Ron DeSantis is clearly keeping his options open. By pushing his “freedom for me, but not for thee” agenda, he has made himself the darling of the base. He will undoubtedly be the front-runner if Trump doesn’t run. But what if the man on golf cart does, in fact, run? Having positioned himself to the right of Trump, would DeSantis have the nerve to take him on?
Here are the Hungarian Candidate’s options:
- AGREE TO BECOME TRUMP’S VP: There are three huge problems with this choice. First, one can’t assume Trump would agree to leave office in 2028, since he has no respect for any other part of the Constitution. Second, the Pence example suggests that the four years as VP would be a truly miserable experience. Finally, if Trump actually leaves the stage, his unpopularity will attach to his VP. It’s a really bad bet.
- BIDE YOUR TIME: If Trump loses in 2024, DeSantis would be the leading candidate to be the GOP nominee in a battle with a Democrat who would be wearing Biden’s unpopularity. If Trump wins, his VP could be a factor in the primaries in 2028, but the likelihood is that nobody with any status in the GOP will want the job. DeSantis is in good shape either way.
- RUN AGAINST TRUMP FROM THE RIGHT: The anti-anti-Trumpers (AATs) will have his back, and there will be plenty of support from the intellectual leaders of the party. Would that be enough to beat the man on golf cart? The results of the GOP primaries and a variety of polls tell me the answer is no. The base is still addicted to Trump, and wants DeSantis to wait his turn.
In short, I think he will chicken out unless the polls indicate the combination of the January 6 Committee proceedings and the Ukraine war have thrown Trump’s support off a cliff. But what if he goes ahead? Which of these odious candidates would be better, from a center-left perspective? For that, see my next post.