Ron DeSantis, crises manager edition
That brings us to the mass shooting in Jacksonville, FL, and the approaching tropical storm that's soon to be a hurricane. While Gov. DeSantis would love to be campaigning if the situation permitted, that isn't what he's doing. He's suspended his campaign's events to tend to his official responsibilities.
The reason for President Reagan's landslide victories was because he got important things done right and because he was a plain-spoken man. People had confidence in him because he didn't make mistakes very often. Yes, he made a mistake with Iran-Contra. The bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, too. That's a record that isn't likely to get challenged anytime soon.
This is the type of leadership I want in our next president:
"When you have a situation like this, you’ve got to put the interest of the people first," Mr. DeSantis said at a press conference in Tallahassee. "There’s a time and a place to have political season, but then there is a time and a place to say that this is something that is life-threatening, this is something that could potentially cost somebody their life, it could cost them their livelihood, and we have a responsibility to come together as Americans and do what we can to mitigate any damage and protect people."When COVID first hit, Gov. DeSantis said that he took a great political risk by re-opening the economy quickly. He said he didn't know if his plan would work. He just did what he thought was best. This took leadership, too: Not only is Gov. DeSantis making sure that all of the things Floridians will need to ride this storm out, he's dealing with a hate crime. Staying well-informed on both crises simultaneously is difficult. Staying well-informed and making all of the right decisions is virtually impossible. I don't if that's what will happen but I suspect he'll come close.
The truth is that Gov. DeSantis is the most competent governor in the U.S. over the last 30-50 years. Gov. DeSantis isn't the second coming of Gov. Hair Gel or Gov. Cuomo. He's the real deal. Last year, during his campaign for re-election as Florida's governor, Gov. DeSantis had to deal with Hurricane Ian. He handled that crisis exceptionally well.
Presidents don't have to be hands-on like a governor has to be but presidents must be smart. Notice that nobody's questioning Gov. DeSantis' intelligence, though former President Trump is taking cheap shots at Gov. DeSantis. Let me correct that. He's lying about Gov. DeSantis:
Why aren't Trump's former staff and 'kitchen cabinet' stepping forward and criticizing him. First, he criticized Kayleigh McEnany, saying "Let the RINOs and the globalists have her." Next, Trump criticized Gov. DeSantis for not being loyal. After that, he criticized Gov. Reynolds for not endorsing him, explaining that she wouldn't be governor without him rescuing her. Give me the leader who doesn't make everything about himself.Wait this is real? pic.twitter.com/VhApxWsNSJ
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 28, 2023
Pride goeth before the fall.
When it comes to Trump, that fall can't come soon enough.
Either Trump is getting bad advice, or he is giving himself bad advice, or maybe he is such a supreme narcissist (I'm withholding judgment on that) that he thinks name-calling and abusing fellow Republicans will get him a nomination, rather than concentrating on "MAGA" policy matters which got him elected before. People need somebody/thing to vote FOR. Biden (or whomever) leads the Dems will deserve a big AGAINST vote. Republicans need a big FOR turnout.
ReplyDeleteCheck this out:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/TomiLahren/status/1696703457883820192
https://twitter.com/TomiLahren/status/1696671974548767081
I'm not reserving judgment. Trump's a WORLD-CLASS narcissist.
I will agree with both postings. And I am really disappointed in Trump for taking his campaign off course and "taking the bait" on all these indictments. It's very hard, as I said, because even a three-year-old will wail and react to being treated unfairly. If I thought Democrats had a lick of sense I would suggest they were doing this deliberately, to gain Trump sympathy (or spiteful) reaction and get him the nomination with the theory he could be beaten in the general election. I am very concerned it may work. But I don't credit them with anything except blatant partisanship and an outrageously hateful meanness. They WANT him in jail and that "banana republic" stuff must be fought, somehow.
ReplyDeleteIt takes a truly massive ego to run for President. An even bigger one to claim that you are really doing a great job of it, as Biden and his administration are doing. I don't consider narcissism disqualifying in and of itself, and defending oneself from unfair charges doesn't stem from that. I will only blame Trump here for not occasionally making the campaign about MAGA, rather than his unfair persecution.
Jerry, that is the Democrats' plan. Let's be clear about this. The only so-called top-tier candidate they might defeat is Trump. Even Trump, though, MIGHT win. Against DeSantis, they get obliterated.
ReplyDeleteIt's time for GOP voters to wake up and nominate a youthful, competent, intelligent candidate. Check out this Tomi Lahren article: https://www.outkick.com/ron-desantis-is-second-to-none-at-handling-crisis-tomi-lahren/
I just don't have the same confidence you do. I find it hard to see a path for DeSantis to get the nomination because of the seething resentment among the GOP to these corrupt and unfair Democrat tactics against Trump. (Minnesota GOP State Central Committee just passed a resolution condemning these "politically motivated indictments.") And I really don't think the Democrats are smart enough to "plan" this "get the nomination then lose" strategy. It could work but shouldn't in any sane world. And if DeSantis did somehow win the nomination, the Democrat lie and smear machine would be turned on him full blast and the Fraud Force would be fully funded.
ReplyDeleteThat resolution is worthless to the average voter. As for the Democrats' 'get the nomination then lose' strategy, that's what they did in 2020.
ReplyDeleteAs for DeSantis, he isn't the boogeyman that Trump already is. It's impossible to turn DeSantis into an asshole in a couple months. He's got a Boy Scout personality. Trump has built a reputation of being a hard-a**. The Democrats' work is already done. All they need are the self-writing ads.
I'm surprised that the resolution hasn't already been ballyhooed as an attack against all Republicans for being "extreme MAGA" and "conspiracy theorists" or even "right-wing domestic terrorists." It's the standard Dem playbook. You are correct, that this playbook is based on the "politics of personal destruction" and has already badly tarnished Trump in the public eye. Don't say it is "impossible" to do that to DeSantis because, if he gets the nomination, they will try, the truth being irrelevant to that campaign. Oh, and Trump's reputation as a fighter gets him a LOT of votes, even arguably what was needed, and perhaps still is (but with velvet gloves).
ReplyDeleteI still do not know how, on God's Green Earth, the GOP is going to unite the Never-Trumpers and the Only-Trumpers to beat whomever is left standing on the Dem side. Not sure it makes a difference who that is, if this is a turnout election. Every Republican needs to pull the lever for the GOP or Biden and the Cheaters will repeat their greatest hit. I've got Hugh Hewitt's book "If It Ain't Close, They Can't Cheat."