The portrayal of Donald Trump by his critics often includes concerns about his behavior, honesty, and potential impact on democracy. Some worry that if he were to be reelected, there could be a risk to democratic values as they fear a move towards an authoritarian style of governance.
Governor Ron DeSantis, who holds two Ivy League degrees earned with distinction, has faced criticism from some individuals who question his honesty.But if he is elected president in 2024, DeSantis will take us down the same road.
Who Will Make It To The White House In 2024: Trump Or DeSantis?
Trump has a dedicated base of supporters who strongly favor him, which could contribute to his potential success in the upcoming Republican primary. A highly skilled campaigner, he appeals to the prejudices and resentment harbored by his tens of millions of worshipers.
DeSantis is a very well-educated young man lacking not just a moral compass, but even the basics in political skills. There may still be time for him to master the rudiments of campaigning, but his arrogance may block that effort.
His campaign got off to an inauspicious start with the botched announcement on Twitter, which was subsequently followed up by a series of unforced political missteps. Calling for the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service and three other federal government agencies was not just stupid, but would never be carried out. Hey Ron: Who’s gonna collect taxes we need to run the government?
Perhaps his most knuckleheaded move was engaging in a disagreement with the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women, which was holding a long-planned fundraising event featuring his arch rival, Donald Trump. Turning a deaf ear to their pleas, DeDantis held his own rival event two hours before theirs, and just sixty miles away. Smart move, Ron: Those women are sure gonna remember that stunt on primary day.
DeSantis’s war on the LGBTQ community will not just turn off many Trump supporters, but a significant portion of his own. While it’s understandable that he needs to do something to cut into Trump’s huge lead in the polls, did he really need to relegate these Americans to subhuman status?
DeSantis certainly brings a much more impressive resume to the fight in comparison to the huge load of garbage that Trump is condemned to drag around. In addition, he’s just forty-four years old in contrast to Trump’s seventy-seven, his life is untouched by scandal, and he has three very young children and a lovely and politically savvy wife who campaigns along with him.
There is speculation that former President Donald Trump may have a strong chance of securing the Republican nomination in the upcoming election, and some believe he could be a viable contender against President Joe Biden in 2024. It can be reasonably argued that DeSantis would stand a better chance against Biden, but so far, he has not exhibited the political skills that will be needed.
Clearly, at a very early age, DeSantis set his cap for one day becoming president. Coming out of Yale Law School and joining the Naval Judge Advocates Corps was much, much less lucrative than bucking for partner in any one of the many white-shoe laws firms that were courting him. And now, as the two-term governor of the nation’s third largest state, he has raised a ton of money. Still, to make it all the way to the White House, he’ll need much more than an impressive resume and a huge campaign war-chest He just doesn’t have “the right stuff.”
So, the big question is whether Trump will be able to beat Biden. The two have long been virtually tied in the polls. Trump is quite old and Biden’s even older.
But two trends are becoming increasingly evident and will continue through November, 2024. On the one hand, as Trump’s indictments pile up, his hold on his base — perhaps one-third of the electorate – will grow. But increasingly, many Republicans – especially suburban college-educated women – will continue drifting away from him. Perhaps even more independent voters will also dessert the disgraced ex-president.
Surely any other politician who committed the crimes that Trump did would already be in prison. But between now and election day in 2024, Trump will steadily fall in the polls. By then, it will be too late to replace him with DeSantis — or any other Republican.
I don’t claim to know who will be living in the White House on January 20, 2024. But I can pretty much guarantee it won’t be Trump or DeSantis.
