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DeSantis’ Quixotic Quest is Doomed from the Start [1]

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Date: 2022-11-13

Your ship is sinking in port.

Ron DeSantis cannot possibly defeat TFG in the Republican Presidential Primary for the simple fact that he can’t out-Tr_mp Tr_mp. As much as he, the Republican Establishment, and the Murdoch Empire might wish to replace TFG with him they all have collectively so conditioned the Republican base to revere and accept every lie and corruption that spews forth from TFG in a constant stream and so utterly reduced any semblance of Republican Party policy positions to stand exclusively for low taxes and white grievance issues which no one can claim to push for harder than TFG, it is literally impossible for any human being to successfully oppose him in a Republican presidential primary. People will always choose the genuine article over an imitation.

DeSantis’ problem, which is the problem of anyone Republican wishing to challenge TFG, is that he has absolutely no defense to TFG’s already commenced onslaught of vitriolic attacks upon him. After decades of Faux News programming the conspiracy-minded, fact-challenged Republican base is immune to logic and truth so DeSantis cannot resort to evidence and factual argumentation to refute TFG’s attacks no matter how untruthful and nonsensical they may be. Remember when TFG was still able to maintain to the base that the Arizona presidential vote was rigged even after the biased Cyber Ninjas recount actually added to Biden’s vote total and he tweeted that their recount actually vindicated his lies? This is but one of many examples of TFG’s immunity to factual assault within the Republican base. So DeSantis attempting to defend himself from TFG’s attacks with factual argumentation and reason is a no go.

With an evidence based defense to TFG’s attacks rendered useless, DeSantis could try to get in the mud with TFG and slog it out but that would be even worse for him. First, there isn’t anyone as nasty and mudslinging than the TFG. His not being handicapped by any notions of decency or respect for truth it is virtually impossible for any politician conditioned with even the slightest nod toward accommodating and compromising to get down in the dirt like him.

Second, and more importantly, DeSantis cannot counterattack TFG because any attack on TFG will alienate the base. The base has been conditioned to unquestionably accept every negative thing about TFG by the Republican Establishment, the Murdoch Empire, and DeSantis himself so there is virtually nothing for DeSantis to work with in counterattacking TFG. Every nasty fact about TFG that DeSantis could mention will reek of hypocrisy due to DeSantis’ previous acceptance and acquiescence to this fact and will only serve to remind the base of their own hypocrisy which will only infuriate them. This is no doubt why there has been radio silence from the DeSantis camp in response to TFG’s attacks upon him so far. DeSantis cannot fight fire with fire with TFG and if he thinks he can survive by maintaining radio silence in the face of such attacks during the next few months before he gets around to actually announcing he is running for President he is fooling himself.

Third, DeSantis taking the high road and ignoring TFG’s attacks to focus upon the issues and how he would be better than TFG in carrying out policy which could be a way to successfully defeat a mudslinging political opponent is doomed to absolute failure against TFG. The Republican base is conditioned to admire bullies. They equate bluster and mean spiritedness with strength and since strength is the primary element for them in a leader, DeSantis’ avoidance of getting in the mudpit with TFG will be seen as weakness and he will lose “bigly.” Only the weak take the high road to them. Additionally, as I’ve already mentioned, there are no “issues” in Republican politics upon which DeSantis can outflank TFG. The Republican Party has destroyed policy debate with the Party. Remember when they didn’t even produce a policy platform at their last presidential convention? All Republican policies devolve into two issues: low taxes/regulation and white grievance issues, and there is no one who can say that TFG isn’t the preeminent person in America to champion these two issues.

The only argument DeSantis can possibly make that he rather than TFG can better accomplish these policy goals is that he is more presentable than TFG to those who might be lulled into grudgingly tolerating the excesses of these policies. That he is TFG-lite. Less filling and better taste. But unfortunately for DeSantis and his Republican Establishment coterie they have so conditioned the base that the other side is evil incarnate that any hint of compromise is immediately suspect.

DeSantis is doomed to failure from the onset. He is on a fool’s errand.

[END]
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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/11/13/2135775/-DeSantis-Quixotic-Quest-is-Doomed-from-the-Start

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