Gov. Ron DeSantis visits Florida State College at Jacksonville on July 18, 2022. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
Published on August 22, 2023 at 7:26 pm
It’s no secret that since the launch of Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign, things have been going as smoothly as Urban Meyer’s tenure with the Jags. Negative process stories regarding the campaign – some of which I believe are overblown – have resulted in weeks of negative press cycle that Gov. DeSantis and his team have struggled to shake off.
This is what makes Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate crucial for DeSantis, who built his national profile on seizing the moment and turning it into political gold. While it would be unwise for him to go on the attack, he must capture the moment in Milwaukee to reinvigorate his campaign and show the American people the aggressiveness and ability to confound his political opponents that helped elevate him in the first place.
These debates allow some candidates to build momentum, like Donald Trump after his “Rosie O’Donnell” moment. Consequently, other candidates will collapse into themselves like a black hole and never be heard from again (I’m talking to you, Rick Perry)
With former President Trump choosing not to attend, I expect the other candidates will attack DeSantis to firmly establish themselves as the leading “Trump Alternative.”
Vivek Ramaswamy will likely be governor’s harshest critic, and Desantis’ Super PAC agrees. With Ramaswamy’s climbing to third place in a recent Fox News poll, he will look to land a knockout shot against Florida’s governor.
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Ramaswamy has centered his campaign on being a “free speech” absolutist and the actual “anti-woke” candidate. He will look to tarnish the governor’s “War on Woke” platform, which has been central to DeSantis’ campaign.
In particular, Ramaswamy will say that the new Florida law banning hate speech on private property attacks the “marketplace of ideas.” Ramaswamy will also likely attack the governor on not going after Disney sooner and only doing so after giving Disney “special protections.”
Mike Pence and Chris Christie, two men with the distinct honor of working for and then being thrown under the bus by former President Trump, will go after DeSantis for not being a “true conservative.” Like Ramaswamy, they will critique the governor’s legal actions against Disney.
However, they will say that DeSantis’ actions are not the epitome of a conservative governor by using state power against a private business for speech. I expect Christie, and Pence to a lesser extent, will also hit DeSantis and the rest of the candidates for being too tepid in their critiques of Trump.
Sen. Tim Scott and former Gov. Nikki Haley, peas from the same South Carolina pod, are both running what I like to call a compassionate conservative campaign. However, their messages have yet to translate to success in national polling. Further, Scott’s burn rate for his campaign is the highest out of any candidate running. Both candidates need an infusion of donations from a successful debate performance.
Haley will likely attack DeSantis over his perceived inconsistencies regarding Ukraine. Haley is running as a traditional pro-defense Republican who sees American involvement in the Ukraine war as vital to national security. Scott is soft-spoken and likely will not be an aggressor. However, I expect the moderators to ask Scott about his critique of Florida’s new African-American history guidelines.
I like North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. He has the best hair and official portrait in the field. However, he will likely be drowned out in the volley of personal attacks that will only end once Bret Baier completes the debate outro.
Wednesday is DeSantis’ moment for the taking. Or, as the great poets the Beastie Boys put it, “Step off, homes, get out of my way.”
Lead photo: Gov. Ron DeSantis visits Florida State College at Jacksonville on July 18, 2022. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
