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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Iowa trip raises White House speculation
WPTV ^ | May 12, 2023

Posted on 05/12/2023 6:44:01 AM PDT by conservative98

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Will he or won’t he run?

That continues to be the question as Florida’s governor departs for another out-of-state trip this weekend. Ron DeSantis is hitting Illinois Friday evening, then the key caucus state of Iowa on Saturday, only furthering speculation that a White House bid is right around the corner.

Wthout saying so, DeSantis is giving every indication that he’s getting ready for a bid. He hasn’t given a firm "no" when asked, and has a new book laying out his political platform.

Post-legislative session, Florida governor is in the air again, this time to Iowa, making two Saturday stops. He’ll appear at a state GOP fundraiser in Cedar Rapids and a cookout with Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa.

The official word is DeSantis is there to boost conservatives, not himself.

"What’s next for me is to go through this budget that they passed," DeSantis said on May 5 when asked about his political future.

Yet speculation over a White House run continues to grow, and DeSantis is now starting to lean in.

"I may have something to say about the overall landscape for ’24, but stay tuned on that," DeSantis said on Thursday.

Ready and waiting is super PAC Never Back Down.

"I’ve never seen anybody do the things he's doing and not get in," said Ken Cuccinelli, a former Trump official and founder of Never Back Down.

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


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Iowa
KEYWORDS: 2024; desantis; feenstrafamilypicnic; iowa; joniernst; kencuccinelli; neverbackdown; picnic; randyfeenstra; teamdesantis
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1 posted on 05/12/2023 6:44:01 AM PDT by conservative98
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To: conservative98

Happening TOMORROW! Governor @RonDeSantisFL is headlining my 3rd annual Feenstra Family Picnic in #IA04!@KimReynoldsIA, @joniernst, @millermeeks, @AdamGreggIA, @MikeNaigIA, @RobySmithIA, and @BrennaBird will all be there!

Get your tickets TODAY: https://t.co/n3cp7JDQd9 pic.twitter.com/FacnwVoLmZ— Randy Feenstra (@RandyFeenstra) May 12, 2023

Can’t wait! See you in Sioux Center! https://t.co/yAM5gVRYCt— Joni Ernst (@joniernst) May 12, 2023


2 posted on 05/12/2023 6:44:10 AM PDT by conservative98
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To: conservative98

Interesting. Is De Santis bringing the potato salad to the picnic?

Trump is having a rally tomorrow in Des Moines

Make America Great Again Rally in Des Moines, Iowa
When: Saturday, May 13, 2023
Time: 8 pm ET (7 pm CT)
Where: Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park in Des Moines, IA


3 posted on 05/12/2023 6:48:38 AM PDT by euram (allALL)
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To: conservative98

Thus far, Ron’s “campaign” has been a total disaster. He went from future presidential rock-star to a stumbling Ted Cruz.

Nobody, except insufferable neocon scabs, think his campaign, now, is a good idea.


4 posted on 05/12/2023 6:50:28 AM PDT by AAABEST ( NY/DC/CA media/political/military industrial complex DELENDA EST)
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To: conservative98

After the CNN townhall Ron DeSantis should be mostly concerned with redecorating the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee. 😏


5 posted on 05/12/2023 7:04:09 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: conservative98; FRiends

Joni Ernst is NOT to be trusted. RINO all the way.

If she’s on Team DeSantis, think long and hard about your own loyalties. Please.


6 posted on 05/12/2023 7:06:34 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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To: Georgia Girl 2

Granted, Trump’s performance on CNN served to fire up the members of the Trump personality cult. But’s that all it did. Nothing in his brash, over-the-top review of his 2020 grievances did one thing to draw independents / moderates to his cause. He lost moderates (especially suburban GOP women) in droves in 2020, which is why he is no longer in office.

Trey Gowdy said it best recently: There is no reason to think any of the swing states he lost in 2020 would flip back his way in 2024. And while polls may show him leading Biden at the moment, please note that he is still stuck in the mid 40’s.

Glenn Youngkin showed the way to flip a blue state. Pull together a coalition of Trump supporters, never Trumpers, and a lot of independents and leave the Democrats in the dust. Trump’s core supporters will stay loyal, but by itself that’s not enough. His daily trashing of Desantis serves only to drive that segment of the GOP far away from him. As weak as he is, Biden’s only hope of surviving is a Trump candidacy.


7 posted on 05/12/2023 7:23:38 AM PDT by pkajj
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To: pkajj

Re: 7 - good post, thanks!


8 posted on 05/12/2023 7:29:19 AM PDT by Fury
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To: AAABEST
Thus far, Ron’s “campaign” has been a total disaster. He went from future presidential rock-star to a stumbling Ted Cruz.

This may be the perception of Ride or Die Trump supporters, but not the at large American population who won't tune in to Presidential politics for quite a while.

Meanwhile, Gov. DeSantis is making all the right moves to line up political/financial support for a serious challenge.

9 posted on 05/12/2023 7:31:52 AM PDT by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera)
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To: pkajj

Trump didn’t lose anybody in 2020. He won the election in a landslide and it was stolen in the middle of the night right in front of your eyes. How quickly people forget.

Even talking about any Republican winning in 2024 without fixing 2020 is just ridiculous dreaming.

The only reason I think Trump will be elected in 2020 is because I’m reasonably sure there is going to be a military intervention and they will administer the election. If I’m wrong then there will be a Democrat elected in 2024 and that will be the last election you will ever see.

So you better pray I’m right.


10 posted on 05/12/2023 7:37:11 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

Trump lost in 2020 for several reasons:

- Moderate suburban GOP women abandoned him in droves
- He didn’t have a vile creature (i.e. Hillary) to run against
- Democrats, taking advantage of new election protocols inspired by the pandemic, outmaneuvered him with massive mail in voting, etc. With one exception (GA), the same states that pulled this off are still controlled by Democrats, so nothing is likely to change.

- Democrats turnout effort in the following locations were off the charts: Fulton County, Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee, Maricopa County, Clark County, NV. This will not change in 2024, but strong GOP performance in the suburbs could overcome that. But Trump is not the candidate with the appeal to pull that off.


11 posted on 05/12/2023 7:58:20 AM PDT by pkajj
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To: pkajj

We also go killed in TV ads, I don’t watch TV, so I didn’t see them, but apparently millions did and those ads worked, and the GOP had no counter for them.

This is why I’m pissed at Trump for continuing to support Ronna McRomney, she’s a loser.


12 posted on 05/12/2023 8:00:06 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: dfwgator

Yes, Biden dumped $2 billion in slickly produced ads into the swing states. “Let’s unify, bring back normalcy”, etc.). I’m sure those ads are already under development for 2024. And Biden will have unlimited resources to blanket the swing states with such ads. Those can be overcome, but not by Trump. Peoples’s minds are firmly made up about Trump. About 43% of the electorate are with him. But that’s all and it’s not enough to prevail.


13 posted on 05/12/2023 8:08:13 AM PDT by pkajj
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To: pkajj

Trump lost in 2020 for one reason. Massive fraud in 6 swing states. He knew in advance it was going to happen. He said it was going to happen. We all watched it happen well except you I guess.

If there is not an intervention it will happen again in 2024. Anyone who is allowing themselves to believe otherwise is in for a terrible disappointment. Its like mass hypnosis.


14 posted on 05/12/2023 8:08:14 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: pkajj

That said, the big difference is this time it’s Biden who will have to defend his policies and his presidency. There’s plenty to attack him on there.

Trump was defensive in 2020, because of his COVID response, he would have cruised to re-election had it not been for COVID, before COVID, people pretty much accepted Trump for what he is, as long as times were good. COVID changed all that.


15 posted on 05/12/2023 8:12:34 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: mac_truck

Disagree.

GOP primary voters very much are payoling attention, and Trump is smashing DeSantis in every poll in every conceivable way. Even in Florida - where DeSantis *was* killing it in the polls - Trump is crushing Ted Cru... I mean Ron.

He’s done nothing but hurt himself - whoever his donors are. His campaign has been awful.


16 posted on 05/12/2023 8:18:44 AM PDT by AAABEST ( NY/DC/CA media/political/military industrial complex DELENDA EST)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

While it’s easy to claim fraud as the reason for the 2020 defeat, no objective evidence has emerged to this day to support that allegation. Trump’s attempt to relitigate this is certainly a losing strategy.

Even if there was some voter fraud, several of the key swing states (PA, MI, WI, AZ) are still controlled by Democrats, so current voting protocols will remain in place. There is some hope for GA and NV.

My point is the Democrat turnout machine can be overcome in the swing states by massive GOP support in the suburbs. Trump cannot deliver this.


17 posted on 05/12/2023 8:22:03 AM PDT by pkajj
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To: conservative98

DeSantis is probably operating on the idea that the communist forces are going to get a felony on Trump, and take him out of the game.


18 posted on 05/12/2023 8:25:46 AM PDT by Revel
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To: conservative98
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/politics/ron-desantis-state-travel-records-covid-mandate/index.html

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Thursday that exempts records related to his travel from the state’s robust public disclosure law.

19 posted on 05/12/2023 8:30:01 AM PDT by yelostar (AI takeover: another phony problem created to coerce the citizen into surrendering his freedom.)
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To: conservative98

Did he have Tokyo Rove with him?


20 posted on 05/12/2023 8:37:21 AM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Freedom is never free. It must be won rewon and jealously guarded.)
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