Desantis is getting propped up by conservative media in a way JEB! never did. I think that matters. They’re going to try to will a DeSantis Presidency into existence and I think it’s pretty likely to work.
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I don’t understand the Jeb/DeSantis comparisons at all. Jeb’s appeal was supposed to be a conservative who could be semi acceptable to liberals because he was ostensibly focused on competently governing and staying above the fray of the culture wars. DeSantis is gleefully throwing himself into the culture wars, actively bashing liberals and yelling at reporters.
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It’s actually more difficult for DeSantis to battle Trump than it was for Jeb. Jeb just had no talent.
DeSantis trying to fight Trump on Trump’s territory is doomed.
“I, uh, also think Hunter’s laptop is a problem!”
“Look at this guy. On his knees for me already. Can’t trust him.”
ETA: the comparison is that they’re both flaccid Floridian (early) favorites that make for easy target practice
Desantis is benefiting a lot right now from random republicans projecting onto him. most of these people have never seen him speak or do his little anti-woke crybaby stuff.
it will be interesting when trump starts attacking him in earnest and seeing how he handles it, because he’s a whiner. but maybe like trump somehow republicans will convince themselves than whining and crying is “alpha” again…
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This. And it’s why I think the Jeb comparison works (yes there are differences as pointed out above in that DeSantis seems to have more media/party support and is more deplorable than Jeb).
People simply like the idea of DeSantis - he checks all the right boxes and he’s getting good headlines, but I think he suffers the exact same flaw as Jeb - they are both super boring. Jeb was doing fine until people actually started paying attention to him for more than 5 minutes and saw his low-energy rallies and getting crushed at the debates. I think the same has a good shot of happening to DeSantis - does anyone actually want to listen to him speak for more than a few minutes (even if he is playing all the same hits as Trump, he’s just so much more boring).
Desantis is a massive asshole that’s what they crave
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trump is a rodeo clown for dummies, and that’s like 95% of the party
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Because the education system and media have created a nation of 70% massive assholes.
Republicans have an unbeaten strategy of pushing the Overton window so far into lunacy that literally anyone else seems like a return to normalcy. It’s the same way they’ve whitewashed the absurdities of the W Bush era.
I’m banking on anyone other than Trump winning, just feels like conservative media is going to bury Trump this time.
Conservative media couldn’t even bury sleepy Joe Biden. How are the going to contend with totally normal sized hands Donald Trump?
Still kind of feel like Bearded Ted Cruz is a dark horse
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There’s a lane for a third contender if Desantis’s total lack of charisma keeps him from locking up the nomination and Trump can’t find any energy.
I think they won’t cover him like they did last time, won’t dedicate a ton of air time to him, and will prop up other candidates much more.
NY times whitewashing the DeSantis stuff. they are definitely in for him to run…
DeSantis promoting white supremacy and removing all diversity programs, while allowing him to fire teachers and professors he disagrees with. headline written as "DeSantis Takes on the Education Establishment, and Builds His Brand."
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The entire spectrum of media right of like The Nation wants DeSantis to win.
That headline is fucking journalistic malpractice. Jfc the NYT needs to cease to exist.
Lots of the commentary on politics frames all matters as purely electoral positioning, horse race stuff. This is the disturbing, Ivory Tower end of technocracy where policy only matters in terms of how it plays in a white paper or in a debate. It’s ugly stuff.
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