What Happened to Ron DeSantis?
Real Clear Politics,
by
Daniel McCarthy
Original Article
Posted By: Moritz55,
12/12/2023 3:33:43 PM
Ron DeSantis is running as the true-blue conservative in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
And he's learning the hard way that Republicans don't nominate true-blue conservatives.
As Donald Trump leads every poll by double-digits, the Florida governor who seemed such a promising prospect just a year ago is now at risk of falling to third place.
If Nikki Haley bests DeSantis in Iowa, his 2024 campaign won't be the only casualty; his hopes of ever becoming president will dim, and rivals won't fear him as they look to '28 or '32. How did DeSantis go from a 19-point reelection only a year ago to a fight for his political life today?
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Reply 1 - Posted by:
DVC 12/12/2023 3:36:50 PM (No. 1615870)
It wasn't his year. It is Trump's year.
End of discussion.
51 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Corndoggies 12/12/2023 3:41:33 PM (No. 1615877)
Ron is socially awkward and is really bad on the campaign trail. He’s not natural in public. And Casey is just a bit too politically ambitious. I liked them as much as anyone before they started running. Now they’re cringey.
31 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Hermit_Crab 12/12/2023 3:48:16 PM (No. 1615884)
He got a really bad case of Bushitis for one thing.
39 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Ketchuplover 12/12/2023 3:50:04 PM (No. 1615886)
There was no necessity for RD to run this cycle. If it's his wife who is his main political consultant, then he's doomed. He could've waited, supported Trump this cycle and finished his term as gov totally dedicated to the people of Florida while building up a record of achievements for a future presidential run. He chose to jump in now. MAGAs have a voracious appetite for revenge, cleaning house, and restoring the country. Trump is the MAGA leader with the proven record, the one who was cheated and betrayed, and the one who has the guts and inner fire to right this ship. RD should've shown the most basic of political instinct and respect by not entering the race, and by staying in - he hasn't learned anything, let alone gained any respect.
57 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
sunshinehorses 12/12/2023 4:11:11 PM (No. 1615895)
I agree with #1, it just isn't his year. Also I think his campaign listened to the RNC and royally messed up his campaign. His campaign just isn't anything like his campaign for governor.
27 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Venturer 12/12/2023 4:16:50 PM (No. 1615900)
#4 described it to a T.
All he had to do was wait. He stepped in his own mess.
33 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
bpl40 12/12/2023 4:18:00 PM (No. 1615901)
Not only running for President but even not supporting Trump will be punished by the rank and file. That is the mood of the voters.
25 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Kate318 12/12/2023 4:21:50 PM (No. 1615902)
Honestly, the ins and outs of political strategy bore the pants off me. And, this author’s contention that conservatives don’t nominate “true blue conservatives” is sketchy. What conservatives don’t want is yet another GOPe-connected, Uniparty candidate. It’s not that complicated. What happened to Ron DeSantis? Karl Rove happened. The Koch brothers happened. The Lincoln Project has-beens happened. Eddie Munster happened.
32 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Proud Texan 12/12/2023 4:52:03 PM (No. 1615927)
Showing his great sense of responsibility to his constituents in Florida by running for President before his term as governor was up was definitely starting off on the wrong foot.
28 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
ussjimmycarter 12/12/2023 4:59:57 PM (No. 1615933)
He never got past the cowboy lifts!
10 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
EJKrausJr 12/12/2023 5:16:11 PM (No. 1615941)
DeSanctimonius is not 45. And he's definitely not going to be 47, nor 48, nor 49.
8 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
SALady 12/12/2023 5:26:56 PM (No. 1615954)
He is the extremely popular conservative governor of a solidly red state. He has a very attractive wife and attractive children. He won the last election by a landslide. Even the MSM in his home state is pretty supportive of him. He has a solidly Republican legislature that passes whatever bills he asks them to, so he comes off as a super powerful and smart governor. He isn't hesitant to push back against the Demon-Rat president. It seems like he would be a great conservative president.
Of course, I'm not describing DeSantis. I'm describing George W. Bush in 2020. And we all know what happened when he got to the DC sewer and suddenly found out that the Demon-Rats, as well as a lot of sewer-dwelling RINO's in Congress, made sure to make his life a living hell. And he folded like a wet blanket to the Demon-Rats. And when I look at DeSantis, I'm not sure he is any better than W was.
But DeSantis committed political suicide by not waiting until 2028 to run for president. If he had been Trump's biggest cheerleader in 2024, he would have gotten not only the support of Trump's huge base of MAGA supporters in 2028, but he would have gotten the support and financial backing of Trump in 2028. Instead, his ego got the better of him, and he stupidly decided to go against Trump this time around. So all the MAGA voters see him as just a backstabber and will not support him in 2028 or ever now that he showed his true colors. He is also too conservative to get the mainstream RINO voters either.
Make stupid choices, pay stupid prices!!!!!
30 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
judy 12/12/2023 5:29:40 PM (No. 1615955)
He's a great governor ...a bad politician....compared to Trump.
11 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
49 Ford 12/12/2023 7:19:33 PM (No. 1616003)
Ron is my governor and i wouldn't trade him for any other. the guy has guts and is not afraid to take on leftist interests here in Florida.
To call him a 'backstabber" is plain stupid - Trump is not a monarch owed unconditional fealty. And his (DJT'S) weaknesses as a candidate (which are very real, no matter what folks on this board like to think) made DeSantis' entrance into this race a healthy development.
And the governor has never neglected business in Florida during his presidential candidacy.
So, Iowa will tell the tale.
7 people like this.
I had high hopes for Governor DeSantis until opportunism got the better of him.
13 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
skacmar 12/12/2023 9:37:42 PM (No. 1616055)
DeSantis could have run a better campaign. However, when the liberal media despises you and rips apart everything that you do as racist, homophobic, bigoted, hateful, and sexist; you don't really stand a fair chance.
4 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
BarryNo 12/12/2023 11:28:50 PM (No. 1616074)
He upset Trump.
That's the bottom line.
I was hoping after 2020 for a Trump/DeSantis ticket. Trump would show DeSantis some grit and DeSantis might get Trump to think before acting. I respect Trump. I liked and respected DeSantis' work in Florida. I have no idea what went wrong.
2 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
Strike3 12/13/2023 1:25:47 AM (No. 1616107)
A case of premature ambition. He has a governor's term to finish and - MAGA.
2 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
Lawsy0 12/13/2023 1:35:33 AM (No. 1616120)
Maybe DeSantis realized it isn't his time yet. Smells a tiny bit like an entitlement problem.
0 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
Lucky5 12/13/2023 10:50:26 AM (No. 1616391)
I admire much of what he has done for Florida. He should of kept at that and run in the future. Most people do not come back from a failed run for President.
That is truly a shame in this case.
0 people like this.
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Interesting perspective. I still think DeSantis has other problems, too, but…