Category Governor Ron DeSantis

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 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 27 2023

Florida Senate Pass Bill 28-12 Allowing DeSantis to Run Without Resigning, NBC Reports Announcement Coming Mid-May


Posted originally on the CTH on April 26, 2023 | Sundance 

As expected, the Florida Senate has passed the Ron DeSantis is a liar law, permitting the Florida Governor to run without resigning, by a vote of 28-12.

The previously created Ron DeSantis media group, Florida’s Voice, celebrates the news:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – The Florida Senate approved an election overhaul bill Wednesday 28-12, which included a clarification to the “resign-to-run” law. The change would exempt officeholders seeking the position of U.S. president or vice president from the state’s “resign-to-run” law. (read more)

Florida’s Voice was proactively created and funded by billionaire donors, during their prior planning phase.  The Florida media outlet was created at the same time the ‘social media influencer’ program was put into the DeSantis plan.  This is all part of one very long continuum over multiple years.  The people who put the plan together simply followed the advice of Johnathan Gruber and “relied upon the stupidity of the Florida voter” not to notice it.

Meanwhile, NBC is breaking exclusive news the Ron DeSantis team plan to launch the official announcement mid-May.  Several weeks ago, after one of the official campaign contractors was hired, CTH shared what NBC is now confirming.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is poised to jump into the presidential fray as soon as mid-May, four GOP operatives familiar with the conversations told NBC News.

One of the sources emphasized that it would be an exploratory committee, with the official launch coming soon after.

Some of his backers are urging him to declare as early as May 11, in an effort to counter the creeping national narrative that former President Donald Trump is the overwhelming front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination. Others in the governor’s orbit, however, have argued that that date would be too soon, according to two of those sources. All emphasized, however, that mid-May is the target.

[…] In a clear sign of movement on the campaign front, national political vendors descended on Tallahassee this week, vying for work on DeSantis’ forthcoming campaign.

“There has been an influx of national firms in town over the last few days,” said one of the Florida Republican operatives familiar with the meetings. “It feels like a team that is staffing up, not scaling down.”

A second operative said they signal a likely presidential launch sooner than some expect, even as DeSantis has increasingly faced headwinds and fledgling poll numbers in recent months.  “Large campaigns require in-house planning, and this has been ‘vendors: assemble’ week in Tallahassee,” said a third source familiar with the meetings. (read more)

Ron DeSantis is not a nice person. Actually, he is very shallow and not liked by the people in his orbit.  It will be very easy to get information from the campaign folks, because they are only in it for the money.  The RdS campaign will leak like the Cruz team did in 2016, same dynamic.  The discovery of this is why many of the Sea Island billionaires are now pulling back from their full-throated support.d

[…]Republican megadonor Ken Griffin is reportedly hedging his bets on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ potential 2024 presidential campaign. […]  Ken Griffin has since privately expressed concerns over some of DeSantis’ positions, including his quiet signing into law of the state’s strict, six-week abortion ban and his comments downplaying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to The Times.

Griffin, the Citadel CEO with a reported fortune of almost $30 billion, has met in private with DeSantis and will “still likely” donate to him once the governor officially launches his campaign, one source predicted to the newspaper. But he may also “give to other candidates” who appear able to beat Trump, the source added. (link)

Another report:

[…] John Catsimatidis, CEO of Gristedes, knocked DeSantis’s communication skills, telling the Washington Examiner that DeSantis does not even return his phone calls. “Why would I support somebody to become president of the United States that doesn’t return phone calls?” he asked.

[…] Top Republican donor billionaire Thomas Peterffy is among mega donors who has openly put support for DeSantis “on hold” as well.

“Because of his stance on abortion and book banning . . . myself, and a bunch of friends, are holding our powder dry,” he said, adding that other donors are “waiting to see who among the primary candidates is most likely to be able to win the general, and then put all of our firepower behind them.”

Republican megadonor Ken Langone has also voiced concerns about backing DeSantis. (link)

As more voters get to see the inauthentic nature of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is generally not a very astute person and likely more driven by the tiara dreams of his wife Casey, we can expect to see his current status of around 20 to 25% remain his floor and ceiling.   Additionally, as the Florida voters feel the economic crisis that DeSantis has left unattended in his quest for aggrandizement, he will likely lose his home state.

With Ron DeSantis playing the role of Ted Cruz, Mike Pence will play the role of John Kasich and Nikki Haley will play the role of Carly Fiorina as the 2016 history rhymes.

Keep in mind, the SuperPACs are fat with cash, they will drag this DeSantis run out until the coffers are empty.  The consultants will all be paid from the RdS funding mechanisms, and with the RNC pumping money into stupid indulgency stuff, DeSantis represents the only campaign that can facilitate the scale of the consultant grift at the national level they demand.

The variable this time is the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) who show every indication this time around of manipulating all their state voting systems to undermine Trump and support the DNC nominee if needed.

Apr 26 2023

The Scheme Unfolds – Florida Senate Creates Amendment Nullifying “Resign to Run” Law Specifically for DeSantis


Posted originally on the CTH on April 25, 2023 | Sundance 

The depth of effort to manipulate the American electorate, to continue the Big Club objective & illusion of choice, is remarkable when you stand back and look at the totality of it.

It is not surprising when you understand how committed the power centers are; in fact, it’s just another step in a predictable sequence of events.  However, for those who cling to disbelief out of their mistaken need to bury acceptance, the reality of the constructs become empirical data points in the awakening.

As predicted, the Florida Senate has introduced a change to the vote and candidate laws in Florida [Bill #7050, Amendment text line #1030 to 1038] specifically constructed so that Ron DeSantis can announce his 2024 presidential candidacy without resigning from office. The language will exempt anyone who is pursuing the office of President or Vice President of the United States from statutory requirements to resign-to-run.

“The amendments made to s. 99.012, Florida Statutes, by this act are intended to clarify existing law,” the new language stipulates.

“Any person seeking the office of President or Vice President of the United States is not subject to the requirements of chapter 99, Florida Statutes, which govern candidate qualifying, specifically those which require the submission of certain documents, full and public disclosures of financial interests, petition signatures, or the payment of filing fees. This section shall take effect upon this act becoming a law.” [Amendment line #1030 to 1038]

The intent of the ‘resign to run’ law, is exactly to address the issue of divided loyalties within the framework of what is happening right now.  Ron DeSantis has not been focused on the issues of Florida and has instead been focused on his own personal political and career advancement.  Changing the law is how the professional political club within Florida politics is trying to assist the group behind him.

(more…)

Posted in Big Government, Big Stupid Government, Conspiracy ?, Decepticons, Deep State, DHS, Donald Trump, Election 2024, Joe Biden, Legislation, media bias, Notorious Liars, Patriotism, President Trump, propaganda, RNC 2024 Wisconsin, Ron DeSantis, Typical Prog Behavior, Uncategorized, USA, Wall Street

In the Political Battle, Seeing Through the Illusion of Choice Becomes Critical

April 25, 2023 | Sundance | 415 Comments

As I said yesterday when discussing the Tucker Carlson firing, “Talking about what happens behind the false front of the DC village is always a threat.   It is in the research and acceptance of the darkest pretending constructs that you realize how the illusions of choice are presented.” {more}

You have heard me say three phrases repeatedly: (1) There are trillions of dollars at stake; (2) live your best life; and (3) always trust your instincts.

The first element is the baseline.  The economics of the thing is always the structural reason for the outcome of anything and everything connected to the thing.  In simpler times we said, ‘follow the money,’ the core essence of that phrase still exists; however, in recent times the people who are controlling the outcomes have been more subversive at hiding the mechanics of their finance.

The second element is the outcome of acceptance.  No one is coming to save you, us, or anything.  We are in this battle together, a diversity of humanity that just wants to be left alone an live in freedom; but we are also in this battle alone.  No one in a position of institutional power is in alignment with our desire for freedom.  Rather than despair at the reality, embrace life and live it as fully and completely as possible – while simultaneously not giving power to the dark imaginings that facilitate the goals of those in power.  Throw sand in their machinery when possible.

The last point speaks to the inherent strength that exists within the human species.  Turn off the noise, turn away from voices that push the illusions into view, and trust your natural instincts that were provided by a loving God.  Into this concept remember there is no such thing as misinformation, disinformation or malinformation; there is only information.  That information may take the form of truth or lies. Use your God given skills to decipher the difference, and when in doubt pause and pray for assistance and clarity.

Take all that you instinctually and intellectually know, overlay the goals and objectives of those you understand seek to control your perspectives, and watch this video below.  Form your own opinion:

(more…)

Posted in 1st Amendment, Big Government, Big Stupid Government, Big Tech, Cultural Marxism, Decepticons, Deep State, Dept Of Justice, DHS, Donald Trump, Election 2024, media bias, Professional Idiots, propaganda, Ron DeSantis, Typical Prog Behavior, Uncategorized

April 25th – 2023 Presidential Politics – Resistance Day 826

April 25, 2023 | Sundance | 851 Comments

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the JoeBama Administration and Presidency.

“This is no small thing, to restore a republic after it has fallen into corruption. I have studied history for years and I cannot recall it ever happening. It may be that our task is impossible. Yet, if we do not try then how will we know it can’t be done? And if we do not try, it most certainly won’t be done. The Founders’ Republic, and the larger war for western civilization, will be lost.”

“But I tell you this: We will not go gently into that bloody collectivist good night. Indeed, we will make with our defiance such a sound as ALL history from that day forward will be forced to note, even if they despise us in the writing of it.”

Apr 26 2023

In the Political Battle, Seeing Through the Illusion of Choice Becomes Critical


Posted originally on the CTH on April 25, 2023 | Sundance 

As I said yesterday when discussing the Tucker Carlson firing, “Talking about what happens behind the false front of the DC village is always a threat.   It is in the research and acceptance of the darkest pretending constructs that you realize how the illusions of choice are presented.” {more}

You have heard me say three phrases repeatedly: (1) There are trillions of dollars at stake; (2) live your best life; and (3) always trust your instincts.

The first element is the baseline.  The economics of the thing is always the structural reason for the outcome of anything and everything connected to the thing.  In simpler times we said, ‘follow the money,’ the core essence of that phrase still exists; however, in recent times the people who are controlling the outcomes have been more subversive at hiding the mechanics of their finance.

The second element is the outcome of acceptance.  No one is coming to save you, us, or anything.  We are in this battle together, a diversity of humanity that just wants to be left alone an live in freedom; but we are also in this battle alone.  No one in a position of institutional power is in alignment with our desire for freedom.  Rather than despair at the reality, embrace life and live it as fully and completely as possible – while simultaneously not giving power to the dark imaginings that facilitate the goals of those in power.  Throw sand in their machinery when possible.

The last point speaks to the inherent strength that exists within the human species.  Turn off the noise, turn away from voices that push the illusions into view, and trust your natural instincts that were provided by a loving God.  Into this concept remember there is no such thing as misinformation, disinformation or malinformation; there is only information.  That information may take the form of truth or lies. Use your God given skills to decipher the difference, and when in doubt pause and pray for assistance and clarity.

Take all that you instinctually and intellectually know, overlay the goals and objectives of those you understand seek to control your perspectives, and watch this video below.  Form your own opinion:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zameJfV2Cw0%3Ffeature%3Doembed

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🤔Does anyone remember, Paul Lynde from Hollywood Squares? 😂🤣😂

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Apr 24 2023

Sunday Talks – Florida Congressman Steube Explains Why the Congressional Delegation Will Not Support DeSantis


Posted originally on the CTH on April 23, 2023 | Sundance 

An increasingly larger audience is starting to realize what CTH outlined nine months ago as it relates to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.  Had he chosen to remain a state leader, hopefully with increased focus on the economic issues that are crushing Floridians, most people would have kept biting their tongue.  However, once he openly began elevating himself beyond his state office, the truth about DeSantis was always going to come out.

In addition to other problems yet to be discussed, the personality characteristics of self-importance, arrogance, grandiosity and dismissal of people he considers less than, are major character defects within people who call themselves ‘leaders’.  Everyone in the orbit of Team DeSantis is disposable if they do not elevate his view of himself.

Florida Republican Congressman Greg Steube joins Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla for an interview about why the congressional delegation does not support DeSantis.  Steube’s outline of how Team DeSantis ignores everyone until they need something from them is the baseline for how Team DeSantis ignored the entire delegation for five years until they became worried about endorsements.  WATCH (prompted to 07:22):

https://youtube.com/watch?v=t6ndR-QaMN4%3Fstart%3D442%26feature%3Doembed

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Apr 23 2023

Billionaire Who Believes Aliens Exist on Earth, Donates $20 Million to Ron DeSantis


Posted on the CTH on April 22, 2023 | Sundance 

Robert Bigelow is a billionaire space industrialist and hotel conglomerate owner.  In addition to his vast wealth, Bigelow believes space aliens are already on earth and we just have not discovered them yet.  Bigelow gives a lot of money to republicans.

Last week the New York Times reported the DeSantis team had raised $30 million in the last month.  Time Magazine is now reporting that $20 million of that financing came from one donor, billionaire Robert Bigelow.

(Via Time) – t’s been a rough two weeks for Ron DeSantis. Members of Congress from his own state have been endorsing Donald Trump in droves. A crippling gas shortage in South Florida coincided with the governor’s travel from South Carolina to South Korea, fueling a spate of negative headlines and “Where’s Ron?” memes. He’s been dropping in the polls. And perhaps most threatening to his presidential ambitions—some of his donors are pulling out.

But none of that is shaking the confidence of Robert Bigelow, the hotel tycoon and aeronautics executive who reveals to TIME that he is the largest donor by far to Never Back Down Inc., a super PAC backing DeSantis’s unofficial campaign for President. Bigelow, who was also the single-largest donor to DeSantis’s 2022 reelection bid, confirms that he has already donated a little more than $20 million to Never Back Down. He says that’s just a start. The super-rich businessman plans to continue putting his wealth behind sending the Florida governor to the Oval Office. “I will give him more money and go without food,” Bigelow says.

His initial donation is a substantial increase from the $10 million contribution he made to DeSantis in the midterms last July. Bigelow, who is based in Las Vegas, says he made the $20 million donation on March 27. A senior Never Back Down official recently told The New York Times that the PAC raised $30 million from March 9 to April 3, meaning two-thirds of those dollars came from Bigelow. (read more)

DeSantis might be filling up the bank accounts, but winning hearts and minds…. not so much.

Former Congressman David Trott (R-MI) – […] “I sat right next to DeSantis for two years on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and he never said a single word to me,” Trott said. “I was new to Congress, and he didn’t introduce himself or even say hello.”

“I go to my first hearing early, and DeSantis showed up right at the gavel time and didn’t say hello or introduce himself,” Trott told Politico. “And then the next hearing, the same thing happened. I think the third time it happened, I thought, ‘Oh, this guy’s not ever going to say hello to me.’” He said he eventually introduced himself to DeSantis.

Trott acknowledged that while DeSantis was talented at pressing his political ambitions, he was not likable.

“He never developed any relationships with other members that I know of. You’d never see him talking on the floor with other people or palling around. He’s just a very arrogant guy, very focused on Ron DeSantis,” Trott said.

He added:

He wasn’t really liked when he was in Congress. And now it’s coming home to, you know, prove out as some of the Florida delegation endorsed Trump and and some of the donors, you know, think he’s kind of awkward in terms of how he interacts with them. … If his pre-presidential campaign was playing out differently, then I’d say, ‘Well, maybe he just didn’t like me.’ But I think there’s something more at work here.”

Trott concluded, “I think he’s an asshole. I don’t think he cares about people.”  (More)

Perhaps this explains why the DeSantis team needs to photoshop handshakes.

Apr 20 2023

The Bloom Is Off The Ruse – President Trump Gains Ten More Florida Republican Congressional Endorsements, DeSantis Has One – Rep Greg Steube Explains Why


Posted originally on the CTH on April 19, 2023 | Sundance 

Another three endorsements for President Trump today from the Florida congressional delegation, bringing the total so far to ten with more anticipated.  Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is in Washington DC seeking support.  DeSantis is warmly greeted, but President Trump gets the endorsements.  What’s going on?

Republican Congressman Greg Steube gives an explanation below about the Ron DeSantis Floridians know, but nationally most do not.

DeSantis is an out-of-touch aloof persona, who generally projects himself as better than others.  In person he projects an arrogance and condescending personality trait also carried by his insta-selfie supporters and ‘influencers.’ It comes through the camera lens.  Everything constructed around DeSantis is fake, even the fake blue-collar handshakes that have to be photo-shopped to give a common man impression.

The donors are pouring in hundreds of millions to pay for the fake DeSantis constructs, Top Gov brand imaging and Madison Avenue illusions, but you cannot purchase authenticity, and you cannot rewrite the history of who DeSantis is.  Greg Steube explains:

[I]n a brief interview last night [Steube noted] that DeSantis has never once reached out to him during his five years in Congress nor replied to his multiple attempts to connect. He recalled a recent news conference dealing with damage from Hurricane Ian where the governor’s aides initially invited him to stand alongside DeSantis, only to tell him that he wouldn’t be part of the event when he showed up.

Trump, on the other hand, was the first person Steube remembers calling him in the ICU to wish him well after he was injured in a January tree-trimming accident. “To this day I have not heard from Gov. DeSantis,” he said.

Things suddenly changed last week, Steube said, as Trump started rolling out his Florida congressional backers. ”For the first time ever, I hear from DeSantis’s political person,” he said, referring to aide RYAN TYSON, who reportedly contacted other Florida Republicans about their endorsements.

For Steube, the outreach was too little, too late. And he continues to have sharp words for DeSantis, criticizing him for his robust political travel schedule amid a busy legislative session and just months after winning a new four-year term.  “Floridians want him focused on Florida,” he said, “which is the job they elected him to do.” (read the entire article)

Like I said last year, once people get to see Ron DeSantis up close, his disdain for people just jumps out at you.  He loves standing at the podium telling you what’s wrong with you, and what is brilliant about himself; however, he just doesn’t like people in an authentic or natural way you would expect from executive leadership.

The same disconnected snobbery applies to everyone his team has recruited.

Ken Cuccinelli and Jeff Roe are two of the biggest self-important jackasses in national politics. They don’t carry an ounce of humility or introspection.  They are always right, and the problem is it just takes too long for everyone to come around to admitting how great they are.  This is the character of DeSantis that flows through everyone he associates with.  Here’s an example from one of the ‘influencers” a few days ago.

This Twitter account is connected to both Representative Thomas Massie and DeSantis campaign official Christina Pushaw:

That tweet encapsulates the worldview of the average Ron DeSantis supporter in Florida.

This is why the overwhelming majority of the Florida Republican delegation, will not endorse him.  These outlooks are toxic and elitist.  Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis did not wear elbow length silk gloves at the noon-time inauguration day event accidentally.  Casey already went shopping with Cindy McCain and has her 2024 tiara picked out.

As I keep saying, there are not enough people who take Instagram pictures of their lunches to make Ron DeSantis a viable candidate. The polo club, cocktail party circuit of people who eat crustless triangle cucumber sandwiches and look down their noses at everyone else, is just not a large enough coalition to win DeSantis the nomination.  It means he will have more money; however, factually, the professional donor class is annoying with the level of self-righteousness and condescension they promote.

WASHINGTON DC – […] In yet another blow to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s not-yet-official presidential bid, two more Republican members of Congress from his own state are gearing to endorse Donald Trump for another term. Reps. Gus Bilirakis and Carlos Gimenez are each planning to announce their support for the former president this week, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell TIME.

Their pledges continue something of a downward spiral for DeSantis, who has been steadily losing ground in the endorsement battle for legislators from his own backyard. The development is even more noteworthy after his political team recently tried to stop the bleeding by asking Florida Republicans to refrain from endorsing Trump.

Bilirakis and Gimenez have also committed to be at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach on Thursday night, as the former President hosts members of the Florida delegation who have already endorsed him, including Reps. Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, Cory Mills, and Greg Steube. It’s not clear yet whether Reps. Byron Donalds and John Rutherford, who have also endorsed Trump, will be at the gathering.

Neither Bilirakis nor Gimenez responded to requests for comment. Rep. Brian Mast, another Florida Republican, has also told associates he plans to formally back Trump in the coming days. And on Wednesday, Rep. Vern Buchanan officially thew his weight behind Trump. TIME reported last week that Buchanan was planning to endorse Trump in the coming days.

All of their endorsements will bring Trump’s tally of members of Congress from Florida to ten, whereas DeSantis has just one, Rep. Laurel Lee, who announced her support for the governor on Tuesday. Before winning her House seat last year, Lee served as DeSantis’s first Secretary of State. (read more)

Lance Gooden (R-TX) – “Today, after careful consideration and a positive meeting with Governor DeSantis, I have decided to endorse President @realDonaldTrump for 2024.”

Rolling Stone – […] “Over the past few years, the Florida governor has risen to Trump’s top internal rival without even declaring his candidacy. And part of that rise has been fueled by his pull with the GOP’s megadonor class, who prefer him to Trump because, while he brings a similar set of MAGAfied policies, he has not, to date, attempted a coup. That wellspring of financial support has been instrumental in fueling his rise, but the investments are predicated in large part on a belief that he can take down Donald.

That belief seems to be wavering, as the donor revolt has been brewing since at least last month. And it’s not just skittish donors like Richard Uihlein or Thomas Peterffy, who went public with his complaints last week. Several other top donors to DeSantis were livid about the governor referring to the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine as a “territorial dispute,” with at least one major donor calling DeSantis to urge a walk-back, a source with knowledge of the outreach and another person briefed on it say. “My understanding is that the message was: ‘If we wanted a fucking MAGA candidate, we would donate to Donald Trump,’” the second source says.

[…] Those polling troubles may be giving some megadonors second thoughts. Sources familiar with Schlitz Brewing heir and shipping titan Richard Uihlein’s thinking told NBC News that the “brakes are pumped” with the megadonor’s DeSantis giving after the governor’s lackluster polling has given some “pause” about his viability.

Other conservatives have taken to predicting that DeSantis is potentially the second coming of Scott Walker, another Republican governor and conservative-media darling who many thought would be the favored candidate in a presidential primary — only to flame out before any ballots were cast. (read more)

Apr 18 2023

The Truth of the Thing


Posted originally on the CTH on April 17, 2023 | Sundance 

Two quick juxtapositions to contemplate:

Just accepting things as they are presented to be, without laying opinion on the table.

♦ Mr. Elon Musk is saying he spent $44 billion to purchase a platform without any prior knowledge the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) was operating on the backbone of the communication platform he was purchasing.

Additionally, all due diligence that may have been conducted before the biggest expenditure in the history of social media networks, did not reveal this intelligence community operation, to him, until after the sale was complete.

Everything thereafter is based on this predicate.

♦ Mr. Ron DeSantis is saying he had no idea the apparatus of political constructs was creating a presidential campaign process over a period of two years that would require his ultimate approval and participation, during the period when he genuinely claimed to be running for reelection to be the 2022 Florida Governor.

Everything thereafter is based on this predicate.

Whether you believe these assertions to be true or not is entirely up to you.

However, with these two points in mind, what does that say about the current state of our national pretense?

Expand the discussion. I am very interested in how intellectually honest people view these assertions.