Well, as of this writing, it is still happening. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to debate California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in what is being called a must-see battle over red state vs. blue state governance. There was a time when I was actually excited about the idea, but that moment has long passed.
The DeSantis campaign has billed it “the debate America deserves,” and there’s some truth to that. America desperately needs to see the contrast between red and blue states, and who better than DeSantis and Newsom?
"So, why is this debate not just relevant, but of vital importance?” Jennifer Van Laar asks rhetorically over at our sister site Red State. "Why should all Republicans, regardless of who they support in the GOP presidential primary, be doing everything they can to support DeSantis in the debate?"
"The short answer is that if Gavin Newsom gets his clock cleaned in this debate, or is damaged in any significant way, the Democrat party will feel the sting for years to come,” Van Laar explains. "The longer answer is that a DeSantis win in the debate is a win for individual liberty over authoritarianism, a win for local control over central planning, and a win for conservative, small-government principles. A DeSantis win isn't just about DeSantis; it's a rebuke of everything dictators like Joe Biden, Kathy Hochul, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, and their fellow travelers stand for."
In a perfect world, I’d agree with her. In fact, on merit, I expect that Ron DeSantis is going to clean Newsom’s clock. I think it won’t even be close.
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But let’s face the truth. On Friday morning, there's only one narrative that’s going to get any traction in the media. That outcome was predetermined before both parties agreed to the debate and before the date was even scheduled. Make no mistake about it, the liberal media has already decided that Newsom will be the victor. But that’s not even the biggest problem.
The problem is that Donald Trump has most certainly already decided that he wants everyone to know that DeSantis will leave that debate with an embarrassing defeat. And his supporters will follow suit, even if they don’t bother to watch it.
"This debate is being held in Alpharetta, GA where I lived for over 20 years,” noted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on X/Twitter. "I can tell you right now GA is supporting Trump."
"No one cares about this debate except the Rep establishment, who is completely disconnected with Rep voters. Already a fail."
Trash the debate. Trash DeSantis. That’s how it will play out.
DeSantis has been Trump’s favorite target in this election. To this day, he sees DeSantis as a threat. I have every reason to believe that before the debate is even finished, he will trash DeSantis’s performance, and his supporters will all echo that sentiment, using the opportunity to deal a death blow to his presidential campaign. The mainstream media will use that as an opportunity to claim that even Republicans are panning DeSantis’s debate performance. The pro-conservative governance message will be lost in the noise of Trump’s primary election grudge.
Seriously, is there any reason to believe he won’t trash DeSantis but praise Newsom? He’s already shown he won’t attack Newsom because Newsom once said nice things about him. The only person who has anything to gain from this debate is Gavin Newsom. It will increase his national profile, and he can rely on Trump supporters to echo the narrative that it was a disaster for DeSantis.
