Exactly. What I am calling "Trump-backed candidates" were those where he endorsed in the primaries against another Republican not where he just sort of passively endorsed an incumbent or the GOP front runner.Mothra said:whiterock said:The results are quite a bit more mixed than this argument allows.Mothra said:whiterock said:That is the establishment GOP line, setting up a case for RDS. But there is a pretty cherry-picking big problem with that argument.Harrison Bergeron said:1. Trump barely beat one of the least likely politicians in history.Doc Holliday said:What helped Trump is that he said sh i t that people were thinking but we're too afraid to say and it gave him loads of publicity.Harrison Bergeron said:Trump is attacking DeSantis only from the left ... when his not making moronic comments.Doc Holliday said:I didn't say he was moderate, but his campaign messaging is.sombear said:What exactly has RDS been moderate on? He's actually getting hammered by the moderate, corporate types for campaigning to the right of Trump.Doc Holliday said:He's basically hired a Jeb Bush campaign blueprint and it absolutely sucks.whiterock said:RDS has struggled. It is really, really, really hard to step up from state politics to national politics. He hasta get better. And he may do exactly that. Or he may not. He does have time to do so. The bigger problem is just the emerging perception that, because of his stumbles and overall under-performance to expectations, he's not ready for the big-stage. He's got to break that cycle sooner rather than later, or perception will set in & become reality.RD2WINAGNBEAR86 said:The rumors of the death of Ron DeSantis have been greatly exaggerated. Once Biden exits the race, things will get REALLY interesting.Doc Holliday said:Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has "really underperformed" in his 2024 presidential campaign, former GOP Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says, calling it "one of the worst" campaigns he's seen so far.@MajorCBS: "Is it over for DeSantis?"
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 21, 2023
Hogan: "I think it's getting close to being over." pic.twitter.com/Krx8AX9L0x
The talk of a dual party Independent ticket with Joe Manchin running for President and a Republican VP running mate is fascinating to me. Should the Dems and Republicans not abandon a Biden vs. Trump rematch that nobody wants, such a ticket could have a real shot. I certainly would consider it. We shall see.
Frankly, if he doesn't get a lot better, he might even miss the ticket altogether.
The guy is missing out on populist messaging. He's also too formal with his public speaking. He needs to talk personal and bring the fire.
I'd choose RFK Jr. over Desantis at this point.
Good breakdown on why:
https://www.adamtownsend.me/desantis-campaign/?clear-cache
"Because you'd be in jail". He straight up talked sh it like the general public does. Desantis won't do that. He behaves like a corporate stooge being watched by HR.
This also brings up another point about GOP and many GOP voters who think "we need to bring respect and formalism back". They don't get it. You can't allow democrats to be ruthless and try to appear like you won't stoop down to their level, it's a losing strategy.
2. Trump lost to a corpse.
3. Virtually every Trump-backed candidate lost in 2022.
Trump is a loser.
RDS was a Trump-backed candidate, too...
So was Kemp.
Etc......
This isn't 2018 my friend. Trump's been on a losing streak since his election. I understand hoping for the best but let's not put our heads in the sand. Trump and trump backed candidates haven't won much since 2018
Not really. The "Trump" candidates who have won since 2016 were strong on their own accord, and as others have pointed out, were begrudgingly endorsed by Trump (see Youngkin and DeSantis). I wouldn't really call DeSantis or Youngkin Trump candidates anyway. The ones who went fullbore Trump lost. See Kari Lake.
I understand the need to spin this in trumps favor, but I think you realize he's pretty much been kryptonite since 2018.
Other than J.D. Vance, every Trump-backed candidate lost. Trump is a loser. He lost the popular vote in 2016. He lost the popular vote in 2020. He lost two critical Senate seats in Georgia in 2020. He lost the Senate for Republicans in 2020. He almost cost the GOP the House. Do you guys not realize Biden is the least popular, most incompetent and corrupt president in U.S. history and Trump still stopped the predicted red wave in 2020.
Trump WAS a great president. Like it has done to others, the 2020 election fully broke him. He's completely unhinged and only cares about himself.
If we want to save our country from continued division and destruction, we need to restore some unity, sanity, and normality back into the White House and kick out the racist, corrupt regime that is clearly in bed with Russia, China, and the globalists. Trump cannot win because too many people are morons and care more about "mean tweets" than public policy. We cannot change that.
Desantis may be the best governor in a generation. He would make a great president.