The 2024 GOP presidential primary will almost certainly come down to two candidates: former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Undoubtedly, both are good candidates, and they hold a good amount of respect among Republican voters. That goes without saying. However, only one of them will be chosen to lead the GOP into the final battle against President Joe Biden and his handlers in the Democratic Party.
This column will not be my attempt to persuade you who to vote for. It is merely an analysis of both candidates.
Let’s start off with Trump. The former president is currently being politically persecuted by the Biden administration. He’s currently facing three indictments and may potentially receive a fourth one from prosecutors in Atlanta. Despite all these indictments, Trump remains committed to his cause; he remains committed to Making America Great Again, as he would say.
As well all know, when Trump was president, the U.S. was rivaled like never before. People wouldn’t get strokes every time they go put in gas and see how much they have to pay. Inflation was at an all-time low. There were no foreign wars. The Space Force was created. Our military was funded and developed — not anymore. Trump’s Supreme Court picks set the stage for striking down Roe v. Wade. China did not dare invade Taiwan, and Putin stayed in his place. These are just some of the accomplishments under Trump.
Of course, Trump wasn’t perfect — no one is. The former president listened to the advice of career politicians and kept disasters like Anthony Fauci, Bill Barr, Christopher Wray, etc., in place. Needless to say, those were some of Trump’s biggest blunders in office. Regardless, the Trump presidency was a good one. We took a chance with Trump in 2016 and won. America had been saved for four years.
Now, let’s talk about DeSantis. The Florida governor is a political genius. Not only that, but many would say that he’s Trump without the baggage. DeSantis is eloquent, precise, and demanding. It’s far more probable that DeSantis would get along with establishment politicians in the White House than Trump, and the establishment is needed — unfortunately.
The question, however, is: would DeSantis make a good president? Many unequivocally say he would, perhaps a better one than Trump. However, these are merely speculations. Electing DeSantis would be the same as electing Trump in 2016; we’d be taking a chance.
The difference between electing Trump then and voting DeSantis now is that during the 2016 primary, no other Republican candidate had been president. The American people took a gamble with Trump and ended up successful.
So, the question I ask is: why should we take another gamble when our star is here? By star, I mean a former president. Why can’t both Trump and DeSantis run together? It’d be like having Babe Ruth and Ted Williams on the same team at the same time. A Trump/DeSantis ticket is unbeatable.
Trump and DeSantis are both good candidates, but it’s important to note that one of them has been president and the other hasn’t, which I believe serves as a good argument in Trump’s favor.
With that being said, I’ve seen the anger directed at Trump over his name-calling of DeSantis. That’s politics. It’s a dirty business, and if DeSantis can’t handle the name-calling, then how will he handle the attacks from the mainstream media and the Democratic Party if he becomes president? Name-calling is one way Trump brands his opponents. It’s entertaining, and who cares if Trump is mean? Presidents should never be voted for their personality; they should be voted based on their ability. Trump and DeSantis have that ability.
