Alright, Gov. Ron DeSantis supporters, you’ve had a full day to be sad, angry, and whatever else, but now it’s time to move on. It sucks to lose, but it happens. Better luck next time.
DeSantis, also known as “the greatest Republican governor of my lifetime,” effectively ended his so very disappointing campaign for president on Sunday. As politicians of the same party routinely do after primaries, he immediately endorsed his competitor Donald Trump. That should be all his supporters needed to swallow however hard is necessary and do the same, but the wounds are apparently not just superficial for some of Team DeSantis.
Judging by a large number of his extremely-on-Twitter supporters, the defeat has deeply hurt their feelings. They’re taking it personally and sorely.
It’s every bit as unattractive as DeSantis’s dysfunctional campaign. The whole time he ran, he made nothing but a series of unfathomable decisions.
He refused to confront his critics in the media, formerly his strongest attribute and something he only just now admits was a catastrophic mistake. He blew millions on an inept leadership team. He kept his campaign manager Generra Peck in her position for months as his poll numbers nosedived. He wore those inexplicable boots and showed not even a flicker of self-awareness when anyone pointed out how undeniably oddly they fitted.
Why did he change the way he pronounced his name?
For whatever reason, the DeSantis Devotees aren’t interested in acknowledging any of it. Their unyielding argument is that the governor is smarter and more capable than Trump, whom general election voters dislike so much that his defeat in a rematch with Joe Biden is inevitable.
Maybe Trump will lose in November. In campaign politics, someone has to, and nobody should know that better than DeSantis backers.
It’s one thing for them to express their doubts. That’s fair. But it’s another to spend the next nine months telling fellow Republicans how stupid they were for not sharing their preference in the primary. That’s useless.
We know Trump is in serious legal jeopardy. We know he was defeated by Biden before and it could happen again. We know the ferociously deceitful “news” media will savage him for the duration of the campaign like they’ve never done before.
Nobody needs DeSantis’s diehard Twitter army to remind them, although it seems some of those people were so emotionally and professionally invested in his presidential campaign that they’re practically rooting for a defeat in November. That will at least earn them the consolation prize of getting to say, “I told you.”
It’s childish. It’s petty. It’s pathetic.
They’re understandably disappointed, but there’s no reason they should embarrass themselves with an extended, unproductive bout of depression and resentment. There’s still a lot for everyone to get excited about.
DeSantis is still a phenomenal governor with another three years to run his state. He would also be a tremendous asset in a second Trump administration serving as Homeland Security secretary or attorney general. He’s young, so there is plenty of time for him to learn from his campaign and try again next time. I hope he does.
I also hope that, as quickly as DeSantis moved on, so will his supremely on-Twitter supporters.
