^^^ OK, so you support DeSantis.

BTW, I do agree with much of what Kurt Schlichter has to say; Iowa is make or break for the governor.
But even if DeSantis has not run a bad campaign (according to Schlichter)... he hasn't run a GOOD campaign either and it was poor judgment for him to even run.

quote:

Trump is hugely ahead today; Iowa is make or break for the governor. It’s hard to see Big D go on without making a big splash in the Hawkeye State. Contrary to the conventional wisdom – “conventional” meaning “a total lack of” in this context – DeSantis has not run a bad campaign. He has run a fine campaign using the only possible strategy there is against a very popular (among Republican primary voters) opponent who is being outrageously persecuted with bogus lawsuits and criminal cases. That is to raise money, organize a ground game, talk to the voters and to media, and draw contrasts with his opponent. It might not work, but it was always going to be hard. Trump remains popular and the evil and unfair attempts to criminalize him have made many back him out of sheer “Screw you, commies”

I guess I’m one who says “Screw you, commies”!!
Something HUGE is going to have to change for DeSantis to win Iowa.

I do not think Trump can win a general election. I think we underestimate just how much other people irrationally hate him. He won in 2016 because he was running against someone else who didn't inspire anyone and a lot of people also hated. I think he's lost a lot of the energy and focus he had 7 years ago, and even 3 years ago. I think trying to run a campaign while fighting court battles will split his money, attention, and focus to his detriment. I think even if he does win every appeal the process will drain him and his resources.

I think it means a lot that DeSantis turned a purple state in to a 20-point win because of the policies and governance successes. I think I want that person running the country. I think a lot of the peripheral complaints about waiting his turn (paraphrased), or complaints about disloyalty (when Trump was attacking him long before he said anything about running), or insinuation about what he really meant (paraphrased), are bullshit. When I look at what he has done for Florida, I want that guidance for the country.

That's what people said in 2016, when he won against a stacked deck and Hillary Clinton.

You completely disregard the state of the nation- rampant inflation and a the rest. People are barely making it. You need to look at what happens to the party in power when everybody is hurting going into an election. Additionally, Donald Trump has picked up Latino and Black voters.

It's simple- either Trump will be the Republican nominee, or the Trump supporters will turn their back. The RNC knows this.

quote:

He won in 2016 because he was running against someone else who didn't inspire anyone and a lot of people also hated.

Hmmm, me thinks we 'may' have VERY similar circumstances right now!

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:

quote:

He won in 2016 because he was running against someone else who didn't inspire anyone and a lot of people also hated.

Hmmm, me thinks we 'may' have VERY similar circumstances right now!

This is true!

quote:

Originally posted by bobtheelf:
I do not think Trump can win a general election.

If you don't think Trump can win a general election, what the hell makes you think DeSantis can? He is doing terribly in the Republican race, and people who don't normally vote often do not really know who DeSantis is, only those who are political junkies.

Trump logically started to attack DeSantis when he broke a vow to not run in 2024; Trump's team got wind of the various corporate donors and Super Pacs lined up for DeSantis long before he announced his candidacy. And everything Trump has stated about DeSantis has turned out correct.

The man owes his present political career to Trump; without his tremendous help, he would not be governor of Florida. DeSantis built his later career riding aboard the Trump Train, and has now disowned it. "Disloyal" is too kind a word to describe DeSantis turning against the man who basically made his career.

If you're a DeSantis supporter I guess you can take some consolation in the internals of this poll, showing Haley is not likely to overcome him for second place...

Iowa Poll Shows DeSantis, Not Haley, Is Trump’s Only Real Competition

https://thefederalist.com/2023...ly-real-competition/

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:

quote:

Originally posted by bobtheelf:
I do not think Trump can win a general election.

If you don't think Trump can win a general election, what the hell makes you think DeSantis can? He is doing terribly in the Republican race, and people who don't normally vote often do not really know who DeSantis is, only those who are political junkies.

Trump logically started to attack DeSantis when he broke a vow to not run in 2024; Trump's team got wind of the various corporate donors and Super Pacs lined up for DeSantis long before he announced his candidacy. And everything Trump has stated about DeSantis has turned out correct.

The man owes his present political career to Trump; without his tremendous help, he would not be governor of Florida. DeSantis built his later career riding aboard the Trump Train, and has now disowned it. "Disloyal" is too kind a word to describe DeSantis turning against the man who basically made his career.

Because he turned a purple state bright red by passing a conservative agenda that works and won people over.

I'm not going to speculate about what anyone might have gotten wind about, but Trump was attacking DeSantis before DeSantis ever attacked Trump, and that's just a fact.

There's been a lot of scuttlebutt about what made his career, but he won his seat in congress without Trump's support and won reelection by 20 points with less support than the first time around, so I'm not convinced there's any truth to it.

It's time to wake up and smell the coffee, bob.

https://twitter.com/bennyjohns.../1720538781370266060

Is DeSantis creating coalitions such as this? I don't think so. But Donald Trump is.

https://twitter.com/DineshDSou.../1720606112758534223

Funny how you don't hear chants of "We want DeSantis" at Trump rallies, but ol' Ron just can't catch a break...

https://twitter.com/PapiTrumpo.../1721686898555421117

^^^ I notice he's sitting down.

DeSantis must be intelligent enough to realize he is shit next to Trump, how he keeps up this embarrassing facade is beyond me. I guess he has some campaign funds left to do this dog & pony show, or he's praying that his former mentor will go to jail and he can somehow convert the Trump supporters to his side .

How the mighty have fallen.

^^^ He, like all other GOP presidential candidates, is secretly cheering for all the maggot prosecutors to be successful in convicting Trump of at least one count of bullshit wrongdoing.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
Iowa Poll Shows DeSantis, Not Haley, Is Trump’s Only Real Competition

At this point, I'm not so sure that even Ronald Reagan could beat Trump.

Of course, at this point I'm not convinced we're even going to have an election next year. But, that's a whole 'nother can of worms.

Ron DeSantis Wins Endorsement From “America’s Most Unpopular Governor”

The timing here is just splendid. According to multiple MSM sources, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is scheduled to endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the 2024 GOP nomination. The endorsement is scheduled to be announced tomorrow in Iowa.

This endorsement comes on the heels of a recent Morning Consult poll showing Governor Kim Reynolds is “America’s most unpopular governor.”
How appropriate is that?!

[…] “Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa) is America’s most unpopular governor, with a 47% disapproval rating, up from 39% in the first quarter of 2023. Her unpopularity increased partly because of a surge in negative sentiment among independent and Republican voters during a year in which she signed a strict anti-abortion law and took a lashing from former President Donald Trump over her apparent closeness with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.).” (link)



You might remember when I said, and repeated, to “watch the RGA.” Well, surprise, surprise, guess who is the current RGA Chair? Yup, Kim Reynolds. {link} These people are entirely predictable.

[CTH, January 2023] […] “As I’m watching President Trump doing the familiar targeting of the GOPe roadmap, in this instance hitting the Club for Growth (CfG), my spidey senses are telling me their modified 2024 path will involve increased emphasis on the Republican Governors Association (RGA).

In the 2020 midterms, the RGA headed by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey was positioning: specifically positioning Ron DeSantis. If the modified establishment roadmap rolls out as it looks right now, I suspect the RGA will play a key role in it.” (keep reading)

You might not have remembered the way the RGA was positioning [reference the $20 million donation to DeSantis in April 2022, which was always intended as a laundry operation for the 2024 GOP primary], which always had this Reynolds endorsement lined up to be triggered, but at least we know Donald Trump saw the roadmap as outlined.

Back in February, 2023, President Donald Trump was noting the same strategic plays that we were. Fortunately, he was keeping an eye on how the Republican Governors Association (RGA) was intending to execute their anti-MAGA moves against the base working class voters.

https://theconservativetreehou...-unpopular-governor/

Nikki Haley going after DeSantis.

DeSantis About To Lose Biggest Donor To "Ass Kicker" Trump

Ron DeSantis is coming up short in his attempts to bring his plummeting ratings to heel (notwithstanding a slight uptick over the past week).

In the latest blow to the Florida governor, his biggest donor, Nevada real estate investor Robert Bigelow, says he's considering switching his support to Donald Trump. Bigelow notably gave more than $20mm to the DeSantis campaign earlier this year, the largest donation to any 2024 candidate, FT reports.

"I’ve got to look at who would probably be the strongest commander, with the most experience . . . And that’s only one guy," Bigelow told the outlet. "Who would you want as a commander? I’d want somebody that would be a hell of an ass kicker if he needed to be," he continued.

"On the face of it, you lean toward Trump."

Bigelow criticized Trump for running a weak campaign, and that Hamas's October attack on Israel showed that the US needs a "streetwise" leader like the former president.

He also thinks Trump will wipe the floor with DeSantis during GOP primaries.

"I think Trump is too strong," he said. "I think Trump has the momentum, the inertia, to beat him."

Bigelow likened Trump to a "bull," and DeSantis to "dinner."



https://www.zerohedge.com/poli...nor-ass-kicker-trump

Tim Scott is out, now the Trump campaign is advising DeSantis to withdraw from the race by the Dec 12th deadline.

quote:

“That’s the last day DeSanctus can withdraw his name from the ballot in Florida and save himself the embarrassment of losing his home state. A new poll from the University of North Florida (UNF)found President Trump at 60%, crushing DeSanctus by 39 points,” stated Cheung. “Ron has fashioned himself as someone who can will things to existence by sheer force. How will he look when he gets spanked by the people he represents and gets tamed like a puppy dog? The primary in Florida will be a referendum on DeSanctus leaving Floridians high and dry while he runs for president.”

https://floridianpress.com/202...ws-him-losing-badly/