It’s All Over. DeSantis’ Post-Mortem Fills the Airwaves, He Hasn’t Even Declared His Candidacy

Political history is getting made, as we speak. The 2024 GOP primary has already seen two stunning developments n’er before seen in American political history. One, was Donald Trump announcing his candidacy the week after a disastrous mid-term election, believing that to do so would somehow insulate him from the legal jeopardy in which he found himself.

That did not take place. What did take place was the spectacle of a grifter finding new ways to grift, even going so far as surreal digital trading cards, and then trumping the untrumpable with yet a second set of those same cards. Which just happened a few days ago.

And the other event n’er before seen, anywhere, on any political stage or three-ring circus, including Trump world? That of Ron DeSantis, whom many in politics were referring to as the “presumptive nominee” until just this past week or so, when what little gas was in this hot air balloon of his, finally leaked out and now his run is kaput. Kaput, before it was even formally announced. That’s a case of first impression.

The formal announcement is supposed to take place at the end of the Florida legislative session, which is scheduled to end May 5. That’s a mere couple of weeks down the road. But don’t hold your breath waiting for DeSantis, he who is polling at 28% to Donald Trump’s 43%, (in one poll, it’s worse in others) to make an announcement he’s running. He’s already being buried and eulogized in the press.

Now I suppose anything is possible. We would be foolish indeed to rule out the unexpected because what is unexpected — or even impossible — today, can become tomorrow’s reality. But take a listen to what Ron DeSantis is hearing and this has to influence his decision making, unless he’s even more unsuited for politics than we presume.

“Ron DeSantis is smaller than life.” There’s no question about it, Trump will be the Republican nominee. We have a long fight ahead, but we’re ready. @StuartPStevens lays out the road to 2024 on CNN. pic.twitter.com/3XZ7SLgKZL

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) April 21, 2023

You know that DeSantis has some scout, aide de camp, wife, who is glued to CNN and other cable outlets talking about him. He can’t miss this commentary. And if he does, there is so very much more out there. If you’re looking for a real smorgasbord these days, there is no end of people on all points of the political spectrum serving up the same conclusion, albeit it with a spin here and there: Ron DeSantis is already history.

Charlie Sykes said, “Because it’s Friday, I was tempted to make a snarky remark about the rapid unscheduled disassembly of the DeSantis campaign. But this seemed unfair to the Space X rocket, which at least made it off the launch pad.” And that was my comment yesterday about DeSantis. It’s the obvious cheap shot to take.

And there is this: A new Wall Street Journal poll shows “DeSantis’s 14-point advantage in December has fallen to a 13-point deficit, and he now trails Mr. Trump 51% to 38% among likely Republican primary voters in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup.”

That’s not something that you see every day, a 14-point lead in December, fizzling to a 13-point deficit four months later. It sure didn’t take long for the sun to burn off that mirage, now did it?

Here is Steve Schmidt delivering the post-mortem on DeSantis’ race. This is 13 minutes long and worth the listen. At the end, however, Schmidt says something I very much disagree with, which is that Joe Biden is too old to run for reelection, yet he offers no alternative. He also mentions that Uncle Joe has an approval rating of 39%.

First the approval rating: it’s bupkis. We live in a polarized political climate where approval ratings of yore simply don’t apply. Biden has done a fine job, by any rational measure, and in a sane world he’d be over 60% approval, possibly even into Reagan territory with 73% approval, with the Ukraine War. We are not a sane world, haven’t been one since 2015 when the Trump era began. We’re still in the Trump era. Trump’s last job approval rating was 34%. 

Schmidt offers no alternative to a Biden candidacy. Biden’s done a good job in his first term, he is deserving of a second. So while I listen to Steve Schmidt and agree with the vast majority of what he has to say, this is one instance where we differ.

That said, I think there is a wealth of good commentary in the clip you’re about to hear, unambiguously titled, “The Complete Collapse Of Ron DeSantis’s Campaign.”

it will be amusing to watch what happens in the next few weeks. I speculate that a lot of book signing tours will get canceled and trips overseas will probably be the first.

[Just a personal note re: the image atop this piece. I had a friend back in Los Angeles, who played Mickey Mouse at Disneyland. His name was Mike and people called him Mikey because he was a guy of diminutive stature. He was also terrifically good natured. Mikey was 5’1″ as I recall and he had a gorgeous Polynesian girlfriend named Marissa and she was 5’2″. They were quite the cute couple.

Mikey shared with me how from time to time he used to drop acid while on duty, and then Disneyland was indeed “the happiest place on earth.” The spinning teacups were his favorite, except once he spun too much and almost threw up in the costume, which you don’t want to do, anymore than you want to throw up in a spacesuit.

When I found this picture I laughed hysterically thinking of olden times with my actor friend who played Mickey Mouse. I just wanted to share that with you. UF]