Is Ron DeSantis Done? His Culture War is a Losing Strategy – Before becoming president, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush all served as governors of their respective home states. They are just the four most recent men to have been governor and then president.
Around one-third of the 78 Americans who served as president, vice president, or both, 27 had been governor of a state. Of course, it has been more than two decades since a former governor – Bush – was able to use that office as a stepping stone.
Yet, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis certainly hopes it would favor his potential presidential campaign.
At issue of course is the resurgent popularity of former President Donald Trump, who was the first GOP hopeful to throw his hat into the ring last November. As President Joe Biden announced last week that he’s seeking re-election the country appears set to face a rematch between the bitter rivals, even as the majority of Americans don’t want either man to run.
What is notable, however, is that DeSantis has not actually announced his intention to run. He’s certainly made some early campaign stops and was in Israel last week officially as part of a trade delegation, during the country’s 75th anniversary of its founding. The trip was meant to help solidify Ron DeSantis as the most pro-Israel Republican and to help bolster his foreign policy experience, but it was largely overshadowed by his ongoing war with Disney at home.
Last month, the Mouse House sued DeSantis, saying he had subjected it to “a targeted campaign of government retaliation,” and called for the court to overturn state efforts to exert control over Walt Disney World in Orlando. The lawsuit was filed just minutes after a DeSantis-appointed oversight board voted to override agreements made in February that allowed the company to expand the theme park and maintain control over neighboring land.
DeSantis told reporters Thursday that he didn’t believe the suit had merit, and added, “The days of putting one company on a pedestal with no accountability are over in the state of Florida.”
Ron DeSantis Vs. Disney
A fight with The Most Magical Place on Earth doesn’t present good optics – even if a sizable part of the country refuses to buy a particular light beer because of a misguided ad campaign. Taking sides in a culture war could be a path to securing a nomination; yet, many Republicans are beginning to tire of his feud against the “woke” mob.
Moreover, even if it could garner him the nomination, it is still a questionable strategy for winning a general election.
Ron DeSantis now risks alienating some in the GOP, but his culture war certainly won’t win over moderate voters, and it won’t win over younger voters. The youth may have once sat out elections, but that’s not true anymore.
A culture campaign also doesn’t address the economic issues that voters across the country care about. In fact, by focusing so much on the culture war, Ron DeSantis has essentially become little more than “Trump-light” and won’t be able to stand out enough from the former president, while he could leave as much of a bad aftertaste as the aforementioned light beer.
MORE: Kamala Harris Is a Disaster
MORE: Joe Biden – Headed For Impeachment?
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
