Ron DeSantis Is Not Scott Walker

The New York Times ^ | Feb. 13, 2023 | Nate Cohn

[Trump20162020]

His support among Republicans at this early stage of the primary cycle puts him in rare company.

Is Ron DeSantis the next Scott Walker? It’s a question I’ve been hearing a lot lately.

The premise is that there’s an important similarity between the two: They both earned the affection of conservatives by “owning the libs” as governors, rather than by giving soaring speeches or otherwise demonstrating the skills to win a presidential nomination.

In the end, Mr. Walker’s success in Wisconsin did not translate to the national stage; the implication is that Mr. DeSantis’s success in Florida might not translate either. A wave of articles over the last few weeks has questioned whether he has the charisma, charm and likability to win the nomination. If he falters, the ending of his campaign might read a like lot the story of Walker for President.

But, at least at the beginning of the race, Mr. DeSantis is no Scott Walker. He would start the campaign in a very different and far stronger position, even if there is still no way to know whether he “has what it takes” to succeed against former President Donald J. Trump. What sets Mr. DeSantis apart from Mr. Walker? To be blunt: how many people already say they want him to be president.

In this narrow but important respect, Mr. DeSantis has a lot more in common with Barack Obama or Ronald Reagan than Mr. Walker or the other promising first-time candidates who did not live up to high hopes in recent years, like Kamala Harris, Rick Perry or Wesley Clark.

Overall, Mr. DeSantis has 32 percent support in polls taken since the midterm elections. This is not a fleeting product of a wave of favorable media coverage. Instead, he has made steady gains in the polls over the last two years.

[jacknhoo]

“Don is pants pissing scared of Ron, obviously.”

__________________________

Yeah, that’s why DeSantis is the one that’ll be the very last to throw his hat in the ring, because President Trump is so scared of him.

[one guy in new jersey]

Ah yes. ‘08.

The year the Uniparty put Article I, Section 1, Clause 5 up against a wall, ventilated same, bloodlessly, and with extreme prejudice.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

“Every time Republicans fight, more Democrats are born.”
***
Yes, Some so-called Republicans don’t care when democrats win.

They trashed Republicans running against Fetterman.

They did not care that Fetterman won.

They will continue to participate in trashing Republicans.

It’s a joke to them because they don’t have to live in a state run by democrats.

[Sirius Lee]

How do I know that? because just like "the mean tweets, that's what "they're" saying.

No, it's what I and others are clearly observing. That he is a man child prone to uttering stupidities and surrounding himself with truly awful staff and terrible endorsements.

If "mean tweets" were his only foible, Conservatives wouldn't be nervously eyeing the Trumpnation exits.

But who knows? DeSantis may have skeletons in his closet or his campaign may implode if he chooses to run at the national level.

It's why we have primaries.

[yelostar]

DeSantis is supported by the establishment (and apparently the NYT’s!) and the establishment is 100% in line with the globalist agenda. All anyone has to do is look at the donor list of the Republican Governors Association, and the companies that donate. The RGA is the Uniparty.

Donald Trump is not the Uniparty and is not on board with the globalist agenda.

[TiGuy22]

[The NYT is not in love with DeSantis, he’s just a vehicle to try and take out Trump.]

That is absolutely correct. It’s quite obvious what the NYT is doing here. It would be like Chuck Todd doing the same thing. Which he probably will. Asymmetrical warfare under the guise of “advice” - from the hardcore Leftists.

Yes, they like to pick our candidates. Unfortunately many here on FR will associate this with evil with DeSantis. He’s Deepstate! LOL

[one guy in new jersey]

“...warning to the left...”

Come now.

The “left” doesn’t warn itself in full public view.

There is no such thing in such circles as open, honest internal debate, or one element publicly lecturing to another.

Everything they do, and everything they refrain from doing, is coldly and secretly calculated well in advance to hurt their political, cultural, social, spiritual enemies.

[RightFighter]

He can’t “bus illegals back across the border.” That would clearly be prohibited by federal law, which gives the president the authority to deport, not a state governor (and not even a border state governor, at that).

[1Old Pro]

Walker did a decent job but he had no charisma and was kinda a dud. DeSantis hasn’t yet been tested on the national stage and his “backers” concern me.

[BuddhaBrown]

“...because President Trump is so scared of him.”

Yes, Ron is toying with Don.

It’s killing Don that his brutally selfish attacks so far are impotent.

[JayGalt]

My G*D.

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.

Gaslight a little more why don't you????

DeSantis was declared the winner, moments after polls closed in the Panhandle. According to the Associated Press, DeSantis won with 57.2% of the vote.

Not my view of a massive landslide.

Vermont’s Gov. Phil Scott (R) is the most popular governor nationwide, according to new polling from Morning Consult, and Oregon’s former Gov. Kate Brown (D) clocks in last place. Scott’s approval rating was 4 percentage points higher than the second-place governor, Wyoming’s Mark Gordon (R), who scored 77 percent.

Not the most popular Governor either. Not even in the top 10 most popular Governors. 21st in this recent Morning Consult ranking.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3811233-here-are-americas-most-popular-and-least-popular-governors/

https://morningconsult.com/2023/01/12/kentucky-beshear-ranks-as-most-popular-democratic-governor/

[RightFighter]

DeSantis has a spine that few politicians do. He's one of only two politicians who have ever come to my door and introduced himself face to face. That was during his first run for Congress. I found him to be extremely likeable and since then, after being one of the founding members of the House Freedom Caucus, he's gone on to become the best governor that we've ever had in Florida, by a long shot.

DeSantis Responds To Trump's 'Groomer' Accusation

[daler]

“Trump accomplished more for America in one 4yr term than any President in your lifetime.”

Which is what he needs to campaign on.

Candidates campaign on lofty promises.

Former presidents, like Trump, have the rare luxury of campaigning on what they’ve already accomplished as President.

[blackberry1]

This is an Oped. Do all you keyboard pundits know what that is???

Truth...Trump really doesn’t want to run again and his family is against it. He’s blowing hot air and playing with heads again.

DeSantis does not want to run in a primary against Trummp but many in the GOP want him to.

Folks...this is a like a schoolyard game of marbles. Haley
is now in the game. Trump has a big war chest acquired with the “Fight the Steal” campaign. He’s buying up blogger space all over the place, He likes the rally stuff and he likes tweeting and playing with peoples heads but really running again and governing scares him.

He’s avoiding talking about all the tough thorny issues out there. Pay attention. Things are not what they seem.

[PA Presbyterian]

“two 80-year-old men for President.”

I agree with you. Biden, if he runs again without Democrat opposition, will be propped up by the media and Democrats. He’ll be made to look successful with legislative accomplishments that prove he still has what it takes. That will be the mantra. He shoots down spy balloons. He still walks and talks. He’s our candidate.

If the Republicans nominate Trump, the age issue against Biden will be neutralized. Trump is nearly as old—he’ll be 80 in 2024. What’s left to recommend him to the general electorate? Trump isn’t that popular except among his fanatical base which is less than 40% of Republicans in most polls I’ve seen. What advantage will Republicans have? None. Age will be a deciding factor, especially among those who don’t follow politics that closely and aren’t wedded to a particular candidate.

How can age not be an issue? If Biden is the nominee, Republicans need a younger, tough, resourceful, articulate, smart, mentally capable, energetic candidate who can take Biden on and hit back at the media day in and day out.

We’re facing really dangerous times ahead of us. They call for someone who can take a call at 2:30 a.m. and be clear-headed and well-informed enough to make a decision to save our country. That’s DeSantis or Pompeo, not an old man in his dotage.

I voted for Trump twice. I won’t do it again. I will not vote for an 80-year-old to lead this country. It’s nuts. Biden is proof of that.

[traderrob6]

My thinking as well.

[Rockingham]

DeSantis is an excellent governor, but he enjoys the best political position of any Republican governor in the country. His strength and accomplishments are thus due in considerable measure to a legislature with GOP super-majorities in both houses in a Florida that is now a Red State even by registration and with a Democratic party that is wrecked as a statewide political organization.

DeSantis as President would be in a far weaker position, with a Congress that might well be in Democratic hands and would at best be run by Republican majorities of fickle loyalty. And of course the bureaucracy would leak to the Democrats and the news media in order to subvert DeSantis at every turn.

How would DeSantis do when being President is a bare knuckle brawl every day against all comers? I don't know -- because I have never seen DeSantis in such a fight and am not sure that he has ever been in one. And in picking Republican Presidents, being able and willing and good at fighting ought to be a prime qualification. Trump knows how and is able to fight hard. I am not so sure that DeSantis does, as good as he is in so many ways.

[Drew68]

Gaslight a little more why don't you????

Trump, surprising to no one, is willing to take credit for the accomplishment of others while blaming everyone but himself for his failures, so naturally he pads his "93% endorsement success" with the can't lose races of people like Chuck Grassley, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and even Ron DeSantis, as if Trump had anything to do with pulling them across the finish line.

I'm surprised he didn't take credit for Brian Kemp's re-election as well, which he certainly would have had Trump not endorsed Stacey Abrams.

Meanwhile, Trump's lousy handpicked candidates in the crucial swing states that he won in 2016, lost in 2020, and will need to flip again if he wants to return to the White House were thoroughly rejected by the voters in these states.

Trump's personal vendettas cost us wins after incumbent Republicans were primaried out of the race only to see the winner lose to Democrat newcomers as happened with Joe Kent, among many others, losing what was previously a R+13 district.

Always passing the buck, something Trump is very good at, he blamed these defeats on the pro-life movement for the losses of "extreme anti-abortion candidates" that Trump himself had handpicked to run.

Keep promoting Trump if you want to keep sending Democrats to Washington because this, lately, is the only "winning" he's good at.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Trump isn’t any goofier or obnoxious than he was in 2016. He’s exactly the same guy. You have apparently watched so much Fox Snooze you are mine farmed.

Do you really think that Ron DeSantis who has sold himself to a bunch of globalist donors would ever in a million years have the stones to do what Trump did?

Trump basically closed the border, decoupled us from China and slashed the trade deficit bringing manufacturing back to the US, forced NATO to pay up, completely restructured NAFTA to our benefit, destroyed ISIS, brought most of our troops home, cut taxes, made the US totally energy independent, and laid the law down to the G7, and made North Korea mind their manners.

Ron DeSantis would not have the temerity or gravitas to do half those things and if he did his globalist overlords would never allow it.

[M_Continuum]

“Trump questioned why a politician was better suited to be president than him, commenting “I understand this stuff.” He said that the Republican Party has become “too crazy right.” Notably, he identified Buchanan as a “Hitler-lover” and mused, “I guess he’s an anti-Semite ... He doesn’t like the blacks, he doesn’t like the gays. It’s just incredible that anybody could embrace this guy”

“During a November 28 episode of Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. He identified Senator John McCain, a Republican presidential candidate, as a possible Secretary of Defense. Trump said he would consider Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and mentioned retired General Colin Powell as a possible Secretary of State. He praised General Electric CEO Jack Welch, and discussed him as either Secretary of Treasury or running mate. He again mentioned Oprah Winfrey as a possible running mate”

“what am I going to do, contribute to Republicans? Am I going to contribute to, I mean, one thing I’m not stupid. Am I going to contribute to a Republican for my whole life when they get, they run against some Democrat. And the most they can get is one percent of the vote,” he said, noting his “good relationship” with and donations to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Trump last donated to Schumer directly in 2010, though he had made donations ranging from $250 to $2,000 since 1996.

“I mean, I’ve contributed to Schumer, I contribute — I’ve known Schumer for many, many years. And I have a good relationship with him. The fact is, that I think it is time maybe that we all do get along,” he told Hannity.

Beginning with the 2012 cycle, however, financial disclosures show that Trump has donated exclusively to Republican candidates and groups.”