Trump has the 1st tv ad of his 2024 campaign airing . It is not an attack of the Dems or Clueless Joe. It is an attack ad against Ron DeSantis.

Medium Buying on Twitter: "The Trump campaign is up on TV with this 60-second spot. Airing nationally This is the first TV ad spending of the 2024 cycle from @TeamTrump (https://twitter.com/MediumBuying/status/1651204710001524742)https://t.co/UzGxcm

Nothing in the ad suggests any Trump accomplishments or his vision for the future..... except that he takes credit for DeSantis rise and suggest it is not DeSantis' time.

Imagine if a Repub in 2016 told Trump to wait his turn.

As one commenter of Twitter wrote

Talk about weak, lol, it just keeps getting more bizzare. I'd love to know who is advising him on these decisions, because whoever it is could easily work for the Lincoln Project.
Talk about weak, lol, it just keeps getting more bizzare. I'd love to know who is advising him on these decisions, because whoever it is could easily work for the Lincoln Project.

The Lincoln project is a group of RINO Repubs.

2016 the big issue was immigration .It's still important But so is taking on woke America . DeSantis has taken up that challenge.
Disney challeged DeSantis over anti-woke laws in Fla. He countered by challenging their unique special governing district . Trump says Disney is destroying DeSantis. Yeah that's it . That is why Disney is suing him for damages.


DeSantis is a voice against Bud Lite's promotion of transformer Mulvaney . Trump has not taken a position ....most likely because he has a Huuuge stock position in Anheuser-Bush.

Trump kept quiet on the Bud Light boycott. It turns out he owns Anheuser-Busch stock (yahoo.com) (https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-kept-quiet-bud-light-171637053.html)

To Trump's base DeSantis would be an acceptable replacement . When Trump attacks him at rallies he gets a luke warm reply at best .

That is the big difference from 2016. The base did not like Jeb Bush or trust Marco Rubio. They love DeSantis and Trump should keep that in mind.

That is the big difference from 2016. The base did not like Jeb Bush or trust Marco Rubio. They love DeSantis and Trump should keep that in mind.That's an interesting comment. I wonder if Trump, once the campaign starts in earnest, is going to appear to be the tired, old, "yesterday's news" candidate when he has to be considered next to DeSantis and his many accomplishments. Unlike Jeb B, DeSantis seems to have a willingness to carry the conservative flag into the smoke of battle. I think he will become an attractive candidate once the train gets moving.

Trump is going scorched earth on DeSantis . That includes attacks that puts Trump also in the cross hairs .

As an example , DeSantis said he would fire FBI Director Chris Wray ;a Trump appointee . When Trump appointed Wray DeSantis praised the move. Trump was quick to point that out . But DeSantis was reacting to the Trump hiring . Trump at the time called Wray "a man of impeccable credentials."

Trump taps Christopher Wray to head FBI - POLITICO (https://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/07/trump-fbi-director-nominee-christopher-wray-239238)

This flip flop on Wray is one of many Trump (I only hire the best ) has turned on . Mike Pence, Bill Barr, Mike Mulvaney are all former appointments that Trump has driven the bus over.

DeSantis is painting himself as a more competent version of make America first . Trump is playing into his hand .

DeSantis does have a track record to run on that's a really good one. Taxes are lower than in many large dem states, and yet there is a large budget surplus.

Don't make me move to that state! DeSatan is the governor.

DeSatan is the governor.So much for loving your neighbor. I don't think hateful statements fit in there.

Why is it that liberals so desperately want to get everyone to follow their advice except for...them?

He isn't my neighbor, thank God. He's Nick who is led astray by Officer DeVille (Devil) at the end of this movie.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PXONttXVTac

DeSantis is painting himself as a more competent version of make America first . Trump is playing into his hand .I've been impressed so far with DeSantis. His state is doing really well and he doesn't seem to have Trump's chief fault of having an uncontrolled mouth.

Nope, he can't speak coherently.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/05/24/trump-desantis-presidential-announcement-comparison-00098667

The Politico link demonstrates technical glitches in his campaign launch . It has nothing to do with his ability to communicate coherently.

If you need examples of that then watch Clueless. Not only can he not speak off the cuff; he has problems with prepared text and cue cards .

If you need examples of that then watch Clueless. Not only can he not speak off the cuff; he has problems with prepared text and cue cards.No one has more difficulty with coherent speech than Biden, with the likely exception of Fetterman. DeSantis is actually a good communicator.

No one has more difficulty with coherent speech than Biden, with the likely exception of Fetterman. DeSantis is actually a good communicator.
Um, there's also another old guy you need to listen to and evaluate. Time for some much younger WOMEN to consider running in 2024.

he has problems with prepared text and cue cards.

The evidence is overwhelming. If he has to speak without assistance, it becomes difficult in a hurry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ys5VWI29R8

The evidence is overwhelming. If he has to speak without assistance, it becomes difficult in a hurry.

Trump for sure! And Don Jr. needs help too. The ol' apple don't fall far from the tree!

https://www.businessinsider.com/video-donald-trump-jr-accidentally-insults-trump-instead-of-desantis-2023-5

Another great Letter to the Editor in this morning's Chicago Tribune:

DeSantis more dangerous than Trump

Ron DeSantis has finally announced a run for the presidency. It’s a crowded field already with Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, the billionaire guy Vivek Ramaswamy, maybe Mike Pence and who knows who else. I fear a repeat of 2016 when so many candidates ran; Trump won not because he was the overwhelming favorite but because the others split the vote so much he squeaked through.

As for DeSantis, he’s not just a mini-Trump but maybe even more dangerous. We know Trump’s predilections and his constant out of control rantings, but DeSantis, not so much. His crusade in Florida is, at best, Don Quixote charging the windmill. He’s playing to such a small audience that any hope of winning the general election is just a pipe dream. Don’t the Republicans realize they are headed for a disastrous 2024 election if either Trump or DeSantis is the candidate? No normal voter would even consider them.

Then there’s the alternative, President Joe Biden. I’m not a big fan but I’d rather endure another four years of Biden than the crazies.

I'm really starting to like this guy. When asked if he was in favor of a flat tax, this was his response.


"So, the answer's yes. I think the IRS is a corrupt organization and I think it's not a friend to the average citizen or taxpayer," DeSantis responded. "We need something totally different."
"I've supported all of the single rate proposals, I think they would be a huge improvement over the current system and I would be welcoming to take this tax system, chunk it out the window and do something that's more favorable to the average folks."
DeSantis, who has repeatedly taken aim at the IRS for its unfair practices and crackdown on the middle class, said last August that an effort from the Biden administration to expand the IRS with 87,000 new agents was an indication of disrespect.
"Of all the things that have come out of Washington that have been outrageous, this has got to be pretty close to the top," DeSantis said at the time. "I think it was basically just the middle finger to the American public, that this is what they think of you."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/desantis-welcome-bill-abolish-corrupt-irs-need-something-totally-different

DeSantis more dangerous than Trump

yeah I bet the Dems think he is . That is why Clueless is doing everything he can to arrange a rematch .

yeah I bet the Dems think he is . That is why Clueless is doing everything he can to arrange a rematch .
He IS quite good-looking though. Hmm....

In this morning's Chicago Tribune -- Letter to the Editor

Irony in DeSantis campaign launch

Am I the only person who finds it incredibly ironic that the man who fought the federal government during a pandemic to keep his state open, dismissed the use of masks, blocked businesses from requiring proof of vaccination for patrons or workers, saw over 87,000 Floridians die, announced his bid for the presidency on Twitter? Instead of meeting with his supporters in person, he rolled out his campaign virtually. I’m surprised he didn’t have a Zoom meeting. And, despite his comments to the contrary, it was not a particularly successful event. That does not bode well for the rest of his campaign.

He reached a national audience and had a record fund raising day . Not bad for a failed launch .


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ron-desantis-raises-8-2-million-dollars-first-24-hours-presidential-campaign/#:~:text=Ron%20DeSantis%20raises%20%248.2%20millio n%20in%20first%2024%20hours%20after%20launching%20 presidential%20campaign,-By%20Aaron%20Navarro&text=Miami%20%E2%80%94%20Florida%20Gov.%20Ron%20De Santis,by%20former%20President%20Donald%20Trump

The Twitter event was shaky that is undeniable . He bounced back nicely in follow up interviews .
DeSantis: I Will Restore Normalcy, Integrity & Sanity To Society And Our Institutions | Video | RealClearPolitics (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2023/05/24/desantis_i_will_restore_normalcy_integrity_sanity_ to_society_and_our_institutions.html)

De Santis vs. Biden. How much election thievery would the dems have to engage in to get a win for JB?

That will be one of Trump's big talking points and one of his major issues, He will spend the primary season at least alternating between complaining about 2020 and trashing members of his own party. If Trump is the nominee the election will be a referendum again on the Trump Presidency and not on Clueless Joe's record.

That is why one of Trump's biggest financial supporters ;Hall Lambert ,founder of Point Bridge Capital and super pac “MAGA ETF” ,has abandoned Trump in favor of DeSantis.

Donald Trump Megadonor Abandons Him as He Predicts Collapse in Support (newsweek.com) (https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-donor-support-trump-2024-1801698)

“I want to win in November, and I don’t think Trump will win,” he said by email. “If you look at the map, the states we need, he is losing or has lost previously.”

Prior Donald Trump, Jeb Bush backers prepped to bundle funds for Ron DeSantis (floridapolitics.com) (https://floridapolitics.com/archives/614160-prior-donald-trump-jeb-bush-backers-prepped-to-bundle-funds-for-ron-desantis/)

Although anything can happen in a year and half ;at this time the electoral map is pretty simple . There are only 6 swing states.,,,, North Carolina ,Georgia, and Arizona in the South and West ;and the Midwest has Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Trump won all 3 Midwest states in 2016 and lost all 3 in 2020 . They are a block of electoral votes . But they lost 2 electors due to population migration. They can be picked off by the Repub candidate . Or one or two of them can be picked off if the Repub wins the other 3 states .

IMO It is imperative that the GOP nominee win the other 3 states .

NC increased it's electors from 15 to 16 mostly retirees from the North and progressive youth who relocated to the Professional Core area of Winston-Salem .

Georgia has gone blue the last 2 election cycles and it is mostly anti-Trump backlash and ballot harvesting rules .

Arizona the same . Their move to blue could be a one off or a trend.

The GOP no matter who is the nominee will have to deal with rules that have become 'permanent' . Voting rules can only be changed when the GOP is in a position to change them . The states that allow harvesting ,drop boxes ,early voting do so because the people in those states like it even though they were implemented due to the pandemic crisis and often imposed unconstitutionally. The States will have had 4 years to change the rules if the people truly opposed them.



Arizona

Perhaps the biggest challenge will be a national news media which has very little in the way of ethics and actively works to accomplish select political objectives. Trump gives them too much ammunition to work with. I don't think DeSantis will make that mistake. And then, of course, will be the predictable woman to come along with unprovable accusations of sexual misconduct against DeSantis. And that's not to mention the very possible participation of the FBI in working to elect Biden. It will be a high hill to climb.

Trump represented a populist movement . DeSantis represents that movement becoming mainstream (at least at the Repub party level). There is a long litany of populist leaders who have led revolts against the "establishment" be they called Eastern elites or now the Swamp people who distrust central power.

But populism is rhetorical. DeSantis has institutionalized the revolt at least at the state level .The question is can his model work nationally ? He isn't a burn it all down guy . He is more of a use what it there to make and cement the changes .

He isn't a burn it all down guy . He is more of a use what it there to make and cement the changes .


The first discouraging words about him that I've heard.

It works . He bucked national trends about covid restrictions ;won the battle to restrict abortions ;instituted permitless carry ;cracked down on illegal immigrants ;limited transformer therapy and banned it on kids;stopped drag queen for kids shows ;stopped schools from indoctrinating children to sexual orientation ;blocked extremely biased African American studies curriculum and ended Disney's special tax status ...all inside to framework of existing rules.

The first discouraging words about him that I've heard





At least DeSatan isn't orange. Is like the tv series, Orange is the New Black.

It works . He bucked national trends about covid restrictions ;won the battle to restrict abortions ;instituted permitless carry ;cracked down on illegal immigrants ;limited transformer therapy and banned it on kids;stopped drag queen for kids shows ;stopped schools from indoctrinating children to sexual orientation ;blocked extremely biased African American studies curriculum and ended Disney's special tax status ...all inside to framework of existing rules.All very true. Come to think of it, Trump really didn't burn anything down that I can think of. My concern is that to balance the budget, major, major changes are going to have to take place. The corruption in the FBI needs to be addressed. DeSantis has put forward the idea of doing away with the IRS and simply using a flat tax. I don't know that this idea will work with businesses and corporations since that is a more complex situation, but I do like the direction it's going in.

Trump has certainly threatened in his words to burn down the establishment Republican Party.That may be good long term . But he could be the Teddy Roosevelt that ushers in the Woodrow Wilson.

Trump suggested on the CNN Town Hall that we should default if the Dems don't agree to massive spending cuts . Admirable in theory .In practice it would be a disaster .

His stated campaign goal to drain the swamp was not successful .If anything he assisted them in having more control due to the government's covid response. In the last days of his administration he rescinded an earlier EO that banned Executive Branch aids from lobbying for 5 years or forever work for foreign lobbyist .

William Barr said it best
Unfortunately, after he was elected, Trump brought his wrecking-ball style to the task of governing the nation. He did not temper his disruptiveness and penchant for chaos. While his basic policy judgments were usually sound, his impulsiveness meant that things were almost always about to fly off the rails. When he became fixated on bad ideas or wanted to take things too far, it took his senior staff and cabinet secretaries an ungodly amount of maneuvering to keep him on track.

Trump threatens to burn down the GOP, it's time to move on (nypost.com) (https://nypost.com/2022/11/21/trump-threatens-to-burn-down-the-gop-its-time-to-move-on/)



Flat tax is a fair tax and so is a sales tax in exchange for lowering income taxes. I favor both ,eliminating as many subsidies and write offs as possible .and the elimination of the IRS as it is now constituted . It has almost become a militarized department

IRS has spent $10M on weapons, ammo and combat gear since 2020: watchdog (nypost.com) (https://nypost.com/2023/05/02/irs-has-spent-10m-on-weapons-ammo-and-combat-gear-since-2020-watchdog/)

It should not take you and I hiring accountants to figure out our personal tax obligations .

Trump suggested on the CNN Town Hall that we should default if the Dems don't agree to massive spending cuts . Admirable in theory .In practice it would be a disaster .Perhaps it would amount to choosing to take the inevitable disaster now rather than a few more years down the road in the hope that it would be a manageable disaster.


Flat tax is a fair tax and so is a sales tax in exchange for lowering income taxes. I favor both ,eliminating as many subsidies and write offs as possible .and the elimination of the IRS as it is now constituted .

It should not take you and I hiring accountants to figure out our personal tax obligations .Completely agree.

Nothing good comes from default .
Argentina is looking at a 90% + inflation rate this year . They defaulted in 2020 . Default does not end well. We have already had bonds downgraded from AAA to AA

Currency devaluation occurs which creates the hyper-inflation crisis in Argentina Default affects the interest rates, domestic stocks, and exchange rates.We would be forced to sell stocks at higher rates . Foreign investors try to dump existing stocks they own. Domestic markets have a hard time capitalizing . Recession follows.
Usually default nations turn to the IMF for relief . They impose draconian rules that makes the economic outlook worse.

From today's Chicago Tribune, Letters to the Editor:

Thoughts from a Floridian
Being a Florida resident for 16 years, I believe that I am in a better position to evaluate the conditions under Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis did not create the tropical weather; establish that Florida would have no income tax; develop a strong recreational business environment, including Disney World; and place Florida between an ocean and a gulf ensuring water and boating activities.

He did, however, open up gun ownership without a permit, curtail women’s rights, create a state militia, fund an election rights curtailment force, attack a major corporate employer (Disney) when it disagreed with his attack on gay rights, defund public schools by funding charter schools for all income levels and oversee massive gerrymandering.

The Florida legislature has gutted a voter referendum allowing felons to secure the right to vote following completion of their sentences. There are these items, along with others not enumerated here.

Please watch DeSantis and his acolytes carefully. He has a dictatorial focus and represents a dangerous trend toward reducing individual rights.,

AND

I’m better off in Illinois
In response to Marko Sukovic’s op-ed regarding Gov. Ron DeSantis’s stance on crime in the state of Florida, I’ll gladly stay in crime-ridden Illinois instead of moving to hate-filled Florida.

another letter to the editor ?

There are uninformed comments that make the rant not worth examining further


This is including "gun ownership without permit " .

That has been a law in Florida for many years. But that doesn't mean you can just go to the shop and buy a gun. There is a strict background check that has to be passed .There are also many people restricted from owning .


Florida is among half the state that now have conceal carry without permit and yes that happened during DeSantis watch.

Constitutional Carry / Unrestricted / Permitless Carry | USCCA (usconcealedcarry.com) (https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/resources/terminology/types-of-concealed-carry-licensurepermitting-policies/unrestricted/)

I heard the same uninformed rant from someone here is SC because SC would if the law passes the 51st state to have constitutional carry laws /

Anyway it is fair to say that focusing on the culture wars can only get him so far. The audience for the culture wars is fixed and will not expand.

To expand his national base ,he needs to point out the state's economic achievements ;especially in the pandemic days

How has Florida fared economically under DeSantis’ watch? (tampabay.com) (https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/05/25/desantis-florida-president-economy-unemployment-wages-politifact/)

The reason people are moving to Florida is not weather . People are leaving California which has a much better environment, And they are not moving to Florida because of his culture war battles.

They move there because the state is low tax/business friendly (yes even with the roll backs in benefits Disney is better off in Florida than any other state)

Yes his launch with Musk was shaky . But aligning himself with Musk could end uo being a genius move.

California is a mess in all sorts of ways but I would hate Florida's humidity. My younger brother lives in Lakeland. My choice would be Utah.

I doubt that she is going to run, but just in case, what do you think of Condoleezza Rice, Tom? I see her on Youtube from time to time and she is a really smart woman.

Loser! She has never married and has no children.

Condi Rice has the resume and the brains that we all envy. Never married ? Is that a shallow criteria I was not aware of ? This is the 21st century not the 19th. There is no more qualified woman in this country than her for the Presidency .


I guess that disqualifies Tim Scott too.
He never married because he wants to provide for his mother first .

Rice served in the administrations of Jimmy Carter ;GHW Bush ,and GW Bush in multiple positions including National Security Advisor (first woman in that position) and Sec State (1st Black woman in that position ) .She has close relations with former and current world leaders.
And she ran one of the biggest and most influential private enterprises in the country when she ran Stanford University as Provost.
In her spare time she is an accomplished classical pianist.

She is not an ideologue so she may not appeal to the fringe of either side. But she could appeal to the centrists and I think they will play a big factor in the current election.
I would vote for her in a second .

I love listening to her speak. She has clearly thought the issues through very carefully. Her appearance on The (biased) View was a classic.

And the (biased) Fox?

And the (biased) Fox?
Now you sound like Trump

DeSantis has a good message if he would use it. He started off touting his accomplishments in Florida and how to exand it nationally. That is a winning message.

Lately he has been lured into a pi$$ing match with Trump .That is exactly the playing field Trump wants the race to be in.It is the same strategy that allowed Trump to pick off one primary opponent after another in 2016.

He also has decided that the culture wars is the hill to defend. But as Bubba used to say; 'it's the economy stupid' . His great success was to defy the idea of perpetual covid lockdowns and to open the state for business. His was a conservative free market message That is where his success in Florida came from.

I'm not saying he's wrong about the cultural issues. Just that those battles will only take him so far.

He has allowed Vivek Ramaswamy to seize the optimistic conservative message . He needs to reclaim it. Ramaswamy has the message . But he can't win. DeSantis can back up the message with proven results. That is how he should restructure his campaign.....by returning to the things he was successful about as Guv.

Lately he has been lured into a pi$$ing match with Trump .That is exactly the playing field Trump wants the race to be in.It is the same strategy that allowed Trump to pick off one primary opponent after another in 2016.

He also has decided that the culture wars is the hill to defend. But as Bubba used to say; 'it's the economy stupid' . His great success was to defy the idea of perpetual covid lockdowns and to open the state for business. His was a conservative free market message That is where his success in Florida came from.

I'm not saying he's wrong about the cultural issues. Just that those battles will only take him so far.Really good post. You can't out-shout Trump. DeSantis needs to go back and study Reagan's 80 campaign.

If the Iowa State fair is any indication ;the race is over. DeSantis is well funded but his major donors are looking for a shift in his campaign (as I suggested above ) ;and his campaign is bleeding funds with travel expenses.

DeSantis’s biggest donor cuts off funds, demands moderate shift | The Hill (https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4138541-desantis-donor-cuts-off-funds-moderate-shift/)

Ron DeSantis’ campaign finances have some flashing warning signs (nbcnews.com) (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ron-desantis-campaign-finances-flashing-warning-signs-rcna94108)


He is making no headway .Trump's crowds were amazing .

Trump seizes the spotlight at Iowa State Fair | CNN Politics (https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/13/politics/iowa-state-fair-donald-trump/index.html)

Trump's Iowa state fair spectacle clouds DeSantis as former president is joined by Florida officials | AP News (https://apnews.com/article/trump-desantis-iowa-state-fair-caucus-reynolds-48b2f382e169ee1b9ae8c9d9dc19dedc)

As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis flipped pork chops in front of the cameras at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, a plane appeared in the broiling blue sky.
It was Donald Trump's Boeing 757 private jet. It circled the fairgrounds, and thousands in the crowd looked up and went wild, cheering for the Republican former president.
Analysis-Trump heading for Republican 'coronation' as 2024 rivals struggle to stop him (msn.com) (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/analysis-trump-heading-for-republican-coronation-as-2024-rivals-struggle-to-stop-him/ar-AA1fd6V6)


The polls bear this out .
FiveThirtyEight has Trump at 53.4% while DeSantis dropped from 21.5% to 14.3% in a month .

National : President: Republican primary : 2024 Polls | FiveThirtyEight (https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-r/2024/national/)

The rest of the pack is catching up to DeSantis .

Here is the results of the State Fair informal straw poll

sos.iowa.gov/elections/statefair/strawpoll/statefairresults.aspx (https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/statefair/strawpoll/statefairresults.aspx)

The highlight of the fair was Ramaswamy performing Eminiem's 'Lose Yourself ' .

Vivek Ramaswamy Raps to Eminem's "Lose Yourself" | C-SPAN.org (https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5081268/vivek-ramaswamy-raps-eminems-lose-yourself)

Perhaps Scott and VR can make some headway. DeSantis seems to be a major disappointment.

DeSantis is the Scott Walker of this campaign season.

Both successful Guvs who were reelected in their state and appeared to destroy one opponent after another .
Then they forgot what got them there . Whereas they both have/had solid records to campaign on ;they went to Iowa and started to try to appease the right base of the party

Scott Walker’s Hard Right Turn in Iowa May Hurt Him Elsewhere - The New York Times (nytimes.com) (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/03/us/politics/scott-walkers-hard-right-turn-in-iowa-may-hurt-him-elsewhere.html)

DeSantis Is Trying to Out-Trump Trump. It’s Not Working. (nymag.com) (https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/06/desantis-is-trying-to-out-trump-trump-its-not-working.html)

In both races there is/was a crowded field that Trump dominated .

Both DeSantis and Walker lack the charisma .

The 1st GOP debate ,Walker was mediocre at best . By the 2nd debate he was invisible and crowded out . The moderator pretty much ignored him.

DeSantis has shaken up his campaign a couple times and has had layoffs. This upcoming debate could be his swan song.

So how did he fare at the fair ? DeSantis owned the crowd up to the minute that Trump did a flyby .At that point DeSantis lost the crowd. He got heckled by Trump supporters .

Tim Scott owned his time there. He was on message and genuine. When he groomed cattle it looked like he had done it before. (same with flipping pork chops which apparently is a prerequisite to everyone except Trump) He got a personal tour from Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Zach Nunn . His campaign PAC has flooded the Iowa airwaves .By now everyone in the state knows him. .His optimism and “grounding in Judeo-Christian principles” was a big plus. Is that enough ?

Vivek is a dynamic and charismatic campaigner. He broke into an Eminem song during a sit-down with Guv Kim Reynolds and appeared to want to dive into the crowd that had come to the stage. He went to 'happy hour ' at “Jalapeño Pete’s” and connected with those gathered . He was quick on his feet. When asked by the press who would be the likely Dem if Clueless Joe dropped out ;he quickly replied "another puppet " He held an impromptu town forum answering questions with confidence.
Instead of bashing Trump (which would've been a losing strategy ; he praised Trump while saying he’d “go further” than Trump in fighting “the Swamp.”

Trump was the big winner with his flyby and quick appearance .He drew the largest crowds .
None of the other candidates are worth discussing .

The 1st debate is Wednesday. Trump will not attend ( a not so bold prediction since Trump has already pretty much confirmed it ) . This will set the stage for a gang pile on of DeSantis. DeSantis has everything to lose. He is the top dog among challengers to Trump .Trump knows he is the biggest threat to his nomination. Just like in 2016 ;he will pick them off one at a time and the lesser candidates will get an assist.

DeSantis has already shaken up his campaign a couple of times . His latest new campaign manager ,James Uthmeier, sent out the memo that this is a 2 man race.Viewers at home will see the fighter who volunteered to serve our country and deployed to Iraq after 9/11, the father who wants to restore America's promise to future generations for his children and theirs, and the champion of freedom who stood up time and again as governor to defeat the left,"
DeSantis campaign lays out debate strategy to donors and supporters | CNN Politics (https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/19/politics/ron-desantis-debate-strategy-2024/index.html)

In other words he plans to ignore the spitballs from the cheap seats . He wants to appear to be above the fray......... a good strategy if it works ;but he should keep one eye on Vivek .

I don't know that Trump has a good option. If he does the debate, he's a terrible debater and can't expect much positive from being in it, but by missing it he makes it possible for a Scott or a VR to look like a winner in his absence. DeSantis has the hard job. I would hope he would listen to Uthmeier's comments above and emphasize his many accomplishments rather than pot-shotting Trump and the others. He should make every effort to look presidential. It might very well be that the country is weary of the constant sniping of the current political scene and would find the presentation of a positive, realistic vision (think Reagan in 80) to be refreshing.

Put a fork in the DeSantis campaign

EXCLUSIVE: Ron DeSantis $50 million super PAC CLOSES after donors were spooked by 'rookie s*** mistakes' | Daily Mail Online (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12465943/Ron-DeSantis-50-million-super-PAC-CLOSES-donors-spooked-rookie-s-mistakes.html)

Not so fast. "But the DeSantis team has said for almost a year that Thomas' PAC was using his name and likeness without his permission and could be considered a 'scam.'"

Trump and DeSantis met and smoked a peace pipe. They hate each other . But the enemy of my enemy ;and they need each other . Trump needs DeSantis' fund raising . DeSantis needs Trump's base in 4 years .

Trump supporters generally like DeSantis and consider him the heir apparent . To them it was always 'wait your turn'.

I don't think DeSantis will be chosen to run for Veep . He'd do better on the outside and not handcuffed with Trump associations .

Trump meets privately with former GOP rival Ron DeSantis (nbcnews.com) (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-meets-privately-former-gop-rival-ron-desantis-rcna149715)

Nikki has joined the team . Basically she said there is no choice. Trump isn't great . Clueless Joe has been a disaster . Speaker Ron Johnson is on board . The never Trumpers are losing influence.

Yesterday Trump waded into the heart of Dem territory and shined in the format he does best in; the political rally. He was in the South Bronx . All Out Crazy ; Guv Hockel all said this is Dem territory ;keep out

But where All Out Crazy holds town halls in mostly empty auditoriums ; Trump packed apx 30,000 people at Crotona Park . Very few people attended the counter protest that Dem leaders and internet influencers called for .

While the crowd was not quite as diverse as the South Bronx as a whole, it included large numbers of Black and Hispanic voters; Spanish was heard throughout the crowd.

Trump holds a rally in the South Bronx as he tries to woo his hometown – WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta (wsbtv.com) (https://www.wsbtv.com/news/politics/trump-holds-rally/JGYVBGSCO5D6SAR4BJJM6B7IRU/)


Contrast Trump's showing in the Bronx with the no shows that greeted Clueless Joe in Atlanta last week .

Biden mocked for apparent small showing of supporters in Dem city: 'Nobody cared' (nypost.com) (https://nypost.com/2024/05/19/us-news/biden-mocked-for-apparent-small-showing-of-supporters-in-dem-city-nobody-cared/)

“​​MASSIVE crowd of almost 4 people line the streets as Biden’s motorcade passes through in Atlanta,” another critical tweet read.Great observation.