It never seems too early to look at the next presidential election – the next one in 2024. It may be too early to make any definitive predictions, but we can speculate on the likely contenders on the GOP side.
There is the usual crowd of past candidates – Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Utah Senator Mitt Romney among the more obvious. There are a couple of potential newcomers – former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – and one qualified newcomer, former Vice President Pence.
Of course, the current king-of-the-mountain is former President Trump.
Despite all the media angst over a return of their nemesis, Trump does have a path to the presidency. On the other hand, there is no certainty that he will choose to run – even if he chooses to remain a Republican force to be reckoned with.
Perhaps the one with the best chance of assuming the Oval Office in 2025 is a guy just edging into the speculative spotlight. It is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. At this moment, Ron DeSantis has all the positive assets to become president.
Let’s start with the all-important superficial characteristic. He is movie star handsome — with a wife so beautiful that she could be one of those television news ladies. Oh … she was. Like all the best First Ladies, Casey would be an activist.
More than looks alone, the couple have great public images because they have truly pleasant personalities on or off the platform. When DeSantis comes to the camera, he presents an air of confidence and competence.
He has had both Washington experience – as a former congressman – and closer to home experience – as Governor of one of the larger states – a state with exceptional importance in presidential elections.
By all measures, DeSantis has done an outstanding job as governor. Some polls award him the highest favorable rating among all of America’s governors.
DeSantis also has a military background as a Lt. Commander in the Navy – in the Judge Advocate Corps.
There is something Reaganesque about DeSantis. He holds to solid conservative principles without a contentious edge.
DeSantis has been a supporter of the Trump agenda without getting embroiled in the former president’s more controversial personality issues. In short, he is a favorite of Trump’s without alienating the anti-Trump establishmentarians in the Republican Party. Virtually all the aforementioned potential candidates have had an on-again-off-again-on-again-off-again relationship with Trump. There is a significant portion of the Republican base that does not like them.
Ron DeSantis has many paths to become president. He would be a formidable candidate if Trump decides against a second term in 2024. He could be Trump’s vice-presidential pick if the former President runs. And DeSantis is young enough to be a candidate in 2028 and beyond.
Because he is a Republican … a conservative … and a Trump supporter, the left-wing press has made him a target of their corrupt one-sided narrative. But DeSantis is not so easy to demonize. We can only recall how the east coast media attempted to demonize Reagan. The late President flew through that flak to become one of the must successful and popular presidents in American history.
DeSantis may be the best hope of unifying the Republican Party – and that alone may clear his path to the presidency.
So, there ‘tis.