
<p>Predicting that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will ride to an easy victory on Election Day is a no-brainer. ; </p>



<p>For the most part, he has been well ahead of his Republican turned independent turned Democrat Congressman Charlie Crist throughout the campaign.</p>



<p>If there was any hope that Crist could come from behind and procure an upset victory, that notion ended with the DeSantis/Crist debate. ; No spin by team-Crist – or fawning news reports from left-wing media – can change the fact. ; Crist lost.</p>



<p>Judging from the post-debate news coverage, the most dramatic point in the debate was when Crist challenged DeSantis to promise to complete his four-year term. ; DeSantis demurred. ; If Crist saw that as a pivotal moment in the debate, he had very little to offer. ; That is not on the radar of the voters.</p>



<p>In debates, opponents look for the weak spots in the opponents record and policies. ; Crist, however, seemed to raise and attack DeSantis in his more popular actions. ; DeSantis’ efforts to keep all sexually and gender-explicit material out of the curriculum of students in grades K through 4 has wide support even though critics have attempted to label it as an attack on the gay community.</p>



<p>Crist also carried the Democrat&#8217;s spin on DeSantis sending Texas Venezuelan migrants to northern communities – including the exclusive enclave of Martha’s Vineyard. ; Crist tried to use it as a wedge issue between DeSantis and the Florida Latino community – specifically Venezuelans.</p>



<p>In fact, DeSantis’ action brought greater focus on the border crisis and exposed the hypocrisy of northern Democrats. More than half of Florida Hispanics approve of the policy – and polls indicate that DeSantis is in line to receive more than 50 percent of the Latino vote.</p>



<p>Of course, Crist brought up abortion, claiming that DeSantis approved of an anti-abortion bill that had no exceptions for incest and rape. ; What Crist did not say was that the law only applied to abortions after 15 weeks &#8212; ; and that DeSantis has always favored the usual exceptions. ; </p>



<p>DeSantis countered by saying that Crist favored abortions up until birth – a charge that Crist did not deny. ; Polls show that most voters favor legal abortions but ONLY in the first trimester. After that, there is majority opposition to abortion-on-demand.</p>



<p>Then there is that image issue. ; Crist’s image falls somewhere between “slick” and “sleazy.” ; It is that fast-talking, big-promises delivery &#8212; with the appearance of a salesman you cannot trust at first sight. ; Also, there is that ever-present Hollywood self-nurtured deep tan – a bit much even for a Floridian.</p>



<p>Combine the “look” with the record of flipping and flopping all over the political map – and Crist’s wannabe ambition to hold high public office at almost any cost &#8212; and you wonder how Crist does as well as he does. ; Of course, since abandoning his Republican roots he has not been able to win a statewide office – and he is not going to win this one.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

DeSantis cinches the election win
