Not only does the Florida governor lack the personality for a successful presidential run, but he's needlessly poked the GOP's biggest bear -- Donald Trump.
I completely disagree with this take on Trump losing in "a war of attrition" in the primary. This is exactly what every Republican thought in 2016, it's why it took so long for opposition to Trump to coalesce (and by that point Ted Cruz was the last man standing and nobody liked Cruz)m, and if this is the non-Trump GOP strategy to beat him in 2016 he will waltz to the nomination. This is not like other GOP primaries where many people claim the mantle of Trump (since nobody else can BE Trump) and thus a 'normie' Republican can win by others splitting the vote. The "not-Trump" vote is barely bigger than Trump, so they need to hang together.
I don't know if DeSantis is the best candidate to take on Trump for the nomination. What I DO suspect is that if someone is to dethrone Trump the rest of the party needs to coalesce around that candidate before the primaries so they can make it a "Trump/not-Trump" choice, in which case "not-Trump" can win. Pence is not going to be the guy; he's too damaged and old school. Ted Cruz is an unlikable hack, and Larry Hogan's slice of the party is too small. All of which leaves DeSantis as the likely option.
I completely disagree with this take on Trump losing in "a war of attrition" in the primary. This is exactly what every Republican thought in 2016, it's why it took so long for opposition to Trump to coalesce (and by that point Ted Cruz was the last man standing and nobody liked Cruz)m, and if this is the non-Trump GOP strategy to beat him in 2016 he will waltz to the nomination. This is not like other GOP primaries where many people claim the mantle of Trump (since nobody else can BE Trump) and thus a 'normie' Republican can win by others splitting the vote. The "not-Trump" vote is barely bigger than Trump, so they need to hang together.
I don't know if DeSantis is the best candidate to take on Trump for the nomination. What I DO suspect is that if someone is to dethrone Trump the rest of the party needs to coalesce around that candidate before the primaries so they can make it a "Trump/not-Trump" choice, in which case "not-Trump" can win. Pence is not going to be the guy; he's too damaged and old school. Ted Cruz is an unlikable hack, and Larry Hogan's slice of the party is too small. All of which leaves DeSantis as the likely option.
Maybe someone else emerges: I doubt it