{"id":582721,"date":"2023-07-14T12:42:30","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T09:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/desantis-faces-potential-make-or-break-moment-with-first-gop-debate\/"},"modified":"2023-07-14T12:42:30","modified_gmt":"2023-07-14T09:42:30","slug":"desantis-faces-potential-make-or-break-moment-with-first-gop-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/desantis-faces-potential-make-or-break-moment-with-first-gop-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"#DeSantis faces potential make-or-break moment with first GOP debate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/64a195caefe8a3.68861588-e1688766634685.jpeg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Ron DeSantis faces a crucial moment with next month\u2019s first GOP primary debate amid signs he\u2019s failing to gain traction against former President Trump.<\/p>\n<p>The Florida governor has signaled he will participate in the debate, which will be held in Milwaukee on Aug. 23, even as Trump threatens to skip it.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Whether the former president attends or not, however, the debate stands to be a critical test for DeSantis, who has faced criticism for his sometimes-stilted style, as well as his failure to connect with voters and reluctance to directly attack his opponents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe debate is more important for Ron DeSantis than any of the other candidates,\u201d said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist who served as communications on Sen. Marco Rubio\u2019s (R-Fla.) 2016 presidential bid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s the candidate with the most questions swirling about him,\u201d he continued. \u201cHe is second in the polls, which as I know from my experience with Rubio, it\u2019s often the hardest position to be in. He\u2019s going to be taking it from Trump and every other candidate on the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to the Real Clear Politics polling average, Trump leads DeSantis 52.6 percent to 21 percent. The Florida governor has also been dogged by a number of bad headlines, including a glitch-filled campaign rollout on <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a> and a video attacking Trump over his support of LGBTQ people that garnered blowback. <\/p>\n<p>DeSantis\u2019s allies contend that the governor\u2019s current standing in the polls is the result of him lagging in name ID behind the former president and that viewership and subsequent coverage of a first presidential primary debate could alleviate that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost of voters are not paying attention to the 2024 presidential race, and so when there is an event or debate where most of the candidates, if not all of the candidates, are on stage and debating each other, that\u2019s going to attract a lot of eyeballs,\u201d said Justin Sayfie, a Florida Republican strategist.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Fox <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a>, which is hosting the first debate, garnered nearly 24 million viewers during the first GOP primary debate in 2015.<\/p>\n<p>But right now, the debate itself is being overshadowed by the question of whether Trump will even participate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe world is Donald Trump\u2019s oyster when it comes to debate strategy and what he wants to do. He can choose to debate, he can choose not to debate,\u201d said Ford O\u2019Connell, a Florida-based Republican strategist. \u201cHe can choose to even conceivably leverage the rules in his favor or even at the same time run his own town hall because when it comes to the GOP debates, he\u2019s the prime-time attraction.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>On Tuesday, Trump\u2019s campaign spokesperson Jason Miller told \u201cThe Hill\u201d on News Nation that it was \u201cunlikely\u201d that the former president would participate in the first debate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo ultimately, President Trump will make a decision as we get closer. He has not said anything definitive, one way or the other. I\u2019m not expecting him to participate, though,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis himself called on Trump to participate on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cNobody is entitled to this nomination. You have got to earn the nomination and doing things like The Family Leader event in Iowa, doing things like these debates,\u201d he said on the Howie Carr Show. \u201cEvery candidate needs to be put to the test and I think he needs to step up and do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis\u2019s campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo said in a separate statement to The Hill: \u201cTrump couldn\u2019t even beat Joe Biden in a debate, no wonder he\u2019s afraid of Ron DeSantis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There is precedent for Trump not showing up to primary debates. The former president skipped the last debate before the Iowa caucuses in 2016 amid tension between him and then-Fox News host Megyn Kelly. The move was met with criticism, with many Republicans at the time arguing that Trump was depriving Iowa caucus-goers of their last time to see him before the contests. While Trump lost the Iowa Caucuses in 2016, he went on to win the nomination.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>And this week, Trump declined to participate in the Family Leader Republican presidential forum in Iowa on Friday due to a scheduling conflict. Instead, Trump will head to Florida this weekend where he will headline the Turning Point Action\u2019s young voter conference. He will also participate in a town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity in the Hawkeye State on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe made his tough-guy move by not showing up to the Iowa forum,\u201d said New Hampshire House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R), who has endorsed DeSantis. \u201cHe\u2019s not going to want to stay away from that debate. He can\u2019t stand for 12 other people to stand on that stage talking about him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yet Trump\u2019s decision on whether or not to attend isn\u2019t expected to impact DeSantis\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cYou know that Ron knows he\u2019s in trouble because Ron said, \u2018I\u2019m going to do the debates no matter what Trump does,\u2019\u201d said one Republican strategist. \u201cThat speaks more to other people nipping at Ron\u2019s heels than it does to DeSantis nipping at Trump\u2019s heels.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some DeSantis allies doubt the wisdom of taking part if Trump decides to skip.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe question is whether he should even participate if Trump doesn\u2019t show,\u201d said Dan Eberhart, a DeSantis donor. \u201cIf he\u2019s the big fish on the debate stage, everyone will have no choice but to train their fire on him. That only serves Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Others argue that if Trump does decide to participate, he\u2019ll inadvertently end up elevating DeSantis by focusing his energy on him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a strategic question for the Trump campaign, how they want to handle DeSantis,\u201d Sayfie said. \u201cIf they attack him, they elevate him. If they ignore him, they allow him to shine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But there are reasons beyond Trump for DeSantis allies to be concerned about the debate. The Florida governor has been the subject of critical coverage for his occasional awkward soundbites, as well as allegations that he\u2019s unlikable.<\/p>\n<p>And his most recent debate performance, when he was running for reelection for governor last year, was not without its awkward moments. Perhaps most memorably, DeSantis generated headlines when he repeatedly refused to answer his Democratic opponent Charlie Crist\u2019s question on whether he would commit to a full term if reelected. Regardless, DeSantis swept to victory later in November.<\/p>\n<p>Political observers may have gotten their closest look yet at how DeSantis will <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach the debate when footage was leaked last May from debate prep for his 2018 gubernatorial run. The video, in which he preps answers with Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R), showed him grappling with how to deal with questions about his disagreements with then-President Trump, who endorsed DeSantis that year.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the dynamic between the two men is different now, with Trump training most of his ire on the Florida governor. But DeSantis will still have to contend with appealing to the same group of voters, many of whom are signaling they want another four years of Trump.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like to talk to my members about the difference between how we argue with our enemies versus how we argue with our friends,\u201d said Osborne, the DeSantis supporter. \u201cIn a primary, you\u2019re arguing with our friends, so you\u2019ve got to try to keep it clean.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem when you have a guy like Trump, who\u2019s a little more locker room in his flavor, it has a tendency to send people off over the edge,\u201d he continued. \u201cDeSantis is just as much of an insult comic as Trump is, but he\u2019s more like William Shakespeare whereas Trump is like Triumph the Dog Puppet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis\u2019s supporters also say he\u2019ll have his record as governor, which was nonexistent in 2018, to stand on this time around.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe has a bulletproof track record and a vision to turn this country around,\u201d said Dave Vasquez, the spokesman for the pro-DeSantis PAC Never Back Down.\u00a0\u201cFrom securing parent\u2019s rights in education and standing up to the woke mob, to leading Florida\u2019s economic growth, Gov. Ron DeSantis isn\u2019t afraid to make his case directly to voters. Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden are afraid of standing on the stage next to Governor DeSantis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis allies acknowledge that the governor will have a target on his back regardless of whether Trump is on stage or not. They also say that\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as bad publicity,\u201d Osborne said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/4094344-desantis-faces-potential-make-or-break-moment-with-first-gop-debate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ron DeSantis faces a crucial moment with next month\u2019s first GOP primary debate amid signs he\u2019s failing to gain traction against former President Trump. The Florida governor has signaled he will participate in the debate, which will be held in Milwaukee on Aug. 23, even as Trump threatens to skip it. Whether the former president&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":582722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/07\/64a195caefe8a3.68861588-e1688766634685.jpeg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[137644,134519,134417,134343,124783,134614,139635,134354,4947,29102,5019],"class_list":["post-582721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-2024-election","tag-alex-conant","tag-blog-briefing-room","tag-campaign","tag-international","tag-judiciary","tag-lobbying","tag-nexstar-media-wire-news","tag-opinion","tag-ron-desantis","tag-space"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/582721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=582721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/582721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/582722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=582721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=582721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=582721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}