That's funny because every GOP primary is won by the candidate that hits the culture wars issues the hardest.
In an open primary, maybe. But the Pubs are NOT culture worriers. Maybe some of the RINOs are, but not the Populists/MAGA Pubs.
What's the status of the potential change to Florida's resign to run law? I haven't expected that DeSantis would formally declare until session is over. We will see. The Trump campaign doesn't seem to like not knowing if and when DeSantis is going to declare. They are attacking him and accusing him of using the office for campaigning. I think it's pretty clear that Trump is more worried about DeSantis than he is the others. Trump's camp is trying to force Ron DeSantis to resign and formally declare a 2024 run, accusing the governor of 'taxpayer-funded globetrotting' Notably, a PAC supporting DeSantis just launched the first anti-Trump ad. I guess they're not supposed to coordinate, but I have to think they wouldn't be doing this unless they thought DeSantis were going to run. One thing with DeSantis is that Trump isn't going to be able to make fun of his wife's looks. I bet that really bothers him. DeSantis backers launch first TV ad attacking Trump in 2024 White House race
This seems kind of ludicrous but is probably more true than not. When Trump won the primary in 2016 he was a lifelong pro-choice Democrat who was seemingly insincerely changing to pro-life just to court voters. He also said transgender people should be able to use whichever restrooms they want. He also said he is fine with gay marriage.
I'm actually starting to think so, but he's definitely an underdog. The indictment just refueled the monster. Be careful what you wish for. Where I struggle is in where he gains votes. A whole lot of people already hate him, and it's hard (to impossible) to change their mind. But I think his chances are better than the 2020 election believe it or not. I think his only path is mobilizing his base to the point where they have absurd turnout, and people feel so bad about Biden that the Biden voters don't show up. It's unlikely he catches lightning in a bottle twice, but crazier things have happened. What I know is the indictment will help him electorally, and Biden's run as President has probably hurt him more than it's helped him despite the classic rule where the incumbent has the advantage.
He has evolved into a different person. He was a life long Democrat, and that's what scares the Dems the most about him. He knows all their secrets. I wonder if his memoirs were the real target in the FBI raid. I'll bet it was...
Apart from the restrooms position, I'd say most Republican voters support some degree of abortion and "are fine with" gay marriage. Which goes back to the point that it's not that Republicans are "more conservative" now than they were ten years ago. Democrats have just gone farther to the left so a handful of Republicans grew a backbone and reacted with counteractive policy. You can make the argument that Republicans have become more authoritarian (which isn't the same as more conservative) in the last ten years, but the same case can be made for Democrats. But for the most part, the standards Republicans are trying to preserve (even lefty boogeymen like DeSantis) are standards that were mainstream to universal about 15 years ago.
Although DeSantis has hurt his chances recently, I still think he'd win a general election. The question is if he beats Trump in the primary.
Not sure what you mean by "center-right." Do you mean a "libertarian Republican" or a "Republican who is your classic socially liberal fiscally conservative" type thing? The problem with a libertarian Republican in the long run is that although I think they're ideologically correct in even a somewhat ideal world, we're not living under those circumstances right now. We have all sorts of now ideologically driven institutions pushing the populace towards leftism. You don't do anything about that or apply pressure in the other direction, especially when Democrats don't grant you the same libertarian courtesy, there will come a point where Republicans will never win another national election, and worse, the country continues to progress into cultural decay. If you mean a "socially liberal" conservative, it all depends on where exactly the framework for the discussion is. I don't think anyone would consider Ron DeSantis a "socially liberal conservative" today, but most of what he was saying was seen as completely normal 15 years ago. Don't let kids castrate themselves, don't indoctrinate children, you shouldn't let men use the women's restroom, men have penises and women have vaginas. Leftists are angry at DeSantis's views, but far more than that, they're angry and scared that he's doing something about them, which they're not used to from other Republicans.
If by “doing something about them” you mean the borderline insane Disney fight, a six week abortion ban that’s wildly out of.touch with public opinion, changing laws to allow him power and abilities that previously didn’t exist, tearing down UF for his own gain…. Then yeah many non conservatives don’t like him for that.
All your opinion. And you know what they say about opinions. I can call everything Biden does "insane" and "out of touch," and you'd dismiss me, and you'd be right to. There's a good policy rationale for everything he's done, even if I don't agree with all of it which is more than I can say for the Biden Administration.
You need to stop letting our local libbies get in your head. These are the same people who claim Biden is doing a great job and nothing is wrong with the idiot
If the majority of America believes that there is no left-wing bubble problem in any influential American institutions, or supports that left-wing bubble, then the Republican battle for national elections has already been lost in the long run, it just hasn't been realized yet. And once you have generations of indoctrinated kids raising generations of indoctrinated kids, it's awfully difficult to dig yourself out of that hole. Might as well put your best foot forward now. All of this "nice pushover Republican," "get shit done Democrat" isn't going to fly anymore.
Actually there is lots I disagree with on Biden too and have expressed it here, ideally he wouldn’t be president either. But given how far over the cliff Trump is, he’s the lesser of 2 evils. DeSantis was a relative moderate until 2 years ago, he’s completely changed his platform. And he only did to serve himself. I would have more respect for him had he always been this way. But it’s contrived for personal gain.
Definitely a hot take, incumbents usually have the advantage. Trump was the first to lose reelection in several decades. This time he isn't one and he's got legal stuff hanging over his head, and the whole Jan 6th thing lol.
