Assume, instead, that the choice comes down to J.D. and DeSantis. Who is the lesser evil in that case?
Talk about a low bar! I would go with J.D., just because his opportunism means he can be persuaded to moderate his positions under some circumstances. DeSantis doesn’t do that. If you elect him, he will slowly, grimly, methodically, and competently use the resources of the federal government to destroy liberal democratic institutions in our country even if public opinion is completely against him, as it certainly would be.
What we would really hope for is an incredibly divisive campaign that permanently shatters the unity of the reactionary base and leads to a blue team victory. That was my hope in 2024, but it didn’t happen, because Trump was too far ahead to be distracted by the other candidates. J.D. won’t be so lucky in 2028.