Staff Reports
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida may have to take a page out of President Joe Biden’s playbook in order to secure a surprising victory in the 2024 presidential election. Just like Biden, DeSantis is facing a formidable frontrunner in his own party, someone that many believe cannot win a general election. In the early days of the Democratic primary, Biden was seen as an underdog and faced many challenges. He struggled in debates, made strange comments about record players, and failed to anticipate attacks from his left. Biden even finished fourth in Iowa and fifth in New Hampshire with only a small portion of the vote. Despite these setbacks, Biden eventually found success in South Carolina and went on to win the nomination.
.@RonDeSantis doesn’t take many cues from President @JoeBiden, the man he hopes to defeat in the 2024 presidential election.
But DeSantis may need to emulate one Biden maneuver…https://t.co/Q67dLoH0If
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) August 23, 2023
DeSantis is currently behind in the polls but still faces a long road ahead before the first votes are cast. Unlike the crowded Democratic primary in 2020, the Republican field is less crowded, with DeSantis positioned as one of the main contenders. However, DeSantis hopes that Republicans will be smart enough not to nominate a candidate who is facing multiple indictments and could put the general election at risk. Some strategists believe that a strong showing against former President Donald Trump in at least one state contest could shake up the race.
While there are similarities between Biden’s campaign and DeSantis’, there are also important differences to consider. Trump’s support among Republicans is much stronger than any support enjoyed by Democrats in 2020, making it a more difficult race for DeSantis. Additionally, the departure of key candidates in the Democratic primary helped clear the way for Biden, whereas most of the 2024 Republican field doesn’t have a large number of votes to transfer to DeSantis. Despite these challenges, DeSantis has developed a relationship with Vivek Ramaswamy that bears similarities to the relationship between Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Ultimately, DeSantis’ success in 2024 will depend on his ability to appeal to conservative Trump skeptics while also winning over soft Trump supporters. He will need to navigate the delicate balance of consolidating his own base without creating opportunities for anti-Trump candidates to gain traction. One advantage that DeSantis may have is the fact that Trump has already been president, and many Republican primary voters still believe he won the 2020 election. However, DeSantis will need to address concerns about his own indictments, which have raised alarm among a broader range of primary voters than socialism did for Democrats in 2020. Overall, if DeSantis wants to reassure voters and donors and show that the race is far from over, he will need to take on the challenge of defeating both Trump and Biden.
