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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe GOP's Great White Hopeless: "Ron DeSantis's fall from grace: 'He's completely crashed to the ground'" (Guardian)
"It's your wife! It's your fucking wife! You can't fucking play!" - Nigel Tufnel to David St. Hubbins, "This Is Spinal Tap"Florida governor stands isolated from Trump and is feuding with Republicans at home is he drifting to irrelevance?
Richard Luscombe in Miami
Tue 20 May 2025 07.00 EDT
These are challenging days for Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor who would have been king. Barely two and a half years since his landslide re-election and anointment as DeFuture of the Republican party in a fawning New York Post cover, he stands isolated from the national political stage, feuding with his once blindingly loyal Florida legislature, and limping towards the finish line of his second term with an uncertain pathway beyond.
It has been, in the view of many analysts, a fall of stunning velocity and magnitude. And while few are willing to completely rule out a comeback for a 46-year-old politician who was the darling of the Republican hard right until he dared to challenge Donald Trump for his partys 2024 presidential nomination, it is also clear that everything has changed.
Hes completely crashed to the ground at this point and is certainly being treated like a more standard, average governor now, said Aubrey Jewett, professor of political science at the University of Central Florida.
Hes lost the ability to push things through. Hes lost that luster he had that at one time seemed like he could do no wrong in Republican conservative circles. Hes definitely come back down to earth and some of it is his own doing because if you govern with an autocratic style, that doesnt usually make you a lot of allies.
lame54
(39,737 posts)Miles Archer
(23,157 posts)I think it's a safe bet that he's not going to be the GOP front runner on the 2028 presidential ticket, but what the hell do I know?
I always knew there was a 50-50 chance when we defeated Trump in 2020 that he'd run again, but part of me hoped that was a ridiculous thing that would never happen. I learned from that one.
BannonsLiver
(20,569 posts)Don Jr will be their nominee and no gop pol will dare get in the way of that.
Miles Archer
(23,157 posts)Trump declined endorsing Vance as opposed to "extending his dynasty," which means President Don Jr or President Ivanka.
Ivanka would be a stretch in 2028. Maybe 2 terms of Don Jr, then 2 terms of Ivanka, then...that's right, President Barron.
That's the fantasy.
allegorical oracle
(6,468 posts)Miles Archer
(23,157 posts)Think back on this.
She had a CLEAR transition, when she took on a higher profile and earned the "WalMart Melania" nickname with her passive-aggressive jacket with "Where Woke Goes To Die" jacket.
It really BEGAN when HE started snapping at simple questions on campaign stops, but the REAL DECLINE escalated RAPIDLY when it was "Ron & Casey" on equal footing and exposure, as opposed to "Ron."
She was not built for the long race. People don't like him, but they seemed to REALLY not like her. She leaned into "We're going to turn the REST of the United States into FLORIDA," and the United States basically said "The HELL you are."
allegorical oracle
(6,468 posts)them diverting federal COVID funds to some use they felt was better. Guess first wives are best seen and not heard? Or maybe that's when the husband is an idiot, so everyone figures the wife is a bigger idiot for marrying him.
Omnipresent
(7,439 posts)It was so heart warming when i first heard it.
newdeal2
(5,383 posts)Abandoned and running on fumes.