Staff Reports
Governor Ron DeSantis’s 2024 presidential campaign has hit a few bumps in the road lately, leading some to believe that the end may be near for his White House aspirations. Yikes! The Florida governor needs to finish in the top two spots in the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses to stay in the game, but with less than three weeks to go, it’s not looking too bright for him.
DeSantis campaign on the brink as Iowa caucuses near https://t.co/sRwEEBGA88 https://t.co/sRwEEBGA88
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 27, 2023
DeSantis has been facing an uphill battle against former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination. According to RealClearPolitics poll averages, Trump is leading with a whopping 63.8%, while poor DeSantis is trailing far behind at only 11.6%. And if that’s not bad enough, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is also giving him a run for his money, polling at 10.8% and even snagging second place in some early nominating polls. Ouch!
To make matters worse, DeSantis’s campaign and affiliated super PAC, Never Back Down, have been in a bit of a pickle. They’ve had several campaign resets and even said goodbye to six high-level executives in the last month due to infighting. It’s like a reality TV show over there! The campaign canceled a whopping $2.5 million in advertising in Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two early nominating states in the GOP primary, but luckily, Fight Right, a second super PAC backing DeSantis, swooped in to save the day and replace the ad buys. Phew!
And if that’s not enough drama for you, DeSantis’s pollster reportedly made a comment about “making the patient comfortable,” hinting that the campaign might be on its last legs. Can you believe it? But hold your horses, because the campaign denied those claims faster than a cat on a hot tin roof.
But wait, there’s more! The cherry on top of this hot mess sundae is a report from a GOP strategist who said, “The fact is the DeSantis campaign has been on a downward slide for months.” Oof! It’s hard to imagine DeSantis being able to capture the hearts and minds of voters in 2028 when his 2024 campaign is going down like a lead balloon. Yikes!
Some folks are still holding out hope for DeSantis, like Republican political consultant Matt Dole, who thinks there’s a chance for the governor to stick it out until the Jan. 23 New Hampshire primary. He compared the situation to a complicated Facebook relationship and suggested that DeSantis could coast for a while. Well, let’s hope he doesn’t end up with a “It’s complicated” relationship status with voters too!
But others, like the aforementioned Dole and GOP strategist Brian Seitchik, seem to think that DeSantis’s campaign may be heading for a crash landing, especially with Trump leading the pack and soaking up all the attention. It’s like being the opening act for Beyoncé – good luck stealing the show, buddy!
Of course, DeSantis’s campaign had to chime in and blame the media for trying to rain on their parade, accusing them of trying to hurt the governor’s chances. They even threw in a sassy comment about how DeSantis has a history of proving the doubters wrong. You go, DeSantis campaign!
But let’s not forget that the key to DeSantis’s survival in this political Hunger Games is winning or coming in a close second in the Iowa caucuses. If he doesn’t, well, as Seitchik put it, “stick a fork in him.” Sounds like a cookout, but with more political stakes involved!
DeSantis has been putting in the miles, visiting all 99 counties in Iowa, trying to outshine Trump in the Hawkeye State. But according to the polls, Trump is still outshining him by double digits. And to add insult to injury, poor DeSantis has been hit with over $35 million in negative campaign attacks. Ouch!
Political strategist Steve Hilding isn’t ready to call it quits for DeSantis just yet, but he did acknowledge that time is running out. With only a few weeks left until the Iowa caucuses, DeSantis needs to pull out all the stops and make a compelling case to Iowa caucusgoers.
