Ron DeSantis desperately wants to be our next president, but he looks like a dead man walking; he’ll be out of a job with no obvious landing place after next year, and the base hasn’t forgiven him for his premature challenge to their hero. It was hard to see much of a future for him.
But Alligator Alcatraz might have changed all that. Cruelty to illegal immigrants is Trump’s calling card; who among the potential candidates in 2028 now has more credibility on that issue than DeSantis?
I still don’t like his chances. He has all of the personal shortcomings that helped derail his candidacy last time, and he is clearly not Trump’s anointed successor. In addition, his record in Florida will not be above scrutiny, particularly on issues relating to insurance and growth. But his case is not completely hopeless.