The tantalizing question that grips the Republican Party and no doubt also the mind of anxious Democrats is whether Ron DeSantis, popular Florida governor, will join the 2024 presidential field, comes as Trump has been busy picking new curtains for his Oval Office.
Great question — with multiple layers of “intrigue.”
Those who believe DeSantis will not seek the 2024 Republican nomination, including many DeSantis supporters, cite the governor’s wife, Casey, who became a champion for fighting cancer in the Sunshine State, as a reason, and also that DeSantis is running for reelection as Florida’s 46th governor in November and may choose to fulfill his second term, assuming he wins.
However, doctors in June declared Casey DeSantis cancer-free, and Team DeSantis’ actions, along with money — from the governor’s campaign coffers and wealthy supporters — suggest he might already be looking beyond the Florida Governor’s mansion.
As is generally the case in politics, let’s follow the money.
DeSantis is careful to not add to speculations that he might run for the presidency in 2024. The governor has brushed off questions about his political ambitions, while Trump continues to hold rallies and “hint” — 24×7 — that he will enter the race, perhaps sooner rather than customary, after Labor Day.
But, as reported by Yahoo News, there are signs that DeSantis could be — behind the scenes — actively preparing for a White House run, even as he campaigns for a second term as governor:
A Reuters analysis of DeSantis’ social media ads shows he has dramatically expanded his out-of-state ads in recent months, an indicator, say some political analysts, that he may be laying the groundwork for a national campaign.
In the first three months of this year, political ads sent through DeSantis’ Facebook and Instagram pages were overwhelmingly concentrated in Florida, as one would expect from a man running for office in the state.
But by the April-June period, they were spread roughly evenly between Florida and the rest of the country, according to a Reuters analysis of regional spending data for social media ads compiled by New York University’s Cybersecurity for Democracy project.
DeSantis’ increase in out-of-state ads suggests a move toward building a nationwide network of supporters, said three Republican strategists, including Ron Bonjean, who was an adviser to former President Trump’s 2016 presidential transition team.
Said Bonjean:
It’s an important part of the campaign playbook and can help him build support quickly should he eventually throw his hat in the ring.
Bonjean suggested DeSantis’s timing matters, given that Trump could make his announcement “at any moment,” and potentially put a dent in any momentum DeSantis might have.
Credence exists to back Bonjean’s observations. RedState’s June report showed that DeSantis led Trump in the 2024 New Hampshire election poll. Biden was defeated in this matchup. This poll showed that Trump lost the election by seven points to Biden. It is true that New Hampshire does not belong to Texas or is a swing state. However, the poll indicates it. WasSurveys of likely Republican voters. A straw poll was conducted in June 2021 among potential Republican voters. DeSantis also beat Trump to win the nomination for 2024.
They are not worth mentioning, lest you lose your mind about them, but months before the Republican primary season, the results of the polls were mentioned.
While a substantial percentage of the Republican Party continues to believe Donald Trump should be all but ceremoniously handed the 2024 nomination and “rightly” returned to power, an equally substantial percentage believes that while Trump accomplished much as president, his time has come and gone, and a “fresh face” — with an eye on the future — should become the next Republican standard-bearer.
Let’s get to the bottom of it:
The Republican Party is likely to fall apart if DeSantis, Trump and possibly other candidates run for office in 2024. Given the current dynamics of the party, I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. You know, like, “Let’s just get it the hell over with” and move on.
My hope, of course, is that the Republican Party would then be able to put itself back together before the general election — if at all — Beat Joe Biden and any other leftist puppets the Democrats choose to run. Is it wishful thinking? Maybe it’s.
Interestingly, what is your question about the headline? I believe the answer is “yes.”
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