03/01/2023 6:17:01 AM PST by nwrep
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To: BobL

“You follow this stuff closer than me. If the GOP bosses want DeSantis to be the nominee (or at least be strong enough to damage Trump), wouldn’t they be sending Jeb and people like him out to ATTACK him, rather than support him? Or are they just so full of themselves that think they’re actually helping DeSantis.”

I think they know that their usual cabal of pantywaist candidates don’t have a prayer of stopping Trump. They saw SIXTEEN of their “best” buried in 2016. Desantis is their only hope to stop Trump from getting the nomination. So no, they’re not going to do anything to weaken Desantis. They want to split the conservative vote, especially in states that aren’t winner-take-all, so that MAYBE Desantis could defeat Trump at the convention.

And yes, they’re full of themselves. They think their power and influence is more than it is. They couldn’t stop Trump in 2016, then used chicanery in 2020, and now a lot of their minions have been removed. Though some remain. Sununu, for example, will work to ensure that Trump doesn’t win New Hampshire. And Kemp in Georgia will do the same. And the Democrats have MI, WI, PA and AZ (but lost NV).

This is a power struggle, between the people and the oligarchy. We’ll see how it plays out.


23 posted on 03/01/2023 6:20:24 AM PST by cotton1706
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To: entropy12

DeSantis is my governor. I love him as that. I voted and campaigned for him but I am starting to see him getting very power hungry as of late.


24 posted on 03/01/2023 6:22:13 AM PST by lilypad
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To: TiGuy22
"But, you’re good with Lindsay Graham endorsing and campaigning for Trump, right?"

No, I despise Linda Graham.

25 posted on 03/01/2023 6:22:17 AM PST by wildcard_redneck (Biden will mess up the Ukraine worse than Afghanistan.)
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To: pierrem15

“I’m still suspicious of DeSantis because he seems to be showboating his “populism” by grabbing some low hanging fruit in the culture wars, as though opposing Communist indoctrination in the classroom and shoving a few illegals on buses to New York is difficult. What’s his position on “free” trade with China? How does he propose dealing with our open border?”
*****************************************

Exactly, DeSantis is still avoiding many of the big issues he would face as President, such as his specific foreign policy and I’ve yet to hear him say he will build the wall and do everything he can to stop the influx of illegals. Being socially conservative is fine, but there’s many major issues outside of that which DeSantis has yet to clarify his positions on.


26 posted on 03/01/2023 6:26:55 AM PST by jimwatx
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To: pierrem15; All

His position on “free” trade is, of course I’ll vote for TPP and tariffs are not conservative...So, the same as all the other Repukes. People take it for granted that Trump didn’t join the Paris accords. I say this with complete confidence. He’s the only one who would have kept the country out of that deal. DeSantis is nothing like Trump. He’s just fooled enough “strong conservatives” that he gets a boost from the “elites” because that’s all they have in 2024 to damage Trump. If DeSantis were the type of Trumpesque figure that all his supporters here are suggesting he is he would have told them to pound sand. The very fact that he’s entertaining this shows the type of person he is and the type of President he’d be.


27 posted on 03/01/2023 6:28:08 AM PST by wiseprince (Me,)
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To: cotton1706

Thanks...sounds like the ‘full of themselves’. One other thought is that they’re green-lighting the big-money to go to DeSantis, although it seems there should be other ways than separating DeSantis from the base...but then again they are DEFINITELY full of themselves, so they don’t even realize what they’re doing.


28 posted on 03/01/2023 6:28:26 AM PST by BobL
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To: cotton1706

Bottom line, the RINOe first prior-ty is anti-Trump. Then they’ll figure out the rest. The good thing is they are in disarray.


29 posted on 03/01/2023 6:31:14 AM PST by 1Old Pro
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To: cotton1706
DeSantis is a Republican establishment win-win

Politics makes strange bedfellows!

No one shares every political position we hold except the person we see in the mirror. The men and women we vote for are not perfect candidates. They can frequently be supported by individuals and groups that we disagree with. In the end, most of us vote for the least of 2 evils - or if you prefer, the better of 2 candidates.

I don't agree with all of Trump's political positions. Trump showed a lack of discernment in selecting certain individuals for his administration. Trump is old and getting older. I don't like the GOPe support of DeSantis. Generally, I like the job DeSantis has done in FL.

My vote will be for the person who I believe will work best for the American people and for our constitutional republic. Decisions, decisions.

30 posted on 03/01/2023 6:33:32 AM PST by JesusIsLord
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To: nwrep

“It is unlikely DeSantis will be as pliant about massive FedGov spending as Trump was, even for pet causes, on principle.”
***

Exactly


31 posted on 03/01/2023 6:33:58 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta ( )
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To: BuchananBrigadeTrumpFan

The GOPe wants Ron in because he will split the base. Trump and DeSantis will tear each other up. This creates an opportunity for a deep state coward like Pence. That’s how that traitor McCain got in.


32 posted on 03/01/2023 6:36:02 AM PST by iamgalt
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To: jimwatx; All

Trump turning on the Vaccine doesn’t seem wise to me with current information. Trump pushed hydroxy and a few other drugs to combat the China virus. He pushed for Vaccines, if you remember, as another reason that lockdowns were not necessary. Just like people didn’t have to take Hydroxy and ivermectine on his say so they didn’t have to take the Vaccine. He was making sure there was no justification to lock down the country. The problem is with mandating that people take the Vaccines and Trump had absolutely nothing to do with that. The problem I see for Trump on this though is he doesn’t have the fire in the belly when it comes to being anti mandate (the way he has it on election integrity, for example). If he added some harsh, Trumpian rhetoric against mandates at every rally he would be in good standing. He has to do a better Trump separating the Vax from the mandates. If he has reason to truly believe that the Vax was a way to poison the populace then that would be different. I don’t think a strong case in there right now.


33 posted on 03/01/2023 6:36:30 AM PST by wiseprince (Me,)
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To: cotton1706; Golden Eagle; Drew68

Desantis holds promise for those who want to roll back the GOP’s turn toward populism == Golden Shower and Shrew68


34 posted on 03/01/2023 6:39:18 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: imabadboy99
DeSantis is the only and the best choice for Trump’s team. I hope the 2 are just playing rope-a-dope and have planned a combined ticket all along.

Yes! I think together they'd be almost unbeatable. The media (and cheating Dems) will do all they can, but Biden is a failed President and they know it.

35 posted on 03/01/2023 6:42:22 AM PST by Kharis13
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To: wiseprince

The term “stay in your lane” applies to this race. If Trump is in the race then THERE IS NO LANE FOR DESANTIS. He needs to BACK OFF.


36 posted on 03/01/2023 6:44:23 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: BuchananBrigadeTrumpFan

I’m not “establishment” and I WANT TO WIN. But I see no chance of Trump winning a battleground state. I’m also very tired of him making EVERYTHING about him.

So I won’t vote for Trump in the primary. Period. And it has reached a point where I know several evangelicals - Trump’s strongest support base - who will refuse to vote for him in the general election!

DeSantis is a strong contender for my vote. He’s proven his conservative credentials - more so that Trump, who is still a big government liberal on many issues. Remember the no eviction policy of Trump? Remember Trump promising more “stimulus checks” while running in 2020? I do.

But ANY candidate will need to run. And in case you hadn’t notice, Trump doesn’t run on his own money either.


37 posted on 03/01/2023 6:45:45 AM PST by Mr Rogers (We're a nation of feelings, not thoughts.)
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To: cotton1706

BS… this is the strategy of someone who supports a person who gave the green light to mail in ballots, travel restrictions, unless you’re an unvetted Syrian, endless billions to big pharma.
I watched people get turned away from ER, watched peace pls die alone while their loved ones were wanting to just be with them
Trump handed the entire ountry over to fauci and still backs the vax that is disabling people.
He carried the water for the dems every day during covid. No crisis will go to waste under another trump prez.
A bumpstock ban. I cannot understand the support for him because we lost more freedom under him than Obama.


38 posted on 03/01/2023 6:47:36 AM PST by momincombatboots (BQEphesians 6... who you are really at war with)
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To: wildcard_redneck

Because of Trump’s refusal to look at the real story about the vaccines, the lockdowns, and the NWO agenda surrounding Covid, I considered DeSantis, but when he sneakily went after Mike Lindell by praising the Dominion attorney who is sueing Mike Lindell, DeSantis lost me.

There’s no one else but Trump representing the people, so Trump it is.

I like Kari Lake on the whole, but there’s no way, she will run against Trump.

Until we fix the election fraud, it doesn’t matter anyway, what the people want.


39 posted on 03/01/2023 6:49:08 AM PST by FR_addict
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To: central_va

You’re a name calling machine aren’t you. i’m just tired of a lifelong big city liberal running our party and our debt through the roof. Gay marriage isn’t something our party or our leader should be celebrating as Trump likes to do at his resorts, but if that’s your thing. maybe you should try to attend their next get together.


40 posted on 03/01/2023 6:53:07 AM PST by Golden Eagle (Florida is where woke goes to die!)
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