White House hopeful DeSantis stalls due to image deterioration

Ron DeSantis, who has been regarded as the most formidable challenger to Donald Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, boasts a record of victories in ultra-conservative Congress and a huge campaign fund.

But the tip of the spear, which he describes as a struggle against the imposition of a creeping “cultural Marxist,” doesn’t seem so sharp these days.

So where did Florida’s punitive governor go wrong?

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– Twitter fiasco –

In late May, DeSantis’ long-awaited run in the 2024 presidential election fell flat when glitches interrupted a launch event live-streamed on Twitter with the platform’s billionaire Elon Musk. ended up.

The conversation broke down multiple times, and many of the 400,000-plus users who wanted to hear the story missed the 44-year-old Conservative’s challenge to Trump.

DeSantis finally spoke after nearly half an hour of chaos and chaos that completely overshadowed what was supposed to be a jubilant launch event.

The governor was targeting a demographic of young, white, male “tech folks” aligned with President Trump.

But analysts are willing to trade fame on Silicon Valley’s conservative fringes for the launch of a more traditional primetime TV show that could reach millions of viewers. I questioned the man’s judgment.

~charisma gap~

Mr. DeSantis has raided Iowa and New Hampshire, key states for early nominations, to boost a struggling challenge and fix its reputation as an awkward customer.

His campaign missteps are too numerous to list, but they combine to give the impression that he’s an unattractive person, at least in public.

He often appears stern and awkward when making small talk, and on more than one occasion has lost his cool to journalists or avoided media scrutiny altogether.

There were also complaints that Mr. DeSantis seemed bored at the event and didn’t even say “thank you,” and footage of him laughing maniacally during his stay in Iowa sparked widespread derision.

“Mr. DeSantis came out of the gate with a stumbling block. He has no connection with voters,” said Todd Belt, a political science professor at George Washington University. It’s a responsibility,” he said.

“He doesn’t give voters much to vote against, like focusing on the culture wars issue.

-Decline in popularity-

DeSantis trails Trump in the support derby, and only a handful of the more than 100 current Republicans who once served in the House support his campaign.

Republicans in Florida are overwhelmingly in the Trump campaign, even though DeSantis is the state’s chief executive, and the RealClearPolitics average in recent major polls is the front-runner. are trailing by a whopping 32 points.

He hasn’t seen any of the poll bounces that major campaigns usually enjoy in the weeks following their announcement, and has managed to close the gap by just two percentage points since launch day.

Trump recently quipped, “The more people know about him, the lower the polls go.”

– Comeback Kid? –

But those who’ve seen DeSantis up close say it would be foolish to leave him out.

Trump got off to a slow start in 2015 and then wiped the floor with competition, they warn — and until the first primary vote in Iowa, DeSantis will make his case. I still have 6 months to go.

DeSantis’ agenda will also outline the 2024 presidential primaries, highlighting the “culture wars” issue against President Trump touting tax cuts for the wealthy and the appointment of three ultra-conservative Supreme Court justices. No doubt I had to. judge.

The big chance for a reboot for DeSantis comes at the first Republican preliminary debate on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

President Trump sees little benefit in the national spotlight with his primary rivals trailing by double digits, and has hinted that he may not attend at least the first debate.

Even if the frontrunner doesn’t suck all the oxygen out of the room, chances are someone else will emerge as a viable, serious, and likable alternative.

Mr. DeSantis would be hoping it could be him, despite the evidence so far and overwhelming odds.

CJC-feet/BBK

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