Ron DeSantis’ campaign is having a hard time. According to this writer, the supporters of Never Back Down (NBD), a super PAC that supports his candidacy are not worthy of DeSantis’s extraordinary intelligence and effectiveness as a chief executive during his five years in Florida.
Yesterday, a New York Times article revealed the latest setback in the form of a leaked Never Back Down document. The documents show how NBD believes DeSantis ought to approach the Fox News “debate”, scheduled for August 23rd, in Milwaukee.
In addition to attacking Joe Biden and the media, the strategy apparently is to defend Donald Trump while targeting political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy. Whoever came up with this strategy at NBD should be shown the door post-haste.
Leaked documents show DeSantis being told to keep a small distance from Trump, while still highlighting his positive vision. You know the vision thing.
Let’s start by being clear. The leaked documents of a super PAC or campaign supporting a particular candidate may not reflect the candidate’s views or intentions. DeSantis is too intelligent to adopt a debate strategy that includes defending a candidate who’s not even present while criticizing another candidate whom nobody takes seriously as a 2024 contender.
It is a good opportunity to give some unsolicited advice on what the Governor may want to say at next week’s debate. What he should have to say about Donald J. Trump, his one and only opponent.
DeSantis must point out that Trump was not conservative, tactical, strategic, or disciplined in his role as president to navigate the turbulent waters of Washington, DC. There’s no proof that he will be better in the future since leaving the White House.
DeSantis must deliver this message on the debate stage in an honest, straightforward, and measured manner.
Ron DeSantis, this isn’t rocket science. It’s not a bean bag, either. It’s political hardball. It’s time to play hardball, not softball.
What might Team Trump’s reaction be? This tweet might give us some clues:
Trump wasn’t conservative enough, tactical enough, strategic enough, nor was he disciplined enough to navigate the choppy waters that is the Washington DC swamp. And there’s been no evidence since leaving the White House that demonstrates he would be any better the next time…
— Manic Contrarian 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 🐊 (@ManicContrarian) August 17, 2023
Let’s start the discussion. Since George W. Bush left office in 2008, the federal tax rate has been “low”. Trump may have lowered the rates, but they already were low compared to what they were before Reagan.
Deregulation may be nice but is mostly meaningless because many of the regulations that are implemented at the local and state levels are also imposed by Trump. Sorry, but we haven’t had any “inflation,” or even “economic growth,” since Reagan became president, with the exception of 1990.
By the way, inflation is not higher prices, but a devaluation in the dollar. We can directly blame Trump for the global lockdowns that caused Bidenflation, not a falling dollar.
Trump has wiped out ISIS. Really? Trump let his generals do their jobs and by extension his job. Sorry, no brownie points for doing your job.
What about moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem? It’s great, but at best it’s just a gesture. The Abraham Accords?
Tariffs against China? Do you mean to impose new sales taxes on Americans who purchase goods and services in China, i.e. small businesses, producers, and working families, or a new tax on all consumers? No thanks!
It could have been worse but Trump’s presidential tenure ended in a complete disaster. In his last year as president, Trump outsourced to a public-health bureaucrat the most important decision that he had to make. This bureaucrat was inept at protecting jobs. Trump was supposed to be doing that, but he let Fauci take over. He failed his country horribly.
Trump’s decision to lock down America’s largest and most productive economic system is comparable to Herbert Hoover, who failed to lead the United States in 1930.
DeSantis can’t use his August 23rd message in Wisconsin to show off a fondness for Trump, or a series of snarky one-liners about Vivek or Chris Christie as this ridiculous strategy memo suggests. It should be about how he is better than Trump.
