The one thing we know for sure about Ron DeSantis is that he really, really hates woke people. He spent the last year of his life doing his best to deprive them of their constitutional rights. It’s his brand. The base loves him for it.
But let’s face it–bashing trans athletes is a teeny, tiny part of being president. Vastly larger issues loom. Where does he stand on fiscal issues? Would he cut entitlements? What about Ukraine and China? Would he actually do something about climate change? And so on.
The Hungarian Candidate hasn’t said much about any of this in public, so he’s relatively free, within the constraints of his reactionary ideology, to take positions designed to appeal either to the red base or to the moderate sweet spot in the electorate. His choices will have a significant impact on his ability to win first the primaries and then the general election. They matter, a lot.
Over the next week or so, I will be looking at these choices. I will conclude by giving both DeSantis and Trump some unsolicited advice on how to beat the other. Chances are, they won’t be listening.