DeSantis' Problem Isn't Trump, It's That Dems Rigged '20 | RealClearPolitics
By: RealClearNews
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
How can GOP candidates admit that 2020 was rigged against Trump voters, and then ask those voters to abandon Trump?
By John Daniel Davidson
You might have noticed a media narrative taking shape the last few days about how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign has “stalled.” A Politico Playbook item over the weekend described it as a “failure to launch,” noting that polling for DeSantis peaked in January at 40.5 percent and has since settled in the low 20s amid a barrage of attacks from former President Donald Trump.
Playbook also cited other news outlets recently casting doubt on the DeSantis operation, from fundraising struggles to lack of endorsements to difficulties distinguishing himself from Trump on policy. DeSantis super PAC official Steve Cortes added fuel to the narrative fire in an interview Sunday night, bemoaning the polls and admitting, “clearly Donald Trump is the runaway frontrunner.”
One could of course object that it’s only July, that polls don’t mean much this far out from the primaries, and that corporate media want nothing more than to push a DeSantis-is-stalled narrative whether it’s true or not, because they hate and fear him just as they hate and fear Trump.
But maybe there’s something else going on here. If enthusiasm for DeSantis seems lacking, maybe it has little or nothing to do with DeSantis or his campaign. Perhaps what we’re seeing is less about him and still less about 2024 or the upcoming GOP primary scrum, and more about what happened in 2020. Put bluntly, maybe what we’re seeing now is an early sign that what Democrats, Big Tech, and corporate media did in 2020 was inject poison into our political system, and the 2024 election cycle is going to show us just how deadly that poison is.
Recall that 2020 was unlike any election in American history. One need not declare that it was “stolen” to admit that it was obviously rigged . After all, the people and institutions that rigged it have freely admitted what they did. They suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story, censored what Americans could say on social media, introduced unprecedented changes to our voting system under the pretext of pandemic precautions, and poured hundreds of millions of dollars into putatively nonpartisan local election offices through Mark Zuckerberg-connected nonprofits for the sole purpose of turning out Democrat voters in swing states.
Nothing like that has ever happened in American history. And it was all done for the singular purpose of ensuring that Trump would not serve a second term. What’s more, all of that came after four years of the permanent regime in Washington discarding every political norm, bending every rule, and breaking more than a few laws in a failed effort to oust Trump from office during his first term.
Now, maybe you think that’s all nonsense, or just water under the bridge. What’s done is done, we can’t go back, and even if the 2020 election wasn’t on the level we all just need to move on and go about the 2024 primary season like it’s business as usual. There’ll be debates and a deluge of political ads and campaign shenanigans. There’ll be a chaotic, rambunctious primary full of zingers and debate moderator tomfoolery, and at the end of it Republicans will have their nominee and we can all get on with the general election.
Sorry, but that’s not going to happen. It won’t happen because Trump supporters are understandably not willing to forget 2020 and just trundle along through 2024 like none of it happened. Plenty of them will always believe, not without reason, that 2020 was stolen outright. Many millions more believe, with even more reason, that it was rigged unfairly against Trump and that the same forces are at work now to rig it against whomever the GOP nominee turns out to be.
Does that mean Trump is somehow entitled to the nomination, or even to another term in the White House? Not necessarily. To the extent that 2020 was stolen, it wasn’t strictly speaking stolen from Trump but from the American people, the voters who cast their ballots for Trump in good faith, trusting that our elections were free and fair.
Now that their faith has proved misplaced, do you think they’re going to line up for a GOP primary and consider each candidate on his or her merits, giving them all a fair hearing? Of course not. As far as they’re concerned, they were robbed of their votes in the last election by a corrupt cabal of powerful elites who are still in control.
Indeed, we know more today about the astounding level of corruption and election-rigging in 2020 than we did at the time. None of the problems have been fixed, and no reparations have been made. You can’t expect these voters to simply move on and act like 2024 is going to be a free and fair election, and accept whatever result the machine coughs up.
To win over GOP primary voters who supported Trump in the past two cycles, these candidates have to speak to the injustice that was done in 2020, they have to admit what happened, name who did it, and affirm that we cannot have a self-governing republic if that’s how our elections are going to be.
And therein lies the problem for a candidate like DeSantis — to say nothing of such winsome and meritorious gunners like Vivek Ramaswamy or Tim Scott. How can you decry what they did to Trump in one breath and in the next proclaim that you’re the best person to redress those grievances? That Trump should stand aside and let you, Nikki Haley, restore faith in American elections and put Democrats in their place.
Maybe it can be done, maybe they can come up with a rationale for their candidacies that will appeal to Trump supporters. It certainly would be a neat trick.
But if you’re trying to explain why an otherwise popular figure like DeSantis isn’t gaining traction among GOP primary voters, the answer has less to do with Trump and more to do with what Democrats did in 2020. No one should expect Trump voters to forgive and forget. Democrats and their accomplices might have thought they were getting rid of Trump once and for all, and maybe they will get rid of him in the end. But right now, it looks like they sowed the wind.
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To say that the premise of this article is ridiculous would be putting it mildly.
It just goes to show you what a far right web site The Federalist really is.
The "argument" if you can call it that, is that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump and his followers cant get over it.
What is the evidence the election was stolen?
Basically, their evidence is that Biden won. Donald Trump said in both 2016 and 2020 that the only way he could lose was if it was stolen from him. Ergo, the mAGA nitwits take that literally, Trump "lost" so it must have been stolen.
The seeded article argues that things like censorship on social media cost Trump the election. Really? How many truly delusional people think the kind of social media that was "censored" would have won Trump more votes? Trump lost because he is a despised human being by the majority of Americans. Tens of thousands of Republican voters in the swing states left the presidential line on the ballot blank, because they refused to vote for trump even though they voted for all the other Republican candidates. That is why he lost.
The Federalist is a menace to society.
Stunning
You might have noticed a media narrative taking shape the last few days about how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign has “stalled.” A Politico Playbook item over the weekend described it as a “failure to launch,” noting that polling for DeSantis peaked in January at 40.5 percent and has since settled in the low 20s amid a barrage of attacks from former President Donald Trump.
Trump once only had a 15 point lead over DeSantis. It is very clear what happened. The democrats lined up indictments against Trump and naturally Trump gained the sympathy of those who believe in fair play and equal justice. A lot can still happen. DeSantis like every other Republican Presidential candidate will hang in as long as possible to see if the dems can knock Trump out of the race.
Recall that 2020 was unlike any election in American history. One need not declare that it was “stolen” to admit that it was obviously rigged . After all, the people and institutions that rigged it have freely admitted what they did. They suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story, censored what Americans could say on social media, introduced unprecedented changes to our voting system under the pretext of pandemic precautions, and poured hundreds of millions of dollars into putatively nonpartisan local election offices through Mark Zuckerberg-connected nonprofits for the sole purpose of turning out Democrat voters in swing states.
The clear distinction has been made in that paragraph between election interference and outright fraud. Progressives want to claim that since there was no fraud proven that the 2020 election was pristine. It was anything but. The left openly bragged about all they had done:
And as a federal judge has recently reminded us, the US government suppressed information detrimental to the Biden campaign.
The 2020 election was truly one for the ages. There are those who will be disceting it for many years.
Even if we come to the extremely dubious conclusion that all this is true it does not equate to "rigging" or stealing the election.
It is interesting that Donald Trump himself does not include "changes to our voting system under the pretext of pandemic precautions" in his own allegations that the election was stolen from him. He ALWAYS mentions things like ballots were found under tables or that they were run through tabulating machines more than once. Those things MIGHT constitute stealing the election if any of it was true. But it has all been debunked.
"turning out Democrat voters in swing states." is not in any way shape or form "rigging" the election. American citizens have one vote each. Unless unregistered voters are voting or votes are being counted twice, there is no "rigging". The only rigging that was attempted was by Trump forces to create illegal electors.
I have never claimed that the 2016 election was "rigged". You must be confused again.
Then you won't bitch when the next Republican administration has leftist voices suppressed on social media; uses the FBI/DOJ/IRS to investigate and charge their main political opponents; and Republicans change the voting laws across the US to benefit their voters.
We can already rule out the last one- because Democrats have been bitching non stop any time Republicans change voting laws. Even when those lows result in more voters voting and having an easier time of it.
The other two will be proven with impeachments if a Republican President has the temerity to try and pull what Brandon has.
How about influencing.
What Mark Zuckerberg did should have been and probably will become illegal.
"turning out Democrat voters in swing states." is not in any way shape or form "rigging" the election.
That is not rigging. It is something the GOP must go to work on.
This is what shouldn't happen:
"The dark money behemoth, an arm of Arabella Advisors’ sprawling nonprofit network, was looking to challenge red-state voting laws that curtailed mail-in voting, but staffers were keenly aware of the hurdles they would face making inroads with Republican lawmakers.
They embarked on a project to take control of a 501(c)4 nonprofit, Secure Democracy, and lobby Republican lawmakers—and run ads against them—on voting rights issues from behind the veil of an ostensibly nonpartisan group.
For a time, they gained traction. In 2020 and 2021, Secure Democracy pushed lawmakers in over 20 states to expand mail-in balloting and other liberal voting initiatives. Those lawmakers were seemingly unaware that they were being influenced by political operatives working at the highest levels of the Democratic Party. New Venture Fund, after all, is the largest branch of the multibillion-dollar Democratic dark money clearinghouse controlled by Arabella Advisors."
Donald Trump lied over 30,000 times from 2017 to 2020. How many of those were intended to influence the 2020 election?
This is a picture of people in Georgia waiting to vote in 2020. Were these long lines in red states meant to "influence" the election?
ANYONE who is a criminal like Trump should be investigated.
Don't be ridiculous.
Democrats are above the law.
The FBI/DOJ/IRS work for the Democrat Party. Just ask Obama, Hillary, and Brandon. Investigations on Democrats can be slow walked for years or even squashed. While investigations on their political opponents can be completed in a few short months. Whistleblowers can be harassed by any of the government alphabet agencies. Political opponents voices can be silenced on social media. Countless investigations can be launched and charges stacked against political opponents. Judges can be shopped for and juries hand picked to get the desired results.
Remember when leftists questioned big government? Now they are the number one advocates for big government. Don't question Big Brother or there will be consequences!
A lot of old white people in that picture John, were liberals trying to suppress the conservative vote?
Neither of these fools is fit to hold the office of president. Neither of them will ever be president in 2025.
As far as Trump being indicted, it was long expected, in fact it was expected since before Trump announced his candidacy. Trump is in part running , and announced two whole years before the election, because he wants to use his candidacy as a shield against facing justice.
I think that's kind of what Peter Strzok said.
Sorry, this is not yet China, John.
Because he wants to use his candidacy as a shield against Democrat two tier justice. Fixed it for you.
The only way that this will ever change is if Brandon is held to the same damn standards under the law. As the Hunter sweet heart plea deal; the DOJ/FBI/IRS obstruction of Republican House investigations; and the utter lack of any movement into investigating Brandon illegal holding of classified documents by the DOJ/FBI/Special Counsel proves that will never happen.
I think you are referring to the rebuttal by clear thinking individuals who counter the outrageous claims of Trump and supporters that the 2020 election was rigged and that the rigging ensured a Biden win. This is not a claim, as you suggest, that the absence of proven significant fraud meant the election was pristine.
NO NATIONAL ELECTION IS EVER PRISTINE.
It is, in contrast, a note that those claiming the election outcome was changed due to rigging have failed completely in providing any credible evidence in support of the claim. Indeed, numerous recounts and investigations have come up with nothing significant.
Those who continue with this notion that 2020 was rigged and that Biden is illegitimate are waaaaaay out there in conspiracy theory land.
There is a report online that I have seen but dont remember the title of , which was done by a group of concerned conservatives ,including various legal experts, which looked into every single one of the 64 cases of alleged election fraud that Trump took to court following the 2020 election (he lost all but one of the 64 cases). This report concluded that there was no validity to any of them.
In a sane world and country, that would be case closed. But of course we dont have that.
Eight prominent conservatives released a 72-page report Thursday refuting claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election in dozens of unsuccessful court cases brought forth by former President Trump and his allies.
The group — which includes former federal judges, Republican senators and Republican-appointed officials — said they reviewed all 64 court cases Trump and his allies initiated challenging the election outcome, saying they had reached an “unequivocal” conclusion that the claims were unsupported by evidence.
“We conclude that Donald Trump and his supporters had their day in court and failed to produce substantive evidence to make their case,” the group wrote.
The eight conservatives repeatedly condemned the election fraud claims, but said they have not switched their allegiance to the Democratic Party and have no “ill will” toward Trump nor his supporters.
The group consists of former Sen. John Danforth (R-Mo.); longtime Republican lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg; former federal Judge Thomas Griffith; David Hoppe, chief of staff to former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.); former federal judge J. Michael Luttig; former federal judge Michael McConnell; Theodore Olson, solicitor general under former President George W. Bush; and former Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.).
“We urge our fellow conservatives to cease obsessing over the results of the 2020 election, and to focus instead on presenting candidates and ideas that offer a positive vision for overcoming our current difficulties and bringing greater peace, prosperity and liberty to our nation,” the group wrote.
More and more right wingers agree with their assessment.
The Biden/Harris duo is not re-electable. Trumps dominance is waning...more and more people are sick of him. The American people want to move on from these losers.
People of all political stripes want a return to something resembling normalcy in their lives. That's why support for DeSantis support is growing, which is the Dems worst fear, as shown by the increasing attacks against him.
The caucuses begin in 6 months. Things should get very interesting.
That is the opposite of what the polling shows.
Remember those 2016 polls that showed Hillary winning in a landslide?
Polls can be made to say whatever the pollster wants.
But if you want to hang your hat on polls- Brandon is under water on all of his. His only chance of winning is if Trump is the Republican nominee.
Today's polls mean absolutely nothing
You are the one who claims DeSantis support is growing. What are you basing that conclusion on if not polling? Wishful thinking?
One can only hope that is true. The fact that we are facing a very likely prospect of Biden vs. Trump in 2024 naturally causes one to question the accuracy of your posit.
You really think Joe Dementia can win another general election??
Come on, you're smarter than that.
Where did this question come from? Did you (and Just Jim) even read what I wrote @4.2
Try again. This time, since you are replying to me, respond to what I wrote.
As for Biden winning (dealing with your non sequitur), if running against Trump he will very likely win. As unpopular as Biden is, there is no comparison of him to Trump in a general election.
Now, flipping your question, do you (and Just Jim) actually think Trump would win in a general election?
If by some miracle Trump becomes the nominee, he's likely to beat Biden.
But you and I both know that is very unlikely. When all the dust settles DeSantis is going to be the ultimate winner.
The Dems and their progressive agenda is rapidly falling out of favor with the American people.
If DeSantis wins the nomination he certainly has a good chance to win the general. But he needs to change his gratuitously divisive message because right now he has essentially declared war on half the voters.
Trump winning a general election for PotUS in 2024 is very unlikely.
Also, if you think it would take a miracle for Trump to be the GOP nominee, do you not think it would take an even greater miracle for him to win in the general election?
Ever consider that?
Yep!
Then apply logic to see how your view of Trump winning in the general is illogical.
If a miracle is required (as you note) to get a plurality of the GOP.
Then a substantially larger miracle is required to get the electoral majority in the general.
Interesting concept but in the end, it's DeSantis that is his own worst enemy. His culture war campaign does not resonate with a huge part of the country, his attempted six-week ban on abortion (still waiting for the counts on this) numerous other ''culture war'' laws are getting blowback in Florida I doubt that much of the rest of the country will buy in on them. A lot of amateur campaign mistakes and in a recent article it seems that Rupert Murdoch'' is re thinging his support for DeSantis. (no confirmation on that). Add all that with his no personality and speaking ability I doubt if he can win the primary. The latest polling shows him at 17% the lowest of his campaign.
Add to all that the fact that Trump is kicking his ass I doubt if he will make it as a candidate.
Agreed. Who is devising his political strategy?