Category DeSantis is a BS Artist

May 9 2023

DeSantis Owners Not Happy, Wall Street Worried That Too Much Woke Stuff Lessens the Value of Their Candidate to Defeat Trump and Retain Affluence


Posted originally on the CTH on May 8, 2023 | Sundance 

The reality was/is that both political corporations do the bidding of their financiers, Wall Street.  The battle against the UniParty is always a battle of Main Street -vs- Wall Street.

Wall St funds the acceptable candidates from either wing of the UniParty; the candidates best suited to maintain the status quo and keep the elite class in control of the economy and finance.  Donald J Trump is the only threat to their interests, so the Wall Street control group fund anyone who can remove the threat.

Against this backdrop the Wall Street billionaires and multinational corporations selected Ron DeSantis as their best hope, and they poured tens of millions into his various accounts to help construct the campaign against Trump.

However, the campaign strategy, the actual blueprint to defeat President Trump, isn’t working.

First, the astroturf and games of the pretending not to run has just worn people out.  The fakery that is the Ron DeSantis campaign is leading to people looking at the candidate in a new light.  Why the fraud, fakery, manufactured branding and so much emphasis on denying the obvious.  These are the tell-tale signs of a heavily controlled GOPe operation.  People now see through the smokescreen the DeSantis handlers created.

Second, the campaign is constructed around getting the base to love their candidate’s position on social issues.  The fight against Wokeism is a tool and technique to lift the candidate.  However, too much emphasis on the social stuff leaves the candidate narrowing their base of support.  Put the two issues together and the viability of DeSantis starts dropping.  The cherry on the fail-cake is the weak character of the wind-testing principal.  It’s all an illusion.

The donors from Wall Street now see the program isn’t working.

WASHINGTON –  Wall Street is firmly in the Never Trump camp. Finding a Republican who can make “never” happen is another question.  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had been seen as the top pick to lock down the support of financial titans who have already pumped millions into his state campaigns.

But as he stumbles through gaffes over everything from his personal demeanor and stance on Ukraine to his snacking habits, Wall Street donors are keeping the door open to his competitors, according to more than a dozen bankers, attorneys and political consultants interviewed for this story.

Where Wall Street puts its money matters because financial industry executives are among the biggest donors in presidential elections. And while bankers and asset managers generally favor lower taxes and lighter-touch regulation, they also value stability and experience — and they spread their money around to candidates of both parties, meaning they’re very much in play in each cycle.

On paper, that should give DeSantis an advantage. People close to Wall Street donors said his national profile and powerhouse fundraising operation that has included support from hedge fund titans like Ken Griffin and Jeff Yass had positioned him as most able to survive a primary with former President Donald Trump.

DeSantis’ gubernatorial reelection campaign is still loaded with cash, giving him big advantages over possible competitors. But many now say he no longer seems so formidable — at least on Wall Street. (read more)

In the bigger picture, the issue for Wall Street is that people are starting to see the DC political construct is really just a Potemkin Village created to obscure the real nature of who is in power over government.  As more people awaken to the financial and economics of the issue, the multinational corporation, billionaire donors and agents they conscript as influencers no longer have the ability to sway voters.

Social issues are a tool to keep people focused on the puppet show.  However, once you see the strings on the marionettes, you can never go back to that moment in the performance when you did not see them.  Ultimately, this is the DeSantis problem, and it extends well beyond the Florida governor.

May 6 2023

Report, DeSantis Will Skip 2024 Exploratory Committee Phase and Enter Training Camp for Facial Expressions


Posted originally on the CTH on May 5, 2023 | Sundance 

Ever since we pointed out the branding and image consultants hired by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in April, 2022 as part of his national rebranding launch, we have faced some criticism from non-believers.  [Go Deep]   However, the truth has no agenda.  The reality of the situation exists regardless of our comfort level.

ABC News is now reporting that Ron DeSantis will skip the exploratory committee phase and go straight into full campaign mode.  However, the best part of the information provided from within the DeSantis operation is this, “the team has been paying close attention to how to help manage the governor’s facial reactions in the upcoming debate.”  Too funny.  Nothing screams authenticity quite like taking political lessons in controlling your facial expressions.

Everything about this DeSantis construct is astroturf, fake, manufactured and inauthentic. It’s the major Achilles heel they just cannot overcome.

(Via ABC) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is moving more aggressively toward making his 2024 presidential campaign official, with sources telling ABC News the governor’s team is leaning toward skipping the launch of an exploratory committee altogether and is instead expected to launch a full presidential campaign next month.

The decision to skip the exploratory committee comes as DeSantis caps off an aggressive legislative session that saw him push a hard-line conservative agenda and dive head-first into numerous culture wars, while facing increasing attacks from his likely opponent, former President Donald Trump.

Sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News the decision to skip the exploratory committee comes as the governor is itching to start making his argument to voters by touting his accomplishments and to start pushing back against Trump’s numerous attacks.

[…] Sources said earlier this week that Trump plans to skip one or both of the first two Republican primary debates. But those close to DeSantis emphasized that they are preparing for either scenario, and are skeptical that the pair would not ultimately face off on the debate stage.

Still, sources said the governor’s strategy heading into the debates will be more focused on introducing the governor on a national stage rather than getting into a sparring match with the former president. However, the team has been paying close attention to how to help manage the governor’s facial reactions in the upcoming debate, sources said. (read more)

It has always been this way…. Club branding is subtle on the image front, but very clear on the substantive messaging side. Social issues selected to maximize camp coalition and influence base.

Consistently present is political messaging where the Republican voter base can say “yes.” Keep the “yes” messaging at the forefront (social emphasis). Focus on values. Schools, kids, safety, woke pushback, media bias etc, keep the audiences nodding yes.  Ultimately, it’s a sales technique. Identify with the target to influence their decisions.

Issues around multinational & corporate economics, hard economic and trade issues, foreign policy, all these things must be avoided – except in general terms.  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is not to be challenged, not really.  Keep the message social and build the emotional connection. It is harder to break an emotional bond than a logical or cognitive bond.

These are the political techniques of Lee Atwater that still make up the bulk of the GOPe Club playbook.   The greatest skill of the professionally Republican is to present the illusion of choice in such a way as the voters do not see it.

Keep in mind, back in Washington DC both clubs are collaborating on the Trump removal program, because both clubs benefit.

Gotta work on those facial expressions Ron.

May 3 2023

Why Now? Florida Republican Legislature Sealing Ron DeSantis Travel Records from Public Review


Posted originally on the CTH on May 2, 2023 | Sundance 

The easiest way to cut through the pretending nonsense is to ask the obvious question, ‘Why now?‘

The Florida Republican Legislature is changing the Sunshine Laws in Florida to block people from reviewing the travel records of the Florida Governor. [HB1495 Link]

The claimed justification is security, to protect the governor and high-ranking state officials.  However, the obvious timing of Ron DeSantis pending run for the White House, in combination with his administration refusing to give details on who/how the funding for his private charter flights have been taking place during the “book tour,” makes the new law much more suspicious as constructed.

As noted within a Politico article on this subject: […] flight tracking records show that a private chartered jet last week flew from Austin, Texas, to Japan to South Korea to Israel to London and then, over the weekend, stopped in Boston before finally winding up in Tallahassee. Those stops coincide with the governor’s movements for the past week.

No reply at all — It has been previously stated that this trip is being paid by private donations to Enterprise Florida, the public-private economic development agency that is about to be dismantled by the Legislature. But a spokesperson for Enterprise Florida has not responded to questions as to why a chartered jet — which is likely to be tremendously expensive — was used for DeSantis’ trip. The agency was also asked about how much this will ultimately cost.  (read more)

If we stop playing this silly game of pretending, we will accept the billionaire donors who are funding the ‘STOP TRUMP’ operation are likely the same donors who are funding the ‘BOOK TOUR’; who are the same donors who funded the new branding and consulting group in 2022; who are the same donors funding the apparatus of the DeSantis stealth campaign.  More succinctly, his control handlers.

The need for control is a reaction to fear.

The professional Republican apparatus in Florida needs to control what is visible about the construct of Ron DeSantis 2024.  If you ask my opinion, I will tell you from all appearances this fear is connected to a reality that Ron DeSantis ’24 was planned long, long ago.  Likely before the 2020 presidential election year.

As a result of decades of grassroots activist work in the state of Florida, much of it led by the patriotic Tea Party movement, the sunshine state has/had some of the most transparent public information laws in the country.  Florida is/was well known for the ability of citizens and media to keep government officials in check through public records requests.  I have personally used them and will attest to the sunlight process that was always available.

Ever since the people behind Governor Ron DeSantis began conducting a stealth presidential campaign based on fraud, deception, brand imagery and pretense, those same Florida Sunlight Laws are viewed as a risk.   The arc of this DeSantis legacy, including the legislative changes he champions as good for the state, does not end in a good place.

If you follow the process to its natural conclusion, what’s predictable is a voter swing in the other direction. Then Democrats will have a lot of powerful tools they can weaponize against their opposition.  Tools, currently created by DeSantis, will be used by a host of carpetbagging non and new-Floridians who are putting the state on a path for future misery.

You only need to look at what took place on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives today to get a sense of the legislative crisis they are gleefully creating.  This is what DeSantis leadership in the state looks like right now:

Apr 30 2023

U.K. Business Leaders Unimpressed With Ron DeSantis Visit and London Leg of Book Tour


Posted originally on the CTH on April 29, 2023 | Sundance 

As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis finishes up his long-scheduled foreign policy tour, he finishes the trip on a down note in London, England.  Apparently, the political and business leaders were unimpressed by the diminutive stature of the Top-Gov and had lots of uncomplimentary things to say about him.

Meanwhile, on the domestic front, the most recent Trump -vs- DeSantis poll shows another slip for the DeSantis brand managers, despite the considerable lifts they put in his shoes to assist the optics.  President Trump now leads Ron DeSantis 62% to 16% in polling, a 46-point advantage {link}.

Governor DeSantis is scheduled to arrive back in Florida this week as the consultants organize bill signing ceremonies for legislation completed during his absence.  The bills will include a change to the Florida election laws permitting Ron to start officially campaigning for president instead of pretending not to run.  The ‘official’ announcement, which appears to have been planned for several years, is scheduled for mid-May next month.

LONDON — He hopes to win the hearts and minds of devoted Donald Trump supporters ahead of next year’s U.S. election.

But Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis failed to impress British business chiefs at a high-profile London event Friday, in a tired performance described variously as “horrendous,” “low-wattage” and “like the end of an overseas trip.”

The Florida governor, expected to launch his bid next month to challenge Trump as the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential race, met with more than 50 representatives of major U.K. firms and business lobbying groups as a part of a four-country “trade mission” ending in London Friday.

For several of those present, however, the statesmanship was lacking.

One U.K. business figure said DeSantis “looked bored” and “stared at his feet” as he met with titans of British industry in an event co-hosted by Lloyd’s of London — the world’s largest insurance marketplace.

“He had been to five different countries in five days and he definitely looked spent, but his message wasn’t presidential,” they told POLITICO. “He was horrendous.”

A second business figure who was in the room said it was a “low-wattage” performance and that “nobody in the room was left thinking, ‘this man’s going places’.”

They said: “It felt really a bit like we were watching a state-level politician. I wouldn’t be surprised if [people in attendance] came out thinking ‘that’s not the guy’.” “There wasn’t any stardust.” (Read More)

Please clap…

Apr 29 2023

Florida House Passes Bill Allowing DeSantis to Run in 2024 Without Resigning – Heads to Governor Desk for Signature, After He Returns from Overseas Tour


Posted originally on the CTH on April 28, 2023 | Sundance 

The Senate bill that permits Governor Ron DeSantis to run for the GOP nomination in 2024 has now passed the Florida House and awaits the governor signature after return from his overseas ‘book tour.’  The bill passed the House by a vote of 76-34.   DeSantis is expected to announce his official campaign mid-May.

Meanwhile, the details of DeSantis campaign team are starting to emerge along with details of how the Florida Republican Party has been paying for the team to assemble quietly without attention.

“The leadership roster remains subject to change since the campaign – which could launch as soon as the start of next month – does not yet technically exist and most salaries are being paid, for the moment, through the state Republican party.”  This construct once again, proves my 9-month-long point about the deception operation behind DeSantis.

I have long ago accepted this DeSantis construct has been several years in the making, and it is a demonstrable certainty that all of the action since late 2021 was done to lay the stage for a massive deception upon the voters of Florida.  This campaign operation, and the astroturf assembled to assist it, has been a GOPe operation for a long time.  The assembled team is a who’s-who of GOPe operatives and DC professional republicans.  There’s not a single outsider among them.

[FLORIDA] –  Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, is quietly assembling a senior staff for an expected 2024 presidential campaign that will be headed by his top political adviser, Generra Peck, and around seven other Republican operatives serving as top advisers, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The leadership roster remains subject to change since the campaign – which could launch as soon as the start of next month – does not yet technically exist and most salaries are being paid, for the moment, through the state Republican party.

But some of the senior staff have started to move in recent weeks to the campaign’s base in Tallahassee, the people said, as DeSantis prepares to announce his presidential ambitions as perhaps the closest challenger to Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination.

[…] The campaign manager is expected to be Peck, one of DeSantis’s most trusted advisers, who most recently shepherded his 2022 re-election effort for Florida governor, which saw him defeat the Democratic challenger and former governor Charlie Crist by almost 20 percentage points.

Peck is considered a highly adept political operator – notably including by Trump’s own team – who associates say earned the trust of DeSantis and his wife, Casey. At the governor’s inauguration, Peck was one of the people he thanked for his success.

The political director is expected to be Ryan Tyson, another top DeSantis adviser and one of the best-known Republican pollsters, who has been tasked with turning DeSantis’s legislative record in Florida into campaign policy that could work for a national audience.

[…] The policy team is expected to be headed by Dustin Carmack, DeSantis’s chief of staff when he was a member of Congress, from 2013 until 2018, before he ran for Florida governor. Carmack was also the chief of staff for the director of national intelligence during the Trump administration.

The communications team is expected to be headed by David Abrams, who came over from the Republican State Leadership Committee. Abrams previously worked for the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and the New Hampshire governor, Chris Sununu – both potential 2024 candidates.

Also a senior adviser for press is Christina Pushaw, responsible for rapid response. Pushaw came under scrutiny last year when the justice department directed her to retroactively register as a foreign agent for her work on behalf of the former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili from 2018 until 2020.

In a reflection of Casey DeSantis’s influence on her husband’s political career, her top aide, Melissa Peters, is also expected to serve as a senior adviser, with the title of chief financial officer overseeing operations, acting effectively as “the voice” of the would-be first lady on the campaign.

The chief technology officer is expected to be Carl Sceusa, who helped set up the WinRed platform, which generated more than $1bn in digital fundraising for Republican candidates in the 2020 election in only 15 months. He is expected to work with Ethan Eilon, who is heading the digital team.

DeSantis had discussed having Heather Barker run the finance operation, but last month, she joined Never Back Down Pac – the main fundraising vehicle for the DeSantis campaign. Barker’s deputy, Tucker Obenshain, is now expected to lead the advance team.

Also regarded as senior staff is Jason Johnson, the former chief strategist for Senator Ted Cruz, though it was unclear whether he will be leading a specific team or whether he will take on a broader top advisory role with the campaign. (read more)

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Richard Baris: DeSantis shouldn’t run

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Baris: I don’t know what DeSantis is going to do

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Apr 28 2023

Collapsing at Home, DeSantis Travels to Israel and Proclaims He Moved U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, Not President Trump


Posted originally on the CTH on April 27, 2023 | Sundance 

This should be embarrassing, even for a seriously self-centered politician so filled with hubris and visions of grandeur that he cannot see anything except his own magnanimity.  Alas, for the Narcissus Top Gov and the branding organization behind him, no scale of hubris exclaimed is excessive enough.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was in Israel Thursday, doing the obligatory indulgency tour all Republican presidential candidates must undertake before they officially announce.  During his pre-planned events, DeSantis took credit for moving the U.S-Israel embassy to Jerusalem.

[…] DeSantis presented the Trump administration’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem as his own achievement, saying he worked to “cajole” the former president to make the move. He didn’t mention former President Trump by name. (link)

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had no independent source of wealth, prior to this 2024 endeavor and collaborative operation.  Together with the multinational financing operation around him, in combination with the Murdoch book deal and advance payment, the $300k Governor is now worth millions.  Funny how that happens.  It’s no wonder Casey is tiara shopping while Florida residents are crushed by skyrocketing housing, insurance, taxes, energy and other unavoidable costs of living.

“Bumped into”…. 

January 6, 2022