In a sign of things to come, 44-year-old Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received all of Sen Tim Scott’s (R-S.C.) endorsements after he dropped out of the 2024 presidential race Nov. 12, realizing that it was not his time. Getting all of Scott’s endorsements didn’t inspire Scott to endorse DeSantis, only to watch his endorsement move into the DeSantis camp. Shocking many pundits, DeSantis received Scott’s endorsements not 51-year-old fellow South Carolinian former U.N. Amb. and Gov. Nikki Haley who currently runs in third place nationally at 9.5%. DeSantis, whose debate performances have recently gotten better, shows signs to moving up the ranks the more that 77-year-old former President Donald Trump looks like he won’t make it because of his legal problems to the GOP nomination. DeSantis would present extreme problems for 80-year-old President Joe Biden.
If for any reason Trump is forced to drop out, it’s likely that DeSantis would inherit Trump’s base, since both candidates have the same positions, especially on the Ukraine War. Only DeSantis, and 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, oppose the Ukraine War. Trump promises to end the Ukraine War in 24 hours, maybe before he takes office. DeSantis and Ramaswamy both agree that the Ukraine War must end because 80-year-old President Joe Biden has no real plan to defeat the Russian Federation. When the next GOP debate takes place Dec. 6 in Tuscaloosa, Al., only Trump, DeSantis, Haley and Ramasway qualifty, with Trump most likely declining the invitation. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who runs at 2.2%, has been locked out, leaving DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy to entertain the University of Alabama and national TV audience.
Picking up all of Scott’s South Carolina endorsements speaks volumes about the fact that Haley isn’t well liked in her own state. Her position on the Ukraine War offers no degree of separation from 80-year-old President Joe Biden. Biden has made his reelection contingent on continuing the Ukraine War into the foreseeable future, meaning if he gets another four years, taxpayers can expect billions more spent on a war without any end in sight. When DeSantis and Ramaswamy meet Haley in Tuscaloosa, they should call her out on why she supports Biden’s proxy war against the Kremlin. How’s the U.S. supposed to get back to normal U.S.-Russian diplomacy if the White House funds a war with the Kremlin? Haley repeats Biden’s talking points that if Putin winds up winning the war that the Europea is not safe. Biden fails to mention that NATO—not Ukraine—defends European democracy.
Recent national polls prove that Scott and Christie were never serious candidates, with Scott actually receiving 5% of the voter, more than double Christie. Democrats would like to see Christie continue his campaign because he built it on only one issue, attacking Trump. Christie has no platform on any one issue other than attacking Trump, explaining why he’s steadily declined to only 2.2% of the vote. Christie raised no money on his own except from the Never Trump crowd, the same group that tried to sabotage his campaign in 2016. Christie finds himself without any grassroots support other than from anti-Trump Democrats but mostly from anti-Trump Republicans like former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), soon retired Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Ut.) and a host sof Never Trumpers like Washington Post Columnists George Will and Bob Woodward, both vehemently anti-Trump.
Haley hasn’t received the backing in her own state because no one thinks she deserves the nomination. Like Christie, she once worked for Trump, showing past loyalty when serving as U.N. ambassador. Aligning he foreign policy with Biden should be a deal breaker for Republicans looking at Haley as a viable candidate. DeSantis and Ramaswamy at least agree with Trump on the Ukarine War. Trump can’t see how the Ukraine War helps U.S. national security when it turns Russia into a mortal enemy. House and Senate Democrats and Republicans agree that Russia should be branded as a U.S. enemy. Since WW II, every U.S. president, until Biden, has tried to find common ground with the Kremlin for the sake of humanity. No one wants to see nuclear war break out the superpowers. Yet Biden has gone to war against the Kremlin knowing the risks of WW III.
If legal problems prevent Trump from going forward in 2024, the GOP campaign as it stands now most likely goes to DeSantis. DeSantis has maintained the most consistency, now at 14.4% of any other GOP candidate. With Scott’s South Carolina endorsements going to DeSantis, it changes the dynamics of the race, leading to a DeSantis-Biden face-off. If Trump drops out and DeSantis gets most of Trump’s backers, it forces Democrats to push Biden out of the race. Democrats know that Biden doesn’t poll well against a younger Democrat candidate, with recent polls showing that Haley beats Biden by 10%. DeSantis’ nomination would force Democrats to counter with 56-year-old California Gov. Gavin Newsom, someone who would divide the party with progressives pushing for Vice President Kamala Harris. DeSantis looks to wait it out to see what happens with Trump.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
