DeSantis needs Trump to step aside, to win

But a big field will split the vote and Trump’s loyal base will be enough for him to win.

Ronbo seems to be loudly signaling that he, too, is a hard-core bigot like TFG which could attract some MAGAts.

How will Nikki fare with the gang of white male supremacists?

"Et Tu, Brute" him

He's just taking slings and arrows for DeSantis for now.

the other candidates will split the vote.

Trump could win the nomination with 30% of the total.

But I think their nominee will be someone other than DeSantis, Trump or Haley.

I think they are looking someone with DeSantis' hair, Trump's meanness, Rick Scott's criminal instincts, Greene's ignorance and Gaetz's age group.

Being the Republican Party, that should give them about a quarter million candidates to choose from.

Drumpf will not be behind bars. Even if he’s indicted today trial process will drag on for years. So let that fantasy go.

But Desantis is absolutely beloved by rethugs. The MAGAts will always support drumpf but I think Desantis is seen as just as cruel and sick but much more capable of executing their racist view for America.

And he has nothing to hit back with, that won't drive the base, back to Trump.

That migrant stunt? All Trump has to do is say 'I would have shipped them back to Mexico instead of to blue cities', and it'll be over.

The MAGAS are just as bad as you imagine they are, and that'll be that.

Last edited Sat Feb 18, 2023, 04:54 PM - Edit history (1)

You can see that at FR. And some of them are calling TFG "Three Time Loser" and "Low Energy".

glass to support his 'hurting the right people' projections and eventually (in their deepest, most cherished dreams) give them to go ahead to start hanging every black and LGBTQ person they can find from a lamppost, all done in white power baby jeebus and his herald Trump's names.

Most of the people who voted for TFG had previously voted for Romney, McCain, and Bush 43.

There was a recent poll which stated that 25% of Rs would follow TFG if he left and ran as a 3rd party. TFG got 74 million votes and 25% of that is 18 million.

I also expand the number of Trump-only (to a point) MAGAts to include non voters (especially the truly hardcore underground white power nazi types who are serious force multipliers despite their relatively small numbers) and also extended families and clingers-on of MAGAts, (plus the not old enough to vote but old enough to be brainwashed and to fight) i.e. the penumbra of Trump, if you will.

One on one, he could beat Trump but if there are lots of candidates, Trump will win.

I agree.

comparison. Then he doesn't stand a chance.

They will normalize DeSantis and his strongman act in Florida by exhaustively comparing his behavior to Trumps.

“He’s just more normal than Trump.”

“he’s more relatable than Trump was.”

Rinse and repeat. Just like in 2016.

I think DeSantis has a better chance than Trump at this point, but we all know how wildly wrong prognostications done this early often turn out.

His very early announcement to run again, meant to deter possible challengers, didn't work

I root for whoever will be easier to beat in the general election.

Trump and DeSantis could split the crazy vote. But you got Haley which Koch's and other big GOP money seem to be gravitating towards. Plus Pence will throw his hat in at some point and peal off some of the evangelical vote. Pompeo will no doubt run, but I'm guessing he just wants to be VP on the ticket. And we still have Rubio and Cruz who can suddenly jump in. As well as a couple of others.

It will come down to the state by state primaries, some will fair better for one candidate than the other. They can be on top on a primary or two, then completely crash and burn when it goes to another part of the country.

Nothing more.

the bandwagon once Trump's campaign inexplicably took off. This is going to be a fun one to watch but neither of them can beat Joe.

I also believe DeSantis can't, but only because Trump will either run 3rd Party of will tell his supporters to sit this one out. One-on-one DeSantis vs. Biden would be tougher.

I don't see DeSantis doing well nationally.

In 2004 6'4 John Kerry lost to 6'0 W Bush.

I kid. There were some irregularities in that 2004 election that... I just don't know.
DeSantis's intolerant, fascistic politics is just not going to play well on a national stage after everything we've been through IMO.
Florida is not the United States and vice versa.

But it shouldn't have been close, let alone Bush clearly winning the Popular Vote. Love Kerry, but him (and Bush) both lacked charisma.

tremendous respect for Kerry he was not charismatic. Then there was the whole ridiculous issue with Howard Dean's scream, which should not have precluded him in any way. It's hard to imagine now, with how ugly things have gotten, that would be something to cancel someone out. Of course, Bush and his illegitimate presidency was the precursor for this last 20 years of insanity. Ironically enough, it all came from Florida. Jeb Bush has never gotten the credit (or the blame) for the nightmare he foisted upon us.

But the more I think about it, I think it will be somebody else.
I think 1/2 of MAGA wants Trump, but the other 1/2 want MAGA a with a new face. I think that’s the constituents that split the vote of Trump vs Desantes, and someone else will sneak in and take the nomination.
I’m not sure who it will be yet, but history shows that the forerunners two years out (on either side) doesn’t end up the winner in the end.

It matters not… The fuckers must be defeated.