Three Guesses What DeSantis’ Never Back Down Did, But You Only Need One

It’s still not official yet.  Some people, and not just Trump simply can’t accept that something is over. Not even when it’s long been apparent to everyone else. Such is the case with the Incredible Shrinking Candidate Ron DeSantis of Florida. His Presidential Dreams coffin got nailed shut a long time ago. Now it’s sealed up in a high quality burial vault and lowered into the grave. Everyone gets to toss a handful of dirt on the whole fiasco.

But DeSantis’ main, largest PAC Never Back Down, having blown through a fortune has… Backed Down. As in thrown in the towel. According to Meidas Touch Network Never Back Down has cancelled ALL of it’s 2024 ad buys in Iowa and New Hampshire. Over 2.5 million worth of ads were set to run through the primaries in those two opening states. Not anymore.  New Hampshire I sort of get. Little Ronnie wasn’t just way the hell behind Trump there, he was also way the hell behind Nikki Haley and even Chris Christie.

It’s no secret that in recent weeks he’s put all his eggs in the Iowa basket. Somehow, he and wife/campaign manager Casey believed he’d pull a rabbit out of the hat, overcome a massive deficit in polling numbers and win there. Then, as in days of old it would propel him to the front of the pack, or at least even with Trump and on to the nomination. Delusions of Grandeur don’t begin to cover that particular line of thinking. Now, he’s pulling advertising which makes one wonder if someone has pointed out all the campaign bills that are outstanding. That’s he’d better keep some cash on hand to pay vendors. Under the best of circumstances (a well run if unsuccessful campaign and a well-like at least by many candidate) it’s one tough sell to raise money to retire outstanding debt from a failed campaign. Damned near impossible.

And DeSantis is neither well-liked nor has he run a good campaign. In fact it’s been a constant string of mistakes. Well, mistakes when he wasn’t creating disasters.

.It’s hard to picture now, but a year ago DeSantis was or at least appeared to be poised to seize the GOP nomination out of Trump’s grubby little hands. He had a big war chest. He had a stout network of support (political cronies at least) in Florida which is a large and diverse state with a big chunk of electoral votes. FL long ago ceased to be a swing state. Even better, unlike many a Gov. little Ronnie DeSantis had a fair amount of national name recognition. Maybe not for the best of reasons. Manufacturing a stupid issue and picking a fight with your state’s largest employer doesn’t play nearly as well with non Republican Floridians as DeSantis thought it would. But by god he had a national profile.

He’s still got the national profile, just not the one he wanted. Someday he’ll look back and realize that like mostly forgotten Wi Gov. Scott Walker who flamed out early and and at least had the good sense to lay low and be forgotten DeSantis just couldn’t let go. Now he’ll be the butt of far more jokes and far more pointed, even vicious one for the rest of his life! Maybe the reason he hasn’t already formally suspended his campaign and slinked back to Florida is that he’s gotten word they don’t want him back! I for one find that though freaking hilarious.

It’s a crying shame, a tragedy even that the Florida Democratic Party gave up years ago. Right now an awful lot of GOP politicians in FL have egg on their faces. DeSantis ruled his state like a dictator and surely made plenty of enemies in the process. It’s apparent his a-hole “I’m meaner and Trumpier than Trump” act wasn’t an act at all. He’s the political equivalent of a vicious rodent and I’ll bet there are scores of GOPers in FL looking for some payback over the way Ron personally mistreated them. There’s bound to be infighting and if only Democrats had actual Party leadership they could take advantage. Oh well..

For now, someone should start one of those games where you buy a square on the January calendar to pick the date when Team DeSantis officially admits it’s over.  People would be allowed to try and outbid each other for their favored date even.  The winner would get to keep say 25% of the money raised, and designate the rest be donated to a cause that DeSantis would absolutely, positively hate.