If there were no possibility that Trump could win, the left would not be pulling out every stop under the sun to prevent his being on the ballot in 2024. The great migration changed the calculus somewhat and now the electoral map is even more favorable to republicans than in 2020.

I think that Desantis is getting some poor advice from consultants. The stars do not seem to be aligning for him.

quote:

Originally posted by straightshooter1:
I like DeSantis, like him a lot, he's the best governor I've seen here in Florida.

But, if Trump gets the Republican nomination, as I expect him to do, I will be a happy guy, getting to keep DeSantis here in Florida where, hopefully, he'll continue to be the great governor that he is.

Bob

i agree, bang up job as governor, but i look at the people backing (pushing) him and think to myself, what a fucking maroon, paul ryan, george bush - who's he beholden to?

he should have backed trump and waited

as for me I really don't give a crap about whatever dirt they think they have on Trump, all the right people hate him and are trying to destroy him. I believe that he was woefully unprepared for it the first time, if he gets in this time, now that he knows how it works in DC, I think he'll be ready to kick some ass,

I'm going to watch this campaign with a great deal of interest. My personal choice is Trump but I respect the hell out of DeSantis. If DeSantis wins I'll feel like I took second place and won a Lexus instead of a Mercedes. No loss at all really. I will throw my full support behind the winner.

I'm just here for the mean tweets...

quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Peteroniman:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by straightshooter1:
i agree, bang up job as governor, but i look at the people backing (pushing) him and think to myself, what a fucking maroon, paul ryan, george bush - who's he beholden to?

he should have backed trump and waited

In recent months, I have started to question DeSantis' judgement on things, and the main problem I have with him is his decision to run against Trump.

DeSantis would not be where he is today without Donald Trump, that is 100% fact. Period. When running for his first governor's race in 2018, he was trailing badly behind Adam Putnam, the more well known Republican candidate, in both popularity and money. DeSantis sought out Trump's MAGA endorsement, and when he got it, overnight he overcame Putnum in campaign money, support, and popularity, thanks to Trump's endorsement and huge rallies for DeSantis. In the general election, again Trump came out for DeSantis with several huge rallies days before the election, increasing the voter turnout of a midterm election, and with DeSantis barely beating democrat Andrew Gillum by less than 1% of votes. As governor, DeSantis had the MAGA stamp of approval and got help from President Trump.

And today DeSantis, instead of siding with Trump, paying back the huge favor Trump did for him, wait his turn for a smarter and easier 2028 run, throws Trump under the bus and goes against him on behalf of the Establishment, their only goal to deny Trump another term.

And even Rep. Matt Gaetz, former campaign advisor for DeSantis, is solidly behind Trump, along with the majority of the Florida Congressional Delegation, people who know DeSantis.

quote:

Originally posted by HKAngusKL:
I think that Desantis is getting some poor advice from consultants. The stars do not seem to be aligning for him.

He's making a deal with the dark side on this one.

I don’t think DeSantis is stupid.

He’s running, knowing that he likely won’t win, but to become the only candidate for 2028. If he does fairly well against Trump, then when the field is wide open in the next election cycle he will be the only possible candidate who ran a national campaign that was competitive.

Better to make the rookie mistakes now than when it’s serious. Also, there’s a non-zero chance that Trump, who is 77 in a couple weeks, might not have the physical health or ability to run for office next year. Better to be in now than jump in late.

^^^ I think you're right.

quote:

Originally posted by reloader-1:
I don’t think DeSantis is stupid.

Such a broad statement. Just who here is calling DeSantis "stupid"?

He would not be running if he thought he didn't have a good chance of winning. He's not like the frivolous candidates we see who throw their hat in the ring to have some fun on the Federal dime.

He's got RINOs and Never Trumpers telling him they've got his back. He wouldn't be pulling this stunt if he didn't have big support from Trump haters.

And then, there's his ego. Look at how he's behaving with the man who boosted his candidacy in 2018. Listen to his remarks when the Bragg indictment came out. He's a politician ten ways from Sunday.

This isn't a "dry run"

He thinks he can win and he thinks he can win against someone who supported him when he needed it. There's a word for that kind of behavior, and it isn't "politician".

I am not one to follow politics closely, and am far from having any kind of insider knowledge of Republican party stalwarts preferences, but from my external perspective, the Republican "swamp" seems to prefer DeSantis because they think he can be "managed," where PDJT has proven time and time again that he is first and foremost his own man. Trump's disregard for the establishment (justified IMO) is the biggest impediment to his nomination. It seems obvious to me that Trump is, by far, the preferred candidate of conservative voters, but it is unclear that this will be enough to carry him past the forces that are arranged against him.

But what do I know? I was convinced back in 2020 that, when 10's of thousands of voters showed up at every single Trump rally, and Brandon could hardly get a few dozen to his, that we would have four more years. Wishful thinking, I admit, but for whatever reason, it sure as hell didn't turn out like I expected. It seems to me that, until we replace the entire Republican establishment from top to bottom that we will continue to have little choice in cnadidates, and thus in our elected leaders.

The upshot of this perspective is that the Trump/DeSantis question comes down to: how sincere and fundamental are DeSantis's conservative convictions? Specifically, are they enough to get him to resist the business as usual political maneuvering of the Republican establishment. Of this I am not yet convinced.

At this point and things can change. I am in the camp that Desantis jumping in and the way he entered was about as poorly thought out and dumb as could have been.
But this is all about the never Trump crowd pushing the beltway agenda.
I hope it back fires in all their faces big time.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: old rugged cross,

It is hard not to say DeSantis has done an awesome job here in Florida. But it must not be overlooked that all that he accomplished would have never happened without having a supportive majority of the legislature.
Like a kid with a rich daddy, DeSantis pretty much got anything he wanted and fortunately what he wanted was good for the state of Florida. Maybe it was even pre-programed that way to make him look good for his presidential run. Much stranger things have happened in recent years.lol!
It worries me that if elected he will be so beholden to much wealth and power.

DeSantis Quietly Signs New Law Sealing All of His Travel Records From Public, the Law Applies Retroactively
May 12, 2023 |
FLORIDA – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Thursday that would hide records about his past and future travel, as well as powerful people he meets with, at a time when he’s widely expected to be on the cusp of announcing he’ll run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

My perception of DeSantis has changed due to the lead-up to his presidential run but this does not discount his effectiveness as governor of Florida. It's just that I see the relative greenness of this 44 year old man. I question his judgement on his decision to run, when a 2028 bid makes far more sense, especially given the man's age. Also, I question a couple of pieces of legislation he has signed recently.

If Donald Trump was out of the picture, I'd back DeSantis. One thing I don't understand is all the laughter and derision directed at DeSantis due to the technical difficulties of his announcement on Twitter, as if he is personally responsible for a website crashing. There are things about DeSantis to criticize, but Twitter technical difficulties is not one of them.

Donald Trump irritates a lot of people, of all political stripes but I'll take the man as he is. I disagree with those who say that DeSantis makes a better candidate for the presidency because of his sober attitude, but I disagree. The leftists are going to try to destroy whoever is the Republican nominee and there is no question whatsoever that Donald Trump is the king of the scrappers, and he's had eight years in the political arena now and I think his abrasiveness is more than just his style and his personality. Whatever the case, he was a great president and coming into office this time around, as a lame duck and with all the experience he has gained means he would be more effective, especially of we retain the House and gain the majority in the Senate.

Just try to imagine the furor and the absolute panic the leftists, the news media and the RINOs would be in if Donald Trump is re-elected. As I've said before, they would lose their minds completely. They would be speaking in tongues and chewing off their own limbs. If you want to give the America-hating globalist and the Marxist stooges a taste of their own medicine and watch them go over the edge, then help put Donald Trump back in office.

Four years from now, Ron DeSantis will still be in his forties, a very young man for the presidency. Right now, he needs to stay where he is.

quote:

Originally posted by clipper1:
It is hard not to say DeSantis has done an awesome job here in Florida. But it must not be overlooked that all that he accomplished would have never happened without having a supportive majority of the legislature.
Like a kid with a rich daddy, DeSantis pretty much got anything he wanted and fortunately what he wanted was good for the state of Florida. Maybe it was even pre-programed that way to make him look good for his presidential run. Much stranger things have happened in recent years.lol!
It worries me that if elected he will be so beholden to much wealth and power.

DeSantis Quietly Signs New Law Sealing All of His Travel Records From Public, the Law Applies Retroactively
May 12, 2023 |
FLORIDA – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Thursday that would hide records about his past and future travel, as well as powerful people he meets with, at a time when he’s widely expected to be on the cusp of announcing he’ll run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

I just hope he doesn't damage himself in his race with Trump. I wish he could have waited things out until the next round, he needs more time to learn the ropes and harden his soul against those who would otherwise manipulate and deceive him. Trump is way past being able to be manipulated, Desantis I'm not convinced has arrived necessarily in that sense. A good colonel he would make, but he's not ready for the Admiralty.

quote:

Just try to imagine the furor and the absolute panic the leftists, the news media and the RINOs would be in if Donald Trump is re-elected. As I've said before, they would lose their minds completely. They would be speaking in tongues and chewing off their own limbs. If you want to give the America-hating globalist and the Marxist stooges a taste of their own medicine and watch them go over the edge, then help put Donald Trump back in office.

That would give me great joy knowing my vote contributed to those histrionics.

I had a good laugh this morning

The Trump campaign published an official statement yesterday, in which Trump vowed to investigate Big Pharma, and get to the bottom of why our kids are suffering from stunning rises in autism, autoimmune, and other chronic health problems. Trump said if elected, he would convene a committee of independent minds, minds not owned by Big Pharma, to figure out exactly what was going on so we can put a stop to it.

Trump said to believe him, he knows Big Pharma better than anybody. Among other things, he said:

> “In recent decades, there has been an unexplained and alarming growth in the prevalence of chronic illnesses and health problems especially in children. We’ve seen a stunning rise in autism, autoimmune disorders, obesity, infertility, serious allergies, and respiratory challenges. It’s time to ask what is going on.”

https://twitter.com/TheChiefNe.../1666372537284976640

The too-facile take on his statement is that it’s ‘just’ a political move; it’s Trump aiming to bury his Operation Warp Speed image problem, and trying to outflank DeSantis on medical freedom. All of that is almost certainly true. But it’s not the entire story, or even the most interesting part of the story.

The first thing that fascinates me is that we now have major candidates for both parties — Trump and RFK — who are both airing the same message: vaccines are potentially dangerous for children. Captured media will do everything it can to mute that message. It won’t be easy, whereas RFK is easily ignored, the media seems to have picked Trump to be its favored candidate until after the primaries. And if Trump wins the primaries, Biden will have to run against Trump.

Captured media CAN’T ignore Trump.

The second implication of Trump’s statement is so vast it’s hard to process. An Overton Garage Door has obviously been rolled open. It used to be political suicide to talk about autism and vaccines, but apparently vaccines are now a major campaign issue in the 2024 elections. What happened to reverse the ban on anti-vaccine talk?

Hint: The pandemic and the jabs happened.

This development must seem nearly miraculous for all the parents of vaccine-injured children who have been sidelined, gaslit, dismissed, marginalized, and labeled dangerous misinformation spreaders.

To be fair, Trump has some problems with this strategy. RFK has repeatedly said that 2016’s candidate Trump asked him to lead a similar panel, but then cancelled it. Unconfirmed reports cynically suggest that Trump was swayed by a large donation from Big Pharma. Who knows. It doesn’t matter whether Trump would actually follow through or whether anything would change as a result of Trump’s policies.

What’s significant is that a majority of Republicans, including both Trump and DeSantis supporters, plus over 20% of democrats who support RFK, are sick and tired of Big Pharma and its suitcase of shots for babies. What happens when the majority of Americans believe the conspiracy theory? Is it still a conspiracy theory, or has it become something else?

Think about it like this: it’s not significant that Trump said it. It’s significant that Trump — a masterful politician — detected that it was the right thing to say right now. He didn’t invent the issue. Trump just figured out this is the right time to make the argument.

Justice will come.

https://www.coffeeandcovid.com...ack&utm_medium=email

Mike Pence is a liar:

Mike Pence Outlines the GOPe Playbook to Take Down MAGA, Trump

The arguments of the liars are weak, constructed on fraud and dependent on the lack of knowledge by the average person. If you want to live in the light of truth, don’t be average – be extraordinary. This is the nature of our Treehouse assembly, and it grows naturally larger every single day. The truth has no agenda.

There is a coordination in the background, we can all see and feel it. Inherently, instinctually we can sense it. It is not coincidental that on the same day the DC aligned media begin pushing stories of Trump indictments – stories not coincidentally based on timed, purposeful leaks – we see the great deceiver, Mike Pence, stand with forked tongue and grand prose to push a narrative based on Machiavellian fraud. History will not look kindly upon Pence; his dark-shadowed eyes will deepen as his shallowed self diminishes.

President Trump did not ask, tell or instruct Mike Pence to violate the constitution, he simply wanted Pence to send a request for election review *back to the state* legislative bodies, where a determination of election accuracy could take place, before federal certification. THAT state legislative process is exactly what the constitution outlines. Pence is a fraud, a liar and a man corrupted deep within his soul to the dark elements of self-interest, financial benefit and corrupt enterprise.
WATCH:


Like Christie, Haley, Asa Hutchinson and others, Mike Pence is fulfilling a role. He is willing.

Here’s the play:



https://theconservativetreehou...a-trump/#more-247510

I'm done with virtue signaling Pence. Among other stupid platitudes, I heard him say that we are a democracy. That's a sure sign he is an ignoramus.

The DeSantis campaign released this:

https://twitter.com/Timcast/st...591668539393/photo/1

Trump's campaign released this:

https://twitter.com/Timcast/st...802740715522/photo/1

Fuck DeSantis.

Also, DeSantis supporters apparently thought the rhino ride was real!

President Donald Trump Takes Even More Commanding Lead Following DOJ Political Indictment and DeSantis Launch

Let us speak to each other without pretense, guise or dishonesty. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is in the 2024 race specifically because he was told by the right-wing of the UniParty apparatchik that Donald Trump would be removed from contention. The people in control of the Republican corporation -namely donors, multinational corporations, Wall St firms and Sea Island billionaires- convinced the Florida governor he would not have to run against Donald Trump.



https://theconservativetreehou...and-desantis-launch/