How Ron DeSantis' $100 Million 'Death Star' Collapsed

[RandySF]

Long before Ron DeSantis’ presidential ambitions began to falter, it was clear to anyone paying close attention that there were fatal flaws in his much-hyped political operation.

“I had to have it explained to me the first time DeSantis came here for a parade,” an early DeSantis supporter in New Hampshire recalled to The Daily Beast. “I was gonna show up for the parade and I was informed, ‘This is a Never Back Down event, so you can’t mention anything about the campaign.’ And I was like, what the hell is this?”

This, the New Hampshire presidential campaign veteran would come to learn, was how the DeSantis campaign thought they’d cracked the code to beat former President Donald Trump.

Never Back Down was launched as a super PAC—loaded up with $80 million transferred from DeSantis’ state-level PAC in Florida—designed to carry him to the presidency through sheer force. The prospect of a talent-stocked PAC spending historic sums on organizing and campaign messaging was initially so fearsome that some Republicans dubbed Never Back Down the “Death Star.”



https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-ron-desantis-dollar100-million-death-star-never-back-down-super-pac-collapsed?ref=wrap

[brush]

1. His "anti-woke" message, every other word, didn't work so no one...

knows what he stands for, just as no one knows what woke is.

And all that coming from a non-charismatic bully boy candidate just doesn't resonate. A whole lotta money down the drain.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. $100 million does not help if you do not have a human personality

[RandySF]

3. I've followed politics over 30 years now.

The political graveyard is full of candidates who raised tons of money.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. I have seen the same

I still remember Jeb Bush flopping so badly against TFG

[RandySF]

5. I remember Phil Gramm.

[mitch96]

6. So where does all that money go when he is termed out and looses the primary? His bank account ?

For some reason I always get the feeling these guys run for office just to line their pockets a-la tfg
m

[zipplewrath]

9. His Senate campaign

Don't think this guy is done.

[mitch96]

10. Is little Marco in his sights? Tricky Ricky Scott would just out spend him. nt

[DemocraticPatriot]

12. He sure did his best to make sure that every Floridian can carry a gun, everywhere,

with no checks whatsoever.


I don't think he thought that one out too clearly.....

[SYFROYH]

14. if not his next political aspiration then other people's

Spreading the PAC money around can buy a lot of influence.

[tanyev]

7. They keep bragging about their Death Stars.

Have they never watched any Star Wars movies???

[JoseBalow]

8. Shhh...

[DemocraticPatriot]

13. They watched some of them,

but they didn't understand them....

[Johonny]

11. He has spent his whole campaign tell you how great

The other guy is. Meanwhile he's attacked people down from him in popularity only to see them rise above him. He's been amazingly gutless.