Just wanted to start a thread about the goings on in the Free State of Florida.

Gubernatorial election coming up, and Governor DeSantis is term limited. Byron Donalds is the leading contender on the Republican side, but while he's polling ahead of every other primary challenger, he's level with "Undecided." There isn't much on the Democrat side.

Special election for Senate, to officially take over for Rubio. Former state AG Ashley Moody was appointed to the position and is the presumptive Republican candidate. It's more interesting in the Democrat primary, with several people shooting their shot. Perhaps most notably, Alexander Vindman, "famed" whistleblower.

And to take the discussion from the SCOTUS thread, what is to be done with the soon to be available Ron DeSantis? Senate is off the table for now. Obviously, some are suggesting the Supreme Court, and still others think he has a place in the executive branch. Hung Cao notwithstanding, is SECNAV something worth considering?

Redistricting is on the table as well, in an upcoming special session.

CampSkunk said:

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I would take DeSantis over Vance in the next presidential cycle. Hopefully DeSantis didn't already blow his chances at this last election.

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Rubio, DeSantis, Vance. I'm as big a RDS fan as anyone here, but Rubio has been impressive.

I don't think DeSantis blew his chance. If you subscribe to the "Trump as kingmaker and still has a chip on his shoulder for DeSantis" narrative, I guess there's that (I don't). On the other hand, I do think that maybe because of unlucky timing, his best opportunity may have passed him by.

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But, he is likely a much better executive than a jurist.

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With those talents, how about RNC Chairman? Get them cleaned up and back on track. I'd trust DeSantis' sense of priorities for candidate recruitment and spending allocations. He's pragmatic and not prone to tilting at windmills to appease some politician's overblown sense of importance.

That's taking the ball out of his hands, and giving him a clipboard.

Honestly, with her media background and charisma, Casey might be a better choice to be responsible for branding, messaging, fundraising, etc.

LeonardSkinner said:

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That's taking the ball out of his hands, and giving him a clipboard.

Honestly, with her media background and charisma, Casey might be a better choice to be responsible for branding, messaging, fundraising, etc.

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But RNC chair can have as much media coverage as he/she wants. Have a built in bully pulpit keeping him in the public eye. He fixed Florida, fix the RNC, solid resume for a Presidential run, IMO.

Seeing as how Abbott isn't exactly charm/charisma incarnate, is it possible for DeSantis to move to Texas and run in the next election against Abbott?

Florida-related because Abbott copies DeSantis whenever possible, so...

If the resume is what gets you elected to President, he'd already be in the White House.

CampSkunk said:

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I would take DeSantis over Vance in the next presidential cycle. Hopefully DeSantis didn't already blow his chances at this last election.

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I really don't understand why everybody acts like DeSantis' chances for president are over, just because he ran against Trump in a primary. It wasn't even a nasty primary. Plus, Americans have the memories of goldfish.

No Spin Ag said:

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Seeing as how Abbott isn't exactly charm/charisma incarnate, is it possible for DeSantis to move to Texas and run in the next election against Abbott?

Florida-related because Abbott copies DeSantis whenever possible, so...

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That would be awesome. He would destroy and remake that RINO joke of a republican party we have in Texas.

zooguy96 said:

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DeSantis comes off as a dork. He'd be the best man for the job (president) based on what he's done in Florida, but he's got an image issue.

Rubio is much smoother and a much better orator. He's done great as SOS. He's much more likable. He's the most likable of the 3, followed by Vance.

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Isn't this kind of the crux of the problem with politics? We vote for smooth orators who are likeable but not the best man for the job because they are dorks? No wonder our country is where it is now.

Hubert J. Farnsworth said:

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CampSkunk said:

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I would take DeSantis over Vance in the next presidential cycle. Hopefully DeSantis didn't already blow his chances at this last election.

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I really don't understand why everybody acts like DeSantis' chances for president are over, just because he ran against Trump in a primary. It wasn't even a nasty primary. Plus, Americans have the memories of goldfish.

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If people are saying that because of Trump, then they're dumb, and I'm disappointed they're on my "team."

If it's because Florida has off cycle elections, and because Americans do have the memory of a goldfish (RDS might be out of sight, out of mind), then maybe.

It is pretty amusing too, Rubio was HATED here years ago. But now is a fan favorite. So the idea DeSantis has spoiled his chances driven by toddler Trump is crazy talk. He will have ample opportunities if he wants it. His problem will be whether or not Trump goes quietly into the night (won't happen) after his turn is up. Trump will continue to blabber and build up his people and his little sheep will follow him off a cliff.

aggiehawg said:

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But, he is likely a much better executive than a jurist.

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With those talents, how about RNC Chairman? Get them cleaned up and back on track. I'd trust DeSantis' sense of priorities for candidate recruitment and spending allocations. He's pragmatic and not prone to tilting at windmills to appease some politician's overblown sense of importance.

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The only power that the RNC Chairman has is shadow / influencer power. He can't directly force anyone to do anything, and his only lever is campaign funding.

IMO, that isn't where DeSantis has shown skill.

He has used his authority as governor to beat other political groups down by using every potential lever available to him in the executive branch. His tiff with Disney over their special tax treatment is an example. His bludgeoning of the Florida teacher's associations on DEI stuff is another.

He doesn't get what he wants through manipulation, he's just not afraid to take the fight out into the open and beat the crap out of you with every tool he has available and tell everyone that is listening exactly what he is doing. This means he's likely very uncompromised if Disney can't even get to him. I think that RNC Chairman would be a waste of his talents.

10andBOUNCE said:

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zooguy96 said:

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DeSantis comes off as a dork. He'd be the best man for the job (president) based on what he's done in Florida, but he's got an image issue.

Rubio is much smoother and a much better orator. He's done great as SOS. He's much more likable. He's the most likable of the 3, followed by Vance.

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Isn't this kind of the crux of the problem with politics? We vote for smooth orators who are likeable but not the best man for the job because they are dorks? No wonder our country is where it is now.

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That's a given. But, over half of our population votes based on "feels" - so you have to work within that paradigm. And, a different half (may the same) are just plain stupid.

No Spin Ag said:

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Seeing as how Abbott isn't exactly charm/charisma incarnate, is it possible for DeSantis to move to Texas and run in the next election against Abbott?

Florida-related because Abbott copies DeSantis whenever possible, so...

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Abbott is starting to learn, but it took him way too long.

His closing the bank accounts that the state uses to transfer funds to the City of Houston when they pulled that crap with ICE is a very DeSantis type move.

LeonardSkinner said:

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That's taking the ball out of his hands, and giving him a clipboard.

Honestly, with her media background and charisma, Casey might be a better choice to be responsible for branding, messaging, fundraising, etc.

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I think that is overblown. RNC chairman has a lot of power if used correctly.

I would say it is more like entering Mike Tyson in his prime into an Olympic wrestling match. He might be able to hang, but why in the world would you take away Mike's opportunity to throw those earth-crushing hooks?

Hubert J. Farnsworth said:

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CampSkunk said:

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I would take DeSantis over Vance in the next presidential cycle. Hopefully DeSantis didn't already blow his chances at this last election.

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I really don't understand why everybody acts like DeSantis' chances for president are over, just because he ran against Trump in a primary. It wasn't even a nasty primary. Plus, Americans have the memories of goldfish.

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Holdover from the old days, "it's his turn." Dole, McCain, Romney, etc. has some pushback. George W. came out of left field in 2000 leaving McCain out. So it was McCain's turn in 2008. Romney was left out against McCain in the primary, so Romney was up in 2012. Then the winds shifted. Remember the huge number of Republicans running in the primary in 2016? Trump comes out of left field and takes it.

DeSantis would have been better served by sitting 2024 out but it wasn't fatal to a future run. He's only 47 he has some years to spare preparing for his next run and it is not just writing a book for a book tour or becoming a FNC contributor. He needs to stay in the public eye, yes but in an actual constructive manner, not resting on his laurels.

Agree - I hope he runs. In fact, I hope he and Rubio team up, which the one who polls better taking the lead.

I think the Democrats are more beholden to the "it's their turn" mindset. Obama upset the cart for a moment, but went right back to Hillary, Joe, and Kamala; and now the presumptive nominee is likely Newsom.

On the other hand, the GOP potentially has a choice between an incumbent Vice President, a Secretary of State, senators, and governors.

Democrats are thinking "I guess it'll be Newsom, and I'll still vote against any Republican." Republicans are thinking, "I hope it's my top choice, but I'll gladly vote for any of them."

And your opinion that DeSantis should have a public facing role is partially why he shouldn't be the RNC chairman. He would only ever appear on the shows only watched by political nerds, and he would only ever talk about the GOP platform. That wouldn't do anything for Ron DeSantis, presidential candidate.

YouBet said:

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Vindman should be deported.

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Train Station!

Orange County Mayor Jerry Deming and former police chief is running for governor and trying to play the part of the resistance in his dealings with the Trump DHS. Deming is the husband of former Democrat Congresswoman Val Deming who was unseated in 2024. She too was mayor and before that police chief. I don't believe Jerry Deming has any hope of becoming governor and he will be far less of a real contender than the litigator John Morgan would have been.

Orange County and the city of Orlando elect progressive leftists like Deming and Alan Grayson when they can and the surrounding counties counterbalance that with common sense. The Florida redistricting initiative would probably eliminate the safe Democrat House seat from Orange County.

FWIW, Florida GOP legislators despise DeSantis and don't support his conservative agenda. They rode his coattails in the last election but happily tried to stab him in the back and take away FDLE's authority to enforce immigration law and instead tried to give it to the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture who is in the pocket of the farm labor lobby. Most Florida Republican legislators are far more like Jeb Bush than Ron DeSantis.

YouBet said:

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Vindman should be deported.

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Yep, and of course his ******bag twin brother is already a member of Congress as a Rep in Virginia, and a Dim of course

Honestly, JEB wasn't a terrible governor.

John Morgan… "for the people (named Morgan)"
I was driving near Philadelphia, and I saw his face on a billboard. I was like, "****, I thought he was only in Florida."

I figure Deming will be the nominee because name recognition and general stupidity. But as you say, no chance of winning.

BusterAg said:

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No Spin Ag said:

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Seeing as how Abbott isn't exactly charm/charisma incarnate, is it possible for DeSantis to move to Texas and run in the next election against Abbott?

Florida-related because Abbott copies DeSantis whenever possible, so...

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Abbott is starting to learn, but it took him way too long.

His closing the bank accounts that the state uses to transfer funds to the City of Houston when they pulled that crap with ICE is a very DeSantis type move.

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I get you, but I want someone who leads, not follows, because he knows it's politically expedient to their career.

Oh well, one can wish.

This will never happen because egos, but post Trump if the Republicans were smart and could get on same page they would allocate and optimize this talent across the various roles to help get this country back on some kind of track. Arguably the most talented group of people we've had to choose from in decades and if they can somehow slot each of them in the right spot to maximize their abilities we could see some good things out of that.

I just don't have a ton of hope that can happen.

The Dems were scared ****less of DeSantis when he got in POTUS race because they see him (rightfully so) as a much more effective Trump who won't commit own goals.

zooguy96 said:

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DeSantis comes off as a dork. He'd be the best man for the job (president) based on what he's done in Florida, but he's got an image issue.

Rubio is much smoother and a much better orator. He's done great as SOS. He's much more likable. He's the most likable of the 3, followed by Vance.

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DeSantis would crush Rubio in a debate and he is only a "dork" because a bunch of MAGA influencers kept saying it over and over and trying to say that wearing Lucchese boots (like Reagan) meant you were wearing lifts. If you don't think Fake News and propaganda goes both ways you are a sheep.

I like Rubio though and would prefer him over Vance. I also think that the wisest move for DeSantis would be not to run and instead take another job and keep his powder dry for the future when Trump has faded more from the spotlight in '32 or '36, he's still in his mid '40s and has lots of time. This cycle he could use his influence to raise money, build up favors, and play the long game.

We will see though.

As for the FL races I'm assuming it will be Donalds since he has Trump behind him and Vindeman is a sacrificial lamb for the Dems in the Senate race. GOP owns that state now more than they do in Texas with the machine DeSantis built.

DeSantis simply isn't tall enough. Sad but true