Trump Should Campaign Against Dems, Not DeSantis

Following endless transparent Trump rally teases, the former president has been fully expected to announce his plan to run again amid tumultuous throngs of a GOP he owned and deserved through successful policies made even more apparent by subsequent Biden administration disasters.

After all, despite having been assailed nonstop by a hostile Democrat-dominated media from the time he descended that golden Trump Tower escalator, throughout two unsuccessful impeachments, an ongoing Jan. 6 Capitol riot kangaroo court inquisition, and an armed FBI raid on the former first lady’s closets and drawers, there was previously no formidable competitor in either party.

Nikki Haley faded from popular sight within Republican ranks after appearing a bit too ambitious as a would-be 2024 contender, and other than Trump derangement syndrome, what did the Democrats have in their favor?

Certainly not a populace where three-quarters of likely voters believe the country is going in the wrong direction, and even only one-third of Democrats want Joe to run again.

And who else have they got in their prospective lineup? VP Kamala Harris is perhaps even less credible than Joe. “Mayor Pete” Buttigiege, Beto O’Rourke, or other names that have been floated around reflect abject Democrat desperation.

Further, a broadly anticipated midterm election red wave was originally supposed to give cause for a gala Nov. 15 Mar-a-Lago venue befitting a celebratory Trump declaration. Whether or not he intentionally picked this same date his angrily estranged former Vice President Mike Pence’s new book will be released is pure speculation.

In any case, the rising tide that was to raise all friendly ships never materialized. Instead, it elevated only one, USS Florida, victoriously navigated by an oft-named popular interloper for that 2024 party standard bearer candidacy.

No, that wasn’t supposed to happen.

The common logic, — at least prior to the 2022 midterm malaise — was that Gov. Ron DeSantis is still young — has lots more time to make that challenge bid in 2028. It was politically better for him not appear too anxious and eager to occupy that Oval Office desk.

Besides, Trump had not only proved he had earned a return — a former booming economy — energy independence — a secure southern border — no wars on the horizon — he also deserved vindication for a truly not most fair secure 2020 election in history with the FBI hiding demons lurking in Hunter’s “laptop from Hell” until the votes were in.

On the other hand, what if Ron DeSantis is essentially “drafted” to run by growing popular GOP sentiments as a better representative and stronger candidate?

And after all, hadn’t he proved that he was fully up to that top leadership role through a heroic host of tough challenges and achievements as well?

Here’s a guy who, in his 2018 run for governor, had barely skimmed past Andrew Gillum by less than half a percentage point and had just trounced Democrat challenger Charlie Crist by nearly 20 points.

This was the brightest Republican landslide victory in the Sunshine State since 1868 when Harrison Reed captured 59% of the votes during Reconstruction.

In doing so, DeSantis captured 55% of the 70% Latino-dominant Miami-Dade County voters, and 51% of those in historically heavily Democrat Palm Beach County.

Performing well throughout the state, the governor also improved his margins in southwest Florida’s Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties that were recently hit hard by Hurricane Ian, receiving 70% of the vote. In Orlando, where Trump lost by 14 in 2020, DeSantis won by 7.

Like Trump, the mainstream media hadn’t helped DeSantis a bit.

After defiantly keeping businesses and schools open throughout mandated COVID-19 shutdowns in most other states, many national networks cast him as “DeathSantis,” a threat to democracy; a monster who wanted to kill grandma.

Not a single major Florida newspaper endorsed him.

Nevertheless, Ron DeSantis’s “Keep Florida Free” platform and performance ultimately resonated with voters in one of few pleasant election-night surprises in the country for Republicans. And it catapulted his persona on a superstar trajectory.

Besides, he certainly sounded presidential in his Tampa victory speech … welcome words to rekindle great hopes in conservative hearts and minds.

DeSantis proclaimed that his state is where “woke goes to die,” adding that “Florida was a refuge of sanity when the world went mad. We stood as a citadel of freedom for people from across the country and across the world.”

Obviously recognizing a rivalry threat posed by DeSantis, Donald Trump has already signaled an intent to go on a very unappealing negative offensive that will serve only to further erode his dominance within the GOP along with second-term presidential prospects.

During a recent rally, Trump referred to his prospective challenger as “Ron DeSanctimonious.” Then, on election day he told reporters that while he had voted for the governor, it would be a mistake and would hurt him if he runs for president in 2024.

“If he did run,” Trump warned, “I will tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering. I know more about him than anybody other than perhaps his wife, who is really running his campaign.”

We can safely bet that going into 2024, Democrats, including their media backers, will welcome nothing more than a rancorous battle between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis to draw attention from their own lack of credible candidates and agendas.

So far, and to his credit, DeSantis hasn’t taken that bait.

Yes, many of us hold Trump in high esteem for his domestic and foreign policy judgment and fighting spirit. But as Kimberley Strassel points out, “choosing your fights is as important as fighting.”

Writing in The Wall Street Journal, she prudently advised: “Spend your fight on nasty jabs at the opposition, invective at party rivals, cable-show drama, and personal crusades? Yeah, you’ll fire up some in your base, but at the cost of alienating even more of the population.”

Strassel wisely concludes, “Spend your fight on policies that make voters’ lives better — give them optimism and back it with results — and you’ll be rewarded at the polls.”