To scare people and capitalize on existing fear that certain ideas are a threat. It's obviously working on many folks.
Just power, so the white house. But he's flirting with theocracy a little too much for my taste and there is definitely a ground swell for that. It always starts innocently enough..with book bans and bans on art/media, then it doesn't stop. My thing is, there is 0 reason to go after college courses. Zero. Adults should have the ability to learn what they wish to learn and colleges should have the ability to teach what they wish to teach.
It's not complicated. He wants to be the GOP nominee for the 2024 presidential election. Carefully chorographic political moves to maximize media attention and plenty of red meat in the hope to win back diehard Trump fans. As much attention as he has gotten, he's still relatively unknown compared to Trump and hasn't faced any real challenges. He's pretty awkward and robotic and likes it or not, that won't play well against Trump, who got the authentic vibe. Trump is just naturally "bad" while DeSantis is a nerdy product of elite law schools (Yale and Harvard) trying to imitate him - almost like the character Data trying to be human. No, I'm not rooting for Trump.
I’m hardly worked up. What you are detecting is some combination of pity and disdain. It remains hard for me to fathom how adults choose to spend their time and energy engaging in a five to seven man circle jerk of mindless culture wars. The country faces many issues that have real impact on people’s lives and the future of the country. Instead, it is nearly 24/7 mindless circle jerk, culture war nonsense. The anti education and anti intellectual movement in the Republican Party has truly been effective.
I’ll have to think on this further, but I think I will be rooting for Trump and might vote for him in the Republican primary. DeSantis cannot be trusted and is dangerous, but he can win a general election. I am fairly certain Trump cannot.
DeSantis could win the election but if he focuses on culture war issues I don't think that is going to be a winner for him. Other than FL itself the last election showed that most of the US electorate doesn't agree with the culture war issues.
I have little faith in the ability or willingness of American voters to understand that Biden has actually done a good job as a centrist President. I think there are a ton of republicans who are very prepared to vote R no matter the nominee, so long as it’s not Trump. These are the same morally bankrupt imbeciles who said, hmmm, I’ll vote for Trump, it will be fine, how bad could it be. Those same dipshits will happily pull the lever for DeSantis and I don’t think a Biden v DeSantis election will be particularly close.
Sure most if not all Republicans will vote for DeSantis. That's not enough to win the election if he also can't attract independent voters. The last few elections show that late breaking independents have been the difference. In 2016 they doomed Hillary Clinto but hat pretty much switched in 2018, 2020 and 2022. In 2022 showed that independents were breaking for Democrats because they didn't like the Republicans messaging on abortion and other culture war issues. Even though there were economic issues that didn't favor Democrats those weren't enough to seriously swing things. In 2024 there may be other issues especially the economy but all things being equal a Republican strategy focused on being anti-abortion, anti-trans, and anti-woke probably won't be enough to win.
I hope that’s right, but I’d rather not risk a DeSantis win. I’m confident Trump can’t win a general election. Perhaps more importantly, I think the country needs another Trump run and loss. The best way to move the Republican Party away from culture wars and anti education/intellect movement is for Trump to suffer a visible and hopefully resounding defeat in a general election in 2024.
DeSantis has never been challenged by the national media or anyone in that matter. He hand selects the reporters allowed at his press conference and only surrounds himself with yes men. Hes banned reporters from hostile papers and has his security pre approved whos allowed in. This works when you're in the bubble but you get exposed really quick when national media is flocking you and stalking your every move. People overhype DeSantis when he has no retail skill. Hes a fraud who has no skills in interacting with moderates and opposing party. Hell get exposed. Cmon biden has his arms around a DeSantis supports wife. Trump would jump in and take charge. DeSantis is weak. Trump and biden are great retail politicians who don't come across as elitists. DeSantis doesn't.
This. In these times, you can't just make a turn towards the center once the nomination is won and hope that no one noticed the wokest of woke culture war crap he was doing as governor.
Ron is an elitist who resents having to pay taxes and wants to cut social Security and Medicare to anyone who he thinks is his inferior. Whether he is a crack pot "libertarian", who knows. He was a founder of the Freedom Caucus lol. He is smart and amoral enough to realize that to accomplish. this he has to appeal beyond the cranky 1-10% and the best way is to keep them obsessed with "cultural issues" like CRT, "wokeness" etc. Fortunately he does not have the charisma of Trump, though he is trying to piggy back off him.
I would be very happy with DeSantis staying governor in Florida. And then running for President, assuming he does a good job until then. I assume that I can vote by then (if I'm still alive).
I think he suffers from the same niche echo chamber as when Ted Cruz was a credible front runner vs the likes of Rubio, Bush, and other forgotten trash. Their personalities are different but they share the same faux libertarian philisophies that prop up klepto-oligarch policies. Capitalize gains and open loopholes; socialize losses while enabling waste in the departments they want dead. I guess you can hope that beneath that lizard blooded exterior, he's a patriot that will override the will of many groups to save(?) them. I don't think he's an evil fascist, and definitely a step above dipshit Trump. Just not someone I can respect with the publicity stunts he showcases over actual governing for all Floridians. That hurricane disaster photo makes it look like he'd rather eat **** if he's not in the driver's seat. Not good, especially with his rumored ugly tantrums that alienates whatever allies he's had before but don't want anything to do with him now.
I’ve brought this up before but DeSantis is very similar to Nixon. Many of the same criticisms were said about Nixon yet he was still able to win the presidency.
No, posting in this subforum and seeing posters never post again who used to post a lot. Somewhat sobering.
