I believe that Ron DeSantis is the future of the Republican Party. If he becomes the Republican nominee in 2024, I’d be beyond thrilled and would love to vote for him. His campaign was launched with so much excitement that it broke Twitter and he raised a ton of cash.
But it’s no easy thing to run against Donald Trump, especially now. Seeing how the country has gone down the toilet under Joe Biden’s watch, many Republican voters naturally were attracted to the idea of voting for Trump again. I get it. There was nothing I wanted more after Joe Biden took office than for Trump to make his comeback.
Things changed as I saw DeSantis fight the tough battles in Florida and score huge conservative victories. He turned the once purple battleground state into a solid red state. Just imagine what he could do in the White House.
Upon entering the race, DeSantis was quickly positioned in second place. It may have been a distant second, but he was largely seen as the only Republican who was a potential threat to Trump. In a less crowded Republican field, it’s conceivable that it would have been a closer race—one that Trump would not have been able to observe from the sidelines while waiting for his coronation.
Related: Should Trump Take Responsibility for Fauci?
Overcoming Trump was never going to be easy, but DeSantis has so far failed to close the gap—in fact, the gap has gotten bigger. Even in the aftermath of his masterful handling of Hurricane Idalia, DeSantis has seen his support dwindle away. Now, a new CNN poll shows that DeSantis is in fifth place in New Hampshire, having fallen 13 points since July.
He’s behind Chris Christie for crying out loud.
DeSantis’s strategy has been to perform well in the early primary states, which makes this poll a devastating blow to his campaign.
Granted, the New Hampshire primary is still months away, and anything can happen. Also, should some candidates drop out, DeSantis may have a fighting chance for a decent showing. DeSantis is the runaway favorite second choice of New Hampshire voters. So, while there may be hope, DeSantis has a long road ahead if wants to remain viable in this election.
I’ve said before that I think both Trump and DeSantis can win the general election, and I’ll be happy to vote for either of them. But I don’t think Trump should be coronated as the nominee. A competitive primary would actually be good for him and the party. But Trump needs to answer tough questions from his primary opponents about his record, namely why he allowed Anthony Fauci to wreak havoc on our nation. So far, his responses to those questions haven’t been great, and he needs to explain things now before the general election.
Maybe the next debate will be a turning point for DeSantis, but without Trump participating, it’s hard to see how the dynamics of the race will change dramatically.
