Who will be the GOP nominee?

[CF DolFan]

DeSantis to announce his bid for the White House next week. It will be interesting to see if and how much his poll numbers jump in the weeks afterwards.

[Dave Gray]

Desantis will have one key issue he has to deal with:  He needs to claim Trump is unelectable.  That is Desantis' biggest political advantage.

However, he cannot be an election denier and pretend that Trump won the election.  He doesn't currently know how to play that, because he wants to beat Trump but also not anger his supporters' biggest claim.  It's a tightrope act.

[CF DolFan]

Desantis will have one key issue he has to deal with:  He needs to claim Trump is unelectable.  That is Desantis' biggest political advantage.

However, he cannot be an election denier and pretend that Trump won the election.  He doesn't currently know how to play that, because he wants to beat Trump but also not anger his supporters' biggest claim.  It's a tightrope act.

In his speech last week ... I think in Ohio maybe ... DeSantis' message was we need to focus on the future and quit looking back. Republicans know it was his way of saying Trump is still hooked up on the election.

I saw conservative talking head Ben Shapiro, who is supporting DeSantis, saying that Trump keeps bitching about the 2020 election  that he says was rigged & stolen from him yet he hasn't proposed anything about how he was going to fix that problem to win this time. It's kind of dead end horse to be beating these days for many Republicans so DeSantis can just ignore the whole thing and look better for doing so.

[Dave Gray]

^ I disagree.

Ignoring it is the worst choice.  I think he's gotta say straight-up that Trump lost, then he lost a bunch of house seats, and then he's gonna lose again.

He's too far behind to try and ignore his biggest campaign strength.

Granted, I'm not in the head of the average GOP voter.

[dolphins4life]

Trump has almost no chance of beating Biden in 2024.  

DeSantis has a decent shot in my opinion.  

I want to know, in the time from 2018 to 2022, was there a massive influx of people who moved to Florida?

Maybe DeSantis should pick somebody from AZ, OH, PA, or GA as his running mate.    

I took delight in watching the party that disrespected my profession be humiliated in 2022.  

Biden had the best midterm record by an incumbent since 2002, and that president should not have even been elected (Gore would have won if the recount continued).

Instead of chanting Fuck Joe Biden, we can chant RON-DE-SANT-IS

I've never voted in a primary election ever before.

[Dave Gray]

I originally thought Desantis would be the guy because Trump would implode, but 1) it seems like Trump isn't going anywhere and 2) even if he were, Desantis ain't it.

The guy isn't charismatic enough.  He's just uncomfortable to watch.  Also, I think his culture war stuff is too much and most people thing it's gone too far.  The book banning stuff, in particular, is just a bad look.  He's getting a lot of bad press.  I think Trump is going to eat his lunch, particularly with all these new people joining the race.

[CF DolFan]

Also, I think his culture war stuff is too much and most people thing it's gone too far.  The book banning stuff, in particular, is just a bad look.  He's getting a lot of bad press.  I think Trump is going to eat his lunch, particularly with all these new people joining the race.

I don't at all. Places like Disney and AB continue to lose money and liberal places like Target are buckling much faster than before because people all around the country are speaking up. Those aren't Trump positions at all. In fact he actually supports both Disney and AB. I think more and more people have become supportive of people like DeSantis and are tired of pretending it's ok to be nuts. That goes for the nutballs claiming it's Trump or no one else.

[Spider-Dan]

I don't at all. Places like Disney and AB continue to lose money and liberal places like Target are buckling much faster than before because people all around the country are speaking up.

Overall, for the three-month period ended April 1, Disney reported net income of $1.49 billion, or 69 cents a share, compared with $597 million, or 26 cents a share, a year earlier.

Sounds like Disney is doing just fine.

This nonsense with Disney, Budweiser, and Target is just another rehash of conservatives smashing Keurig machines or burning Nike sneakers.  It will have no significant impact.  This is yet another example of how Trump is outpositioning DeSantis: Trump recognizes that this particular culture war tactic that the right loves has no actual legs.  It's no different than how Republicans constantly whine about cutting Medicare and Social Security, while Trump tells them not to.

I think more and more people have become supportive of people like DeSantis and are tired of pretending it's ok to be nuts. That goes for the nutballs claiming it's Trump or no one else.

Are you still reading polling on this primary?  I have to imagine DeSantis supporters have given up on that by now, as Tiny D (which many people are calling him) has done nothing but spiral towards the earth for months.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I don't at all. Places like Disney and

What is the end goal for the Governor of FLORIDA regarding Disney?  Assume for a moment, his hostility is successful enough for Disney to decide to buy some swamp land in Georgia disassemble all the rides and set up shop in a more friendly state?  He has already convinced them to move one project to California.  That would cost Disney millions maybe even billions but the company would survive, what happens to the economy of central Florida? 

[CF DolFan]

 Are you still reading polling on this primary?  I have to imagine DeSantis supporters have given up on that by now,

I was speaking to a Trump supporter today and out of his mouth he said now we can get a real polling going on. Polls are iffy at best but only a fool would trust a poll where one of the people aren't even on the ballot. 

Sounds like Disney is doing just fine.

Yep ... laying off 7000 jobs, closing down their new billion dollar Star wars Hotel in less than 2 years, and cancelling their billion dollar tech housing project that's at least a year behind on but they are killing it. The parks are doing ok but the entertainment portion, including many of their woke movies, have massively underperformed. You can blame whatever you want but I see it everyday. There is a portion of America turning their backs on the mouse.

As far as Bud Light they are literally giving it away. They are charging $20 a case and giving back $20 rebate cards. hahaha

In other news there was a news report the other day that much of the 200 or so employees who were relocated in advance of the new neighborhood are pushing to stay in Orlando and not transfer back to California. Guess they didn't hear about the mean governor.  

[CF DolFan]

What is the end goal for the Governor of FLORIDA regarding Disney?

This is easy. He wants them on the same level as Universal, Sea World, and others. None of which have their own government or independent oversight. This had been brought up many times in Florida way before DeSantis ever became gov so it didn't help when Disney put them on his radar.

There is a weird thing at Disney any way in regards to the division he is taking back. If you work for Reedy Creek (Disney's government) you are a part of the Florida Retirement System (FRS). There is not one other private company on that pension plan because it's for state and local employees but they have managed to get on it.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

This is easy. He wants them on the same level as Universal, Sea World, and others. None of which have their own government or independent oversight. This had been brought up many times in Florida way before DeSantis ever became gov so it didn't help when Disney put them on his radar.

There is a weird thing at Disney any way in regards to the division he is taking back. If you work for Reedy Creek (Disney's government) you are a part of the Florida Retirement System (FRS). There is not one other private company on that pension plan because it's for state and local employees but they have managed to get on it.

Bullshit.  There are over 1000 special purpose district of various types across Florida.  And Desantis didn't have one iota of a problem with any of them until Disney dared to criticize DeSantos's don't say gay bill.   

Old method of board membership selection - democratically elected by the landowners of the district.  (one entity owns all the land so it isn't much of an election)
New method appointed by someone who doesn't live or work in the district and has a grudge against the landowner because they hurt his feelings.

Disney is huge this district allows Disney make sure their infrastructure is kept up to Disney standards, they lose that and Florida loses Disney.

[Spider-Dan]

Polls are iffy at best but only a fool would trust a poll where one of the people aren't even on the ballot.

When DeSantis was leading (but not yet declared), you were happy to cite polls approvingly:

Today from Politico

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/florida-playbook/2023/02/23/poll-shows-edge-for-desantis-in-clash-with-trump-00084113

Lead for DeSantis — One new national poll of Republican primary voters from WPA Intelligence shared with Playbook, put DeSantis ahead of Trump, 40 percent to 31 percent, even when a long line of other Republicans such as former vice president Mike Pence were included. That lead for the GOP governor jumps dramatically to 55 percent to 37 percent in a direct DeSantis-Trump matchup.

Just saw this

Ron DeSantis would win 2024 Republican primary between nine GOP rivals and would beat Trump by 24% in a head-to-head showdown, new poll of GOP voters reveal



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11787659/New-poll-Ron-DeSantis-wins-9-candidate-GOP-primary-field-40-support.html

But now that he's getting crushed, the current primary polls are for fools?  Come on, man.

Yep ... laying off 7000 jobs, closing down their new billion dollar Star wars Hotel in less than 2 years, and cancelling their billion dollar tech housing project that's at least a year behind on but they are killing it. The parks are doing ok but the entertainment portion, including many of their woke movies, have massively underperformed.

At the end of the day, their net income for Q2 2023 was almost triple was it was in the same timeframe last year.  So whatever mistakes they are making seem to be more than made up for by the good moves they are making.

It is a bit ironic that you specifically point out the success of the Disney parks, as the parks are the one thing that DeSantis can most directly affect.

[CF DolFan]

When DeSantis was leading (but not yet declared), you were happy to cite polls approvingly:
But now that he's getting crushed, the current primary polls are for fools?  Come on, man.
At the end of the day, their net income for Q2 2023 was almost triple was it was in the same timeframe last year.  So whatever mistakes they are making seem to be more than made up for by the good moves they are making.

It is a bit ironic that you specifically point out the success of the Disney parks, as the parks are the one thing that DeSantis can most directly affect.

I agree with calling me out on the polls. I was a fool too .... hahaha.  You can point to all the money stats you want but Disney wouldn't be laying off and cancelling billion dollar projects if they were fine. As well, not sure about your reference to Ron and Disney parks doing well. He hasn't set out to make Disney do bad in any law he has enacted. It's only to force them to play on the same field as the other theme parks and businesses. 

[CF DolFan]

Bullshit.  There are over 1000 special purpose district of various types across Florida.  And Desantis didn't have one iota of a problem with any of them until Disney dared to criticize DeSantos's don't say gay bill.   

We could discuss special districts all day but typically they are more restrictive environmental areas. Name one theme park with a special district.

As well ... I already said they put their self on his radar. What it didn't do was start the discussion about removing Disney's special status. Universal is currently building a new theme park, Epic Universe. Do you know how much more it takes for them to be able to do that than say when Disney built MGM Studios?  Don't you think that maybe they and others like them have been pushing government to makes things a little more even or do you think it's just been Kum ba yah for everyone because its Disney getting all this special privilege?