Desantis was never a real contender against Trump

Get the Point!

Hubris: noun, "excessive pride or self-confidence..."

So, when I think of the word “hubris” these days, I immediately think of Florida Gov. Ronald Desantis!

Less than a year ago, Desantis, in his hubris, believed that his dominant 2022 re-election win over Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist meant that he had a mandate that he could ride to the White House. 

Less than a year ago, Desantis, a lawyer by training, knew that former President Donald Trump was facing multiple indictments in multiple jurisdictions across America AND that Trump still remained popular among conservatives nationwide, but in his hubris, Desantis bet on himself as the MAGA alternative—a Trump without the criminal and civil baggage if you will, one whose facility with conservative dogma would win over MAGA minds each time he spoke on Fox News or Newsmax. 

Well, Desantis was WRONG!

If you have followed my writings for any length of time, then you know that I am no fan of Ron Desantis, Donald Trump, or any of the modern Republicans who have turned their versions of white"so-called" Evangelicalism into scythes that slice the civil rights of people of color, non-Christians, women, and the LGBTQ community.

But even a year ago, I knew beyond ALL doubts that there was NO way on Earth that Desantis—or anyone else—could defeat Trump in a Republican primary. 

Why?

Well, the simple answer is that Trump is a celebrity and in America, celebrity "trumps" policy talent more often than it doesn't. The reality is that most people don't really care all that much about political pedantry; what folks care about is usually very personal, such as their income and their ability to buy goods and services. That's why it ALWAYS has been about the economy and if times are good, the incumbent usually will get reelected. When times are tight, the opposite is true as the electorate will "throw the bums out" at first chance. 

Now, my last paragraph actually reveals one of the real dangers for Trump in his bid to reclaim the White House—the economy is relatively strong and inflation is decreasing!

But when it comes to a primary race, Trump, from the minute he declared himself a candidate in 2022, was THE prohibitive Republican favorite because he is LOVED by the Republican masses, many of whom adore the aspects that I abhor about the man, such as his constant joke cracking, his irreverent “know-nothing” demeanor, and those four felony cases that he is facing ALL because he refused to concede the obvious—which is that he was whipped soundly by Joe Biden in 2020 and that he was NOT the president anymore, thus, he had no rights to keep classified documents in his possession to show off to his friends.

The Republican love for Trump was something that Desantis would have struggled to overcome even if he was a likable human being, but the truth is that Florida's governor is stiff, robotic, and as naturally nasty as Trump—but without the poor form comedic element. 

If you have ever watched Desantis on stage, in interviews, or in private settings, you get the sense that he genuinely does not like interacting with people. Now, there are millions of Americans who are similarly introverted or uncomfortable in crowds, but those Americans are not seeking THE highest office in the land—one that requires human interaction without looking pressed, bored, or frustrated. 

When Desantis repeatedly snapped at a reporter last fall, when queried about his poor attitude on the trail in a later interview, he replied: "Like Popeye said, I am what I am..."

Indeed, and as I often say, what Desantis comes off as is a smug jerk—one who talks down to people without a care in the world about how he comes across!

Now, this may surprise my readers, but as a Democrat, Desantis' presidential candidacy made me far more apprehensive because so many moderate White Anglo Saxon Protestants who lean center right find that he has greater character than Donald Trump. That, and his relative youth would have been an asset against Joe Biden, one whose mental acuity, like Trump's, is often questioned.

Such is why I believe that at the end of this year, that Biden-Trump II will end in a Biden victory because moderates, particularly white women who are still frustrated by the end of Roe vs. Wade, will turn out for Biden. 

On the contrary, those other moderates who have disdain for Trump's character—but not his politics—were VERY attracted to Desantis. Which leads me, for once, to both quote and thank Trump for this rare rhetorical gem, "Ron Desantis needs a personality transplant, but they don't have those yet."

No, they do not—to Desantis’ national downfall, and to Biden's benefit come November…