My takeaways here are that Democrats and Republicans are currently better at pushing followers away than attracting new supporters.
I think there is something potentially big however, about the rise of DeSantis via disaffected Democrats. Progressives really are an unhappy bunch, to whom all who are not on board 110% with their full agenda…
My takeaways here are that Democrats and Republicans are currently better at pushing followers away than attracting new supporters.
I think there is something potentially big however, about the rise of DeSantis via disaffected Democrats. Progressives really are an unhappy bunch, to whom all who are not on board 110% with their full agenda are treated as enemies.
But, to win the Senate, Presidency, or House (convincingly), Republicans need to do more than simply lose fewer followers than progressives. They need to start winning people over with ideas.
On a national stage, DeSantis must tack to the center. Guaranteed. What he did in Florida won't matter. And why it won't matter (except for the fact that his performance as governor might give him the GOP nomination) is that he has to define and expand upon positions that will describe his policies to the many millions of independents and disaffected Democrats in the rest of the country. They won't come to him. He has to get them. He cannot win carrying only Trump's base and fellow culture warriors. That's a given.
And thus he will be asked these questions by the people he needs to vote for him:
How do you feel about the LBGTQ community? Will you accept them?
How do you feel about the belief of the majority of American women - that access to abortion must be protected? And do you accept that? And defend it?
Do you accept that Dreamers can live in this country legally if it is included in an immigration package allowing for increased enforcement and personnel at our borders?
Can you tell us in broad terms your foreign policy stance? Do you support and willing to stay engaged in NATO and continue funding it? Do you support sending arms to Ukraine? Will you continue our allegiances with our Asian allies? Will you counter China over Taiwan? Can you be flexible and not rigid when dealing with crises around the world? Will you be flexible with Iran if necessary? Will you be harsh with Saudi Arabia if necessary? Are you ready to counter Russia if necessary?
Do you believe in tariffs over free trade? Will you bring our manufacturing home?
Do you support Israel? And will you help defend it even though its policies you could object to?
Are you against anti-semitism? And how strongly will you speak out against it?
Do you believe that Black men just might be given a bad shake by the police? Can you support reform of police departments across the country if coupled with the hiring of thousands more police officers?
Do you agree that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election? And do you agree that the proposed legislation to reform the Electoral Act should be passed so that a Jan 6 meltdown does not occur in the future?
Do you believe that our election process, states' wide, is secure?
Do you believe that climate change is real? Will you commit to lowering our carbon footprint? Will you support the EPA to go after carbon polluters? Are you interested in expanding our National Park system?
Ahh...questions, questions..
DeSantis will need to answer them if he wants to win. With some ideas.
When you add independents and Dems together, they as a group are far larger than Republicans. DeSantis needs some of them to win, it's as simple as that. He'll need to compromise on some of his positions (the ones he has..) in order to do that.
DeSantus persuaded a million FL independents and Democrats by being effective and implementing pragmatic moderate conservative policies. He doesn’t need to shift anywhere. People from blue areas across the country are changing their registration and fleeing to Florida because of the positive outcomes of his policies and competent leadership.
DeSantis is doing exactly what he needs to do to win independents and moderates. He does not need to win California or anywhere else far left to win the presidential election. Many of us would prefer the west coast go form it’s own country than continue spreading its nihilistic policies and ideologies elsewhere. CA has the highest illiteracy rate in the country (much higher illiteracy than WV). It has the lowest home ownership rate. It’s one of the most inequitable places in the developed world - by Democrat design.
Lithium is not renewable and mining it is an ecological destructive pit of environmental and human suffering. Solar panels are chalked full of toxic lead. Wind mills are short lived and the magnets require ecologically destructive to mine and also not renewable rare Earth minerals. Solar farms and wind farms replace natural habitat with not ecologically friendly “renewables.” The sun may shine and the wind may blow but there is nothing renewable or efficient about the equipment used to harness it. Solar panels, if properly disposed at end of life cycle on buildings and homes may be ok, but most of it is just a money grab supported by people who never leave their urban homes (and if they do they still wear a mask because they can’t define aerosol). Natural gas and nuclear are cleaner, far more abundant, more efficient, and without government intervention picking winners they are also far cheaper. Those of us with a brain who actually care about the environment will NEVER support these anti-human pro scarcity stupid Democrat policies that are just reallocating taxpayer money to political cronies. DeSantis can’t win without us. He can win without the nihilistic woke.
DeSantis doesn't have to win over the far left progressives, who are a smaller number than you might think. He has to win over people like me - an independent leaning centrist who cannot stand the extremes in either party. And there are millions just like me. He has to speak to us on a national scale - this ain't the state of Florida.
I noticed you didn't touch abortion. DeSantis must address it why? Because it will be the first question asked of him on the national campaign trail - and he already knows that a majority of American women want access to it in some form. He can't go all culture war on that subject (nor LBGTQ rights) if he wants some of their votes. Because, simply, put, he needs them.
Btw, I agree with you on nuclear power (and lithium..). We should be building the newer version nuclear power plants starting like yesterday. And many environmentalists would agree.
The nation is not Florida, but in a lot of important ways that drive voting habits, it's very representative of the makeup of the country. Here are some Stats (comparing FL to the USA and to CA and to WY the most R leaning state):
Home Ownership rate - USA 64.4%, FL 66.5%, CA 55.5%, WY 71.7%
High School Graduate of Higher - USA 88.9%, FL 89.0%, CA 84.2%, WY 93.7%
Literacy Rate - USA 79.0%, FL 80.30%, CA 76.9%, WY 91.10%
Population that is non-Hispanic white - USA 59.3%, FL 52.7%, CA 35.2%, WY 83.3%
Language other than English spoken in the home - USA 21.7%, FL 29.8%, CA 43.9%, WY 6.8%
Also, DeSantis has clearly addressed abortion - he proposed a bill to ban elective abortions after 15 weeks, and he signed that bill. That policy is in line with the majority of western European countries and the vast majority of people in this country support a ban on elective abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. He didn't shy away from the issue in FL, and I doubt he will if he chooses to run for federal office.
I lived in the woods in undergrad while working as an outdoor adventure guide June- August plus random weekends through the academic year. I hate being stuck in the city too long and escape frequently to nature. I've been an environmentalist since I was teen, and no group makes my head explode more than the nature-hating, whinny, know-nothing, hypocritical, stupid "climate warriors." They follow a religion of anti-human nihilism. Absolutely nothing in the crap the "climate warrior" people promote indicates any genuine concern for humans, animals, plants, the climate or any natural part of the environment.
We do need modern nuclear plants and we should use natural gas -which is clean, incredibly abundant, and can be used to make clean burning hydrogen fuel for vehicles and power rural areas (like where food is grown). Coal is better than wood burning. Oil is better than coal. Natural gas is better than oil. Nuclear is better than natural gas though not transportable. These things are KNOWN. They have been known for decades. If people in the south (or anywhere between 35S and 35N) want solar panels on their homes and businesses, and properly recycle them, it's fine (except the whole slave labor thing). They are very helpful for off grid camping. Used on a mass scale in NY and Germany, they are just plain stupid.
This "climate warrior" bs, and the gender/ race ideological crap, is why I went from voting 90% Democrat and making my first political donation to Obama in 2007 when I was 25, to voting a straight Republican ticket in 2022 at 40. I haven't changed, I just realized the people I once supported are insane and ate a lot of humble pie realizing how much damage I contributed to by reflexively voting for Dems. My votes for republicans aren't reflexive - I'm actually paying attention to policy specifics and outcomes now. These days my vote very considered. I'm sure some time away from undergrad and graduate school indoctrination helps with self-reflection (at least for me). I also hate war mongers, so McCain and Bush were never really my kind of Republican (nor are they all that conservative), but I let my dislike of their foreign policy and domestic spying impact my voting in a bunch of other races that I shouldn't have.
I've certainly moved right as I've grown older - especially since my university years. I think that in essence, we both want the same thing - sanity. I'd like to see on the national level some give and take, some compromise, more appreciation of other viewpoints and less ideological rigidity (of which there's far too much of on both sides of the divide). We are all Americans after all, we are not enemies simply because of differing political affiliations.
I know a lot of progressives and they're generally a very happy bunch. Conservatives, on the other hand, think the world is going to hell in a handbasket and let me know it whenever I see them. The center is where our candidates should come from and where they should govern. Culture warriors like DeSantis and Trump have no place in our national politics.
Biden is the culture warrior. He has imposed mandates of a rushed, experimental vaccine that doesn’t work and randomly kills and he is also bringing in over 5 million illegal immigrants a year while his press secretary lies her ass off every day.
That's funny. My experience has been the exact opposite. I can't tell you the number of liberal friends who've stomped off in a huff or cut all ties. I guess where you stand depends on where you sit.
re: "culture warriors" - I don't think not wanting yours and others' minor children instructed in grade school about the - excuse the pun - ins and outs of anal sex is being a culture warrior, nor is not wanting them groomed by Disney movies. It's called, "being a responsible parent". - or in the politicians' case - a good leader.
Re: "center." I think Musk had a great tweet on that several years ago. "Center" being defined as one mm. to the right or left of what is already far to the left. Pass.
Bruce, you do exactly what the democrats mentioned in this article did. You dismiss DeSantis as a culture warrior without producing a single example of why he wouldn't be good for the country. The left suffers from this idea that even the worst democrat is still better than the best republican. That's why millions of voters tell themselves that as long as team blue wins, it doesn't matter how poorly they perform. It is a flawed thought that we need to get away from if there is hope of making things better. And I think this article correctly captures that Americans are growing tired of voting for a team and getting lousy results. The democrats rely on calling anyone that doesn't vote for them "right wing," "MAGA," etc. without ever asking voters why they feel the way they feel. When Dems lose, they label the voters white supremacist and victimize themselves.
Interesting, I agree that the center is where most voters reside. Strip away the far left and far right and all that remains is a very mailable center. In fact, it could easily be a force if it were able to form a third political party.
If not DeSantis, who then ?
My sense is that DeSantis is self aware enough to pivot to the center at the national level to have a broader appeal. He is incredibly smart and hard working.
Before the left moved waaaaay left DeSantis would have been considered a moderate. Everything is relative and this country needs the pendulum to swing back to a more moderate center. This may be a leading indicator.
Same thing happened with Reagan. I think it was the right time for a centrist Republican to rebut the excesses of 60s liberalism. We had at least 20 or 30 years of prosperity follow. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Based on every study ever done what you claim is demonstrably false. So is any study of human history. Republicans are more likely to own a hone, be married, have children, and be involved in their communities - all things that lead to far greater human happiness than serial sex partners and endless feigned victimhood.
Name callers and labelers gotta name call and label. Much easier than discussing and debating issues. Issues require thought and nuance. And because there is more than one issue, tradeoffs, at least for voters as opposed to politicians. We have loads on single issue voters. This past cycle the abortion issue was likely the most easily spotted. But when some one voted on the basis of abortion they got a candidate who was not an abortion only candidate. Case in point is the Arizona gubernatorial race. Many voters did not like Lake. Fine. Many others voted on the basis of abortion. But with Hobbs they got more than a pro choice candidate. They also got someone likely to be more lax on secure birders in a border state. That phenomenon will play out elsewhere in a state like NY abortion voters got the pro abortion candidate who is also soft on crime. It's like cable and insurance companies where you get the whole bundle not just the internet service or the home insurance. Whether voters wise up and vote on the whole package in the future remains to be seen. In Florida ( yes Florida for those who constantly deride the state) voters awakened from wokeness and looked at issues and candidates more broadly. Many of those wised up voters came from... NY
One could argue that this is the reason why these single issues are never solved nor never allowed to not be front and center in MSM. An issue like abortion is great for campaigning and fundraising. It's an issue that directly affects a very small number of Americans; yet, millions of Americans think is the most important issue facing our country. It's a great distractor and while we're fighting over it, the rest of the country can go to hell. Or as you point out, your team wins the abortion battle at the expense of losing other (arguably much more important) issues.
I have long held the view that the abortion issue needs to be compromised ( in a manner similar to what Graham proposed). Get it off the table. I realize there are many on the pro life side who disagree but the reality is abortions and the demand therefor exist and will always exist. I was hoping the Court would steer clear of Roe and simply uphold the Mississippi law and the 15 week standard and perhaps throw in some dicta about viability and the advances in science and medicine since 1973. I do not agree with Roberts on many issues but I was with him in Dobbs. The object of politics is or should be to win on an overall basis and not fight the valiant fight to win a battle and lose sight of the bigger picture. There are many issues much more important than abortion.
DeSantis' legislature passed the 15 week abortion standard. Trust me, it is 15 weeks because that's what the Governor wants it to be.
While I'd like it to be a somewhat shorter period, my Wife thinks 15 weeks isn't long enough; still, we both acknowledge that 15 weeks is a sensible standard that a very large majority of people can live with.
I wish Desantis stuck with 15 weeks because that does seem like a happy medium. If this goes through my fear is many young people will simply refuse to risk endorsing or empowering the GOP. I can argue the pro-life position without appealing to religion but my opinion is this is just too much responsibility for young people. It is terrifying for them. They will want the freedom to terminate pregnancies.
I agree, but the problem was that Roe vs Wade was horrible law; it just doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Both sides knew that it would never survive an honest review. Blame Blackmun for this.
I completely agree. It's frustrating because neither side seriously proposes anything besides the allow all or ban all positions. Makes me think they don't want to settle because they'd lose this issue for campaigning. The last study I saw said only 15% (total) of Americans believed in an allow all or ban all position on abortion. So 85% of Americans believe abortion should be legal with some restrictions. Yet, we don't hear anything coming out of Congress that would capture the desires of that 85%. Instead, it's the same two ignorant extreme positions that represent few that we are presented with. In a way, letting states decide is probably much more likely to lead to a balance than if Congress got involved. We've already seen "red" state voters reject more restrictions on abortion. At least at the state level, the desires of the majority are much more likely to be captured by more direct voting on individual issues. Then again, I am biased because I believe more issues should be left to the states to decide. But can you imagine if tomorrow, we didn't have abortion to divide us!
Sen. Lindsay Graham recently proposed just the sort of compromise legislation you advocate. Of course, he was denounced for wanting to "ban abortion" and his proposal went no where. Both parties raise too much money on abortion to want the issue to go away.
Absolutely. Dems had a filibuster proof majority when Obamacare was passed. Why didn’t they deal with the abortion question then? They knew Roe wasn’t going to be permanent. If women are angry about not having the right to choose they should know who to be angry with.
Abortion is way too good of a fundraiser and fear generator just like the issue of illegal immigration. Another issue that could have been sorted out by now. Illegal immigrants likewise should realize that they are being played.
Abortion is the perfect problem: It divides us, it is easy to campaign on, and it leads to gobs of political fundraising. Why would either team ever let this go.
My takeaways here are that Democrats and Republicans are currently better at pushing followers away than attracting new supporters.
I think there is something potentially big however, about the rise of DeSantis via disaffected Democrats. Progressives really are an unhappy bunch, to whom all who are not on board 110% with their full agenda are treated as enemies.
But, to win the Senate, Presidency, or House (convincingly), Republicans need to do more than simply lose fewer followers than progressives. They need to start winning people over with ideas.
Perhaps DeSantis will be the top to that spear.
Perhaps, Stephen. But perhaps not.
On a national stage, DeSantis must tack to the center. Guaranteed. What he did in Florida won't matter. And why it won't matter (except for the fact that his performance as governor might give him the GOP nomination) is that he has to define and expand upon positions that will describe his policies to the many millions of independents and disaffected Democrats in the rest of the country. They won't come to him. He has to get them. He cannot win carrying only Trump's base and fellow culture warriors. That's a given.
And thus he will be asked these questions by the people he needs to vote for him:
How do you feel about the LBGTQ community? Will you accept them?
How do you feel about the belief of the majority of American women - that access to abortion must be protected? And do you accept that? And defend it?
Do you accept that Dreamers can live in this country legally if it is included in an immigration package allowing for increased enforcement and personnel at our borders?
Can you tell us in broad terms your foreign policy stance? Do you support and willing to stay engaged in NATO and continue funding it? Do you support sending arms to Ukraine? Will you continue our allegiances with our Asian allies? Will you counter China over Taiwan? Can you be flexible and not rigid when dealing with crises around the world? Will you be flexible with Iran if necessary? Will you be harsh with Saudi Arabia if necessary? Are you ready to counter Russia if necessary?
Do you believe in tariffs over free trade? Will you bring our manufacturing home?
Do you support Israel? And will you help defend it even though its policies you could object to?
Are you against anti-semitism? And how strongly will you speak out against it?
Do you believe that Black men just might be given a bad shake by the police? Can you support reform of police departments across the country if coupled with the hiring of thousands more police officers?
Do you agree that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election? And do you agree that the proposed legislation to reform the Electoral Act should be passed so that a Jan 6 meltdown does not occur in the future?
Do you believe that our election process, states' wide, is secure?
Do you believe that climate change is real? Will you commit to lowering our carbon footprint? Will you support the EPA to go after carbon polluters? Are you interested in expanding our National Park system?
Ahh...questions, questions..
DeSantis will need to answer them if he wants to win. With some ideas.
It sounds like you define “tacking to the center” as accepting the values of the Democrats. Pretty sure that DeSantis will not do that.
But he needs independents and Dems to win. MAGA's won't cut it. Like I said - he has to get them. Nationally, they won't come to him.
Catering to the “people who would vote for an 82 yr old man because climate change” voting bloc is not a winning strategy for Republicans.
When you add independents and Dems together, they as a group are far larger than Republicans. DeSantis needs some of them to win, it's as simple as that. He'll need to compromise on some of his positions (the ones he has..) in order to do that.
DeSantus persuaded a million FL independents and Democrats by being effective and implementing pragmatic moderate conservative policies. He doesn’t need to shift anywhere. People from blue areas across the country are changing their registration and fleeing to Florida because of the positive outcomes of his policies and competent leadership.
DeSantis is doing exactly what he needs to do to win independents and moderates. He does not need to win California or anywhere else far left to win the presidential election. Many of us would prefer the west coast go form it’s own country than continue spreading its nihilistic policies and ideologies elsewhere. CA has the highest illiteracy rate in the country (much higher illiteracy than WV). It has the lowest home ownership rate. It’s one of the most inequitable places in the developed world - by Democrat design.
Lithium is not renewable and mining it is an ecological destructive pit of environmental and human suffering. Solar panels are chalked full of toxic lead. Wind mills are short lived and the magnets require ecologically destructive to mine and also not renewable rare Earth minerals. Solar farms and wind farms replace natural habitat with not ecologically friendly “renewables.” The sun may shine and the wind may blow but there is nothing renewable or efficient about the equipment used to harness it. Solar panels, if properly disposed at end of life cycle on buildings and homes may be ok, but most of it is just a money grab supported by people who never leave their urban homes (and if they do they still wear a mask because they can’t define aerosol). Natural gas and nuclear are cleaner, far more abundant, more efficient, and without government intervention picking winners they are also far cheaper. Those of us with a brain who actually care about the environment will NEVER support these anti-human pro scarcity stupid Democrat policies that are just reallocating taxpayer money to political cronies. DeSantis can’t win without us. He can win without the nihilistic woke.
DeSantis doesn't have to win over the far left progressives, who are a smaller number than you might think. He has to win over people like me - an independent leaning centrist who cannot stand the extremes in either party. And there are millions just like me. He has to speak to us on a national scale - this ain't the state of Florida.
I noticed you didn't touch abortion. DeSantis must address it why? Because it will be the first question asked of him on the national campaign trail - and he already knows that a majority of American women want access to it in some form. He can't go all culture war on that subject (nor LBGTQ rights) if he wants some of their votes. Because, simply, put, he needs them.
Btw, I agree with you on nuclear power (and lithium..). We should be building the newer version nuclear power plants starting like yesterday. And many environmentalists would agree.
The nation is not Florida, but in a lot of important ways that drive voting habits, it's very representative of the makeup of the country. Here are some Stats (comparing FL to the USA and to CA and to WY the most R leaning state):
Home Ownership rate - USA 64.4%, FL 66.5%, CA 55.5%, WY 71.7%
High School Graduate of Higher - USA 88.9%, FL 89.0%, CA 84.2%, WY 93.7%
Literacy Rate - USA 79.0%, FL 80.30%, CA 76.9%, WY 91.10%
Population that is non-Hispanic white - USA 59.3%, FL 52.7%, CA 35.2%, WY 83.3%
Language other than English spoken in the home - USA 21.7%, FL 29.8%, CA 43.9%, WY 6.8%
Also, DeSantis has clearly addressed abortion - he proposed a bill to ban elective abortions after 15 weeks, and he signed that bill. That policy is in line with the majority of western European countries and the vast majority of people in this country support a ban on elective abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. He didn't shy away from the issue in FL, and I doubt he will if he chooses to run for federal office.
I lived in the woods in undergrad while working as an outdoor adventure guide June- August plus random weekends through the academic year. I hate being stuck in the city too long and escape frequently to nature. I've been an environmentalist since I was teen, and no group makes my head explode more than the nature-hating, whinny, know-nothing, hypocritical, stupid "climate warriors." They follow a religion of anti-human nihilism. Absolutely nothing in the crap the "climate warrior" people promote indicates any genuine concern for humans, animals, plants, the climate or any natural part of the environment.
We do need modern nuclear plants and we should use natural gas -which is clean, incredibly abundant, and can be used to make clean burning hydrogen fuel for vehicles and power rural areas (like where food is grown). Coal is better than wood burning. Oil is better than coal. Natural gas is better than oil. Nuclear is better than natural gas though not transportable. These things are KNOWN. They have been known for decades. If people in the south (or anywhere between 35S and 35N) want solar panels on their homes and businesses, and properly recycle them, it's fine (except the whole slave labor thing). They are very helpful for off grid camping. Used on a mass scale in NY and Germany, they are just plain stupid.
This "climate warrior" bs, and the gender/ race ideological crap, is why I went from voting 90% Democrat and making my first political donation to Obama in 2007 when I was 25, to voting a straight Republican ticket in 2022 at 40. I haven't changed, I just realized the people I once supported are insane and ate a lot of humble pie realizing how much damage I contributed to by reflexively voting for Dems. My votes for republicans aren't reflexive - I'm actually paying attention to policy specifics and outcomes now. These days my vote very considered. I'm sure some time away from undergrad and graduate school indoctrination helps with self-reflection (at least for me). I also hate war mongers, so McCain and Bush were never really my kind of Republican (nor are they all that conservative), but I let my dislike of their foreign policy and domestic spying impact my voting in a bunch of other races that I shouldn't have.
A considered response. I respect it.
I've certainly moved right as I've grown older - especially since my university years. I think that in essence, we both want the same thing - sanity. I'd like to see on the national level some give and take, some compromise, more appreciation of other viewpoints and less ideological rigidity (of which there's far too much of on both sides of the divide). We are all Americans after all, we are not enemies simply because of differing political affiliations.
Amen and alleluia
Agreed. But simply regurgitating Democrat talking points is not the way to persuade independents.
I know a lot of progressives and they're generally a very happy bunch. Conservatives, on the other hand, think the world is going to hell in a handbasket and let me know it whenever I see them. The center is where our candidates should come from and where they should govern. Culture warriors like DeSantis and Trump have no place in our national politics.
I doubt that you live in Florida.
DeSantis is no MAGA'er.
He's won over the Center in Florida by getting things done.
Bruce
Biden is the culture warrior. He has imposed mandates of a rushed, experimental vaccine that doesn’t work and randomly kills and he is also bringing in over 5 million illegal immigrants a year while his press secretary lies her ass off every day.
And we gotta listen to this crap everyday!
Really? Progressives are happier than conservatives. Hmmm, most studies don’t back your claim. Look them up, there a lot.
Bruce not into research!
That's funny. My experience has been the exact opposite. I can't tell you the number of liberal friends who've stomped off in a huff or cut all ties. I guess where you stand depends on where you sit.
re: "culture warriors" - I don't think not wanting yours and others' minor children instructed in grade school about the - excuse the pun - ins and outs of anal sex is being a culture warrior, nor is not wanting them groomed by Disney movies. It's called, "being a responsible parent". - or in the politicians' case - a good leader.
Re: "center." I think Musk had a great tweet on that several years ago. "Center" being defined as one mm. to the right or left of what is already far to the left. Pass.
Bruce, you do exactly what the democrats mentioned in this article did. You dismiss DeSantis as a culture warrior without producing a single example of why he wouldn't be good for the country. The left suffers from this idea that even the worst democrat is still better than the best republican. That's why millions of voters tell themselves that as long as team blue wins, it doesn't matter how poorly they perform. It is a flawed thought that we need to get away from if there is hope of making things better. And I think this article correctly captures that Americans are growing tired of voting for a team and getting lousy results. The democrats rely on calling anyone that doesn't vote for them "right wing," "MAGA," etc. without ever asking voters why they feel the way they feel. When Dems lose, they label the voters white supremacist and victimize themselves.
Well posted AH!
Culture warrior DeSantis. Um, no. He is practical and very down to earth. Florida is booming. California is imploding. Nuff said.
I live in new york and almost everyone i know is a progressive. they're all completely miserable and on anti depressants. You are a moron.
That he is but it’s not our Bruce our poster Bruce is Miller!
It would ld be interesting to know what he's smoking, though.
This is my experience in NJ as well.
Interesting, I agree that the center is where most voters reside. Strip away the far left and far right and all that remains is a very mailable center. In fact, it could easily be a force if it were able to form a third political party.
If not DeSantis, who then ?
My sense is that DeSantis is self aware enough to pivot to the center at the national level to have a broader appeal. He is incredibly smart and hard working.
DeSantis is a smart, honest, hard working and reasonable lawyer who loves America. What’s not to love?
I like DeSantis.
I am trying to understand why Bruce does not, as historically, he is dead set against democrats.
Yip a different Bruce!
👍👍
Before the left moved waaaaay left DeSantis would have been considered a moderate. Everything is relative and this country needs the pendulum to swing back to a more moderate center. This may be a leading indicator.
Same thing happened with Reagan. I think it was the right time for a centrist Republican to rebut the excesses of 60s liberalism. We had at least 20 or 30 years of prosperity follow. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Very nice!
Yes, the pendulum has swung way left, which causes many centrists to be labeled “identifies as right wing.”
Everything is relative.
I can hear it now.
Far right conservative Ron DeSantis threw his hat into the ring for the presidential race today……
Exactly the lefties shift the dynamics with language not actually by doing anything
🤣🤣
Based on every study ever done what you claim is demonstrably false. So is any study of human history. Republicans are more likely to own a hone, be married, have children, and be involved in their communities - all things that lead to far greater human happiness than serial sex partners and endless feigned victimhood.
I couldn’t agree more that the center, where 80% of any populations live , should drive policy.
However if you want to name DeSantis & Trump as representatives of culture warriors, you really should include Pelosi & Shumer or other progressives.
Let’s not have the pot calling the kettle black.
Name callers and labelers gotta name call and label. Much easier than discussing and debating issues. Issues require thought and nuance. And because there is more than one issue, tradeoffs, at least for voters as opposed to politicians. We have loads on single issue voters. This past cycle the abortion issue was likely the most easily spotted. But when some one voted on the basis of abortion they got a candidate who was not an abortion only candidate. Case in point is the Arizona gubernatorial race. Many voters did not like Lake. Fine. Many others voted on the basis of abortion. But with Hobbs they got more than a pro choice candidate. They also got someone likely to be more lax on secure birders in a border state. That phenomenon will play out elsewhere in a state like NY abortion voters got the pro abortion candidate who is also soft on crime. It's like cable and insurance companies where you get the whole bundle not just the internet service or the home insurance. Whether voters wise up and vote on the whole package in the future remains to be seen. In Florida ( yes Florida for those who constantly deride the state) voters awakened from wokeness and looked at issues and candidates more broadly. Many of those wised up voters came from... NY
One could argue that this is the reason why these single issues are never solved nor never allowed to not be front and center in MSM. An issue like abortion is great for campaigning and fundraising. It's an issue that directly affects a very small number of Americans; yet, millions of Americans think is the most important issue facing our country. It's a great distractor and while we're fighting over it, the rest of the country can go to hell. Or as you point out, your team wins the abortion battle at the expense of losing other (arguably much more important) issues.
Human beings are seriously strange AH. I call it the Triple D factor - Distract Disrupt Destroy, we doing very well with all that at the moment.
I have long held the view that the abortion issue needs to be compromised ( in a manner similar to what Graham proposed). Get it off the table. I realize there are many on the pro life side who disagree but the reality is abortions and the demand therefor exist and will always exist. I was hoping the Court would steer clear of Roe and simply uphold the Mississippi law and the 15 week standard and perhaps throw in some dicta about viability and the advances in science and medicine since 1973. I do not agree with Roberts on many issues but I was with him in Dobbs. The object of politics is or should be to win on an overall basis and not fight the valiant fight to win a battle and lose sight of the bigger picture. There are many issues much more important than abortion.
DeSantis' legislature passed the 15 week abortion standard. Trust me, it is 15 weeks because that's what the Governor wants it to be.
While I'd like it to be a somewhat shorter period, my Wife thinks 15 weeks isn't long enough; still, we both acknowledge that 15 weeks is a sensible standard that a very large majority of people can live with.
Now we can focus on governing the State.
I wish Desantis stuck with 15 weeks because that does seem like a happy medium. If this goes through my fear is many young people will simply refuse to risk endorsing or empowering the GOP. I can argue the pro-life position without appealing to religion but my opinion is this is just too much responsibility for young people. It is terrifying for them. They will want the freedom to terminate pregnancies.
https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/governor-ron-desantis-says-hes-willing-to-sign-heartbeat-bill-into-law/
I agree, but the problem was that Roe vs Wade was horrible law; it just doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Both sides knew that it would never survive an honest review. Blame Blackmun for this.
I completely agree. It's frustrating because neither side seriously proposes anything besides the allow all or ban all positions. Makes me think they don't want to settle because they'd lose this issue for campaigning. The last study I saw said only 15% (total) of Americans believed in an allow all or ban all position on abortion. So 85% of Americans believe abortion should be legal with some restrictions. Yet, we don't hear anything coming out of Congress that would capture the desires of that 85%. Instead, it's the same two ignorant extreme positions that represent few that we are presented with. In a way, letting states decide is probably much more likely to lead to a balance than if Congress got involved. We've already seen "red" state voters reject more restrictions on abortion. At least at the state level, the desires of the majority are much more likely to be captured by more direct voting on individual issues. Then again, I am biased because I believe more issues should be left to the states to decide. But can you imagine if tomorrow, we didn't have abortion to divide us!
Sen. Lindsay Graham recently proposed just the sort of compromise legislation you advocate. Of course, he was denounced for wanting to "ban abortion" and his proposal went no where. Both parties raise too much money on abortion to want the issue to go away.
Absolutely. Dems had a filibuster proof majority when Obamacare was passed. Why didn’t they deal with the abortion question then? They knew Roe wasn’t going to be permanent. If women are angry about not having the right to choose they should know who to be angry with.
Abortion is way too good of a fundraiser and fear generator just like the issue of illegal immigration. Another issue that could have been sorted out by now. Illegal immigrants likewise should realize that they are being played.
Abortion is the perfect problem: It divides us, it is easy to campaign on, and it leads to gobs of political fundraising. Why would either team ever let this go.
abortion debate is like oh look a sparkly thing. a diversion from real issues
You nailed it.