Many Republicans still have questions about the outcome of the midterm elections in 2022. You’d find many different answers if you asked these Republicans why they failed to win.
It’s not as difficult as people think. In fact, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a good source of insight into why the GOP failed. And if anyone knows the best and worst, it’s the man whose state is the ultimate GOP stronghold.
DeSantis spoke out about the GOP’s poor showing in the election and offered some advice during a Thursday press conference. DeSantis stated that the problem was that not enough Republicans were willing to fight for the tough fights that would have energized and excited the base.
Florida’s governor noted that midterms often see a swing away from the party in power. The GOP didn’t expect this to happen, but it did in Florida. DeSantis explained why.
So, it’s not like it’s about being divided as parties. I think it’s more about how you run and win majorities. And I believe what we did in Florida was that we showed leadership, that we have not kowtowed, and that we are willing to take on large interests. That attracts more people to your team and it was something that wasn’t happening elsewhere. However, I believe that we showed how it was done in Florida. If you take a look at how we performed, you will see that no Republican governor has ever received a greater percentage of the vote than we did in 2022.
WATCH: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) explains why Republicans underperformed in the midtermspic.twitter.com/Shd3itkppP
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 2, 2022
Republicans must be more aggressive in the fights that they are willing to engage in. DeSantis was able to take a purple state and turn it red through his willingness to draw lines and act when necessary, rather than being afraid to enter the ring.
The governor of Florida and his fellow Republicans had to launch a series of attacks on entities that were against them twice. First was during the pandemic, when the Democrat machine was in full swing. DeSantis was busy releasing lockdowns as well as mask mandates. It was clear that this was doing more harm than good. He also slapped Disney square when it threatened to sue him over the parental rights education bill.
DeSantis is right and his winning record supports him. Many Republican voters talked about war during the election, while many GOP candidates were more lukewarm. The GOP leadership refused to support Republican candidates who needed to light a fire under their campaigns.
While the GOP may have struggled in other states, it was just as aggressive in Florida where they created battle lines and held them tightly.
DeSantis’ words should be heard by every GOP strategist right now.
