The same poll that I referenced in my last post indicates that 37 percent of the GOP electorate is unconditionally MAGA, another 37 percent can be persuaded to support someone other than Trump, and 25 percent is resolutely opposed to Trump. Those figures are consistent with the assumptions I have used for years. What do they mean for Trump’s opponents?
They mean Trump is beatable if you can lock up a significant majority of the “persuadable” votes; the anti-Trump vote will then fall into place. How do you do that? By swaggering (a prerequisite for the GOP nomination) and choosing positions that have the support of a majority of GOP voters. Being moderate on abortion, for example, is a good idea. Supporting Ukraine is another. Having an innovative tax plan is a third.
DeSantis hasn’t done any of these three things, and it’s probably too late for him to do so. Can any of the other candidates? Don’t hold your breath.