No, this is not an argument that Trump should go away. I already made my case about Trump’s recent behavior earlier today and I see no need to belabor the point or join the Trump hate parade.

That fight will go on without me for the moment. Let others make the pro- and anti-Trump cases; if I have something more interesting to say I will, because I get paid to write and love to do so. But for now, others can entertain or enrage you on that subject.

What is more interesting to me is how the MSM and the Left/NeverTrumpers have joined the “kill DeSantis” movement. Clearly the talking points have gone out and they are all mouthing them.

The Democrats have an obvious motive for going this direction: DeSantis scares the crap out of them, and he should. They believe rightly or wrongly that Trump would be easier to beat than Governor Ron, so they have turned their guns on him. Others have made this judgment and been proven wrong, and while I believe this argument myself you need not agree to see that they fear DeSantis a lot.

The MSM and Never Trumpers have joined this chorus as well, and their motives may be a bit different than (if congruent with) the Democrats’. Trump is great business for them. He generates cold, hard cash that winds up in their pockets. He has for decades, and his entry into the presidential race in 2015 supercharged the effect.

He is ratings gold, man.

The Left loves to hate Trump. They are glued to TVs and open their wallets wide in order to feed that hate. It is a burning passion that defines their lives and gives them the adrenaline hits they need to get up in the morning. They may claim that helping poor college graduates, destroying the economy, keeping oil in the ground, and killing babies warms their hearts, but longing for Trump’s immolation is what keeps them excited.

Ruining America is great and all, but beheading Trump is the Leftists’ real passion. Ron DeSantis probably harms their ratings.

Ron DeSantis is their new rhetorical enemy, not because their hate for him exceeds that of Trump, but because he threatens their gravy train.

Sure, selling DeSantis hate would still be good business, but hardly Marvel movie ratings. Not the blockbuster and flood of contributions that only a Donald Trump can provide.

Make no mistake the Democrats want Trump. The Never Trumpers NEED Trump. And they will meddle in our primary to ensure it happens. He’s their gravy train and the only chance Dems have in 2024. https://t.co/nPfXSAGQ2e

— GOPPouncer (@Mellecon) November 11, 2022

DeSantis’ victory in Florida wasn’t created by appealing only to a motivated Republican base, although DeSantis accomplished that easily. He brought in new voters from the other side of the aisle because he is genuinely appealing. He is not just a motivating politician, as Trump is, but a guy who can win over the undecideds and even a few Democrats.

Winning by 20 points doesn’t happen by motivating the base. It happens through proven competence and meeting people where they are. And unlike Jeb Bush, who was successful in Florida by being inoffensive and competent, DeSantis was aggressive on conservative issues and competent. He didn’t just win the voters; he won converts to our cause.

The MSM/grifter class see this as an existential threat to their successful money making model, and are as focused on destroying DeSantis as Trump appears to be.

That is because they, too, are all about catering to their own base, not expanding beyond it. DeSantis erodes that base by winning over a part of it. He inspires opposition, but much less than Trump. He is harder to hate with a passion for average people.

this is fascinating to watch in real time

I've seen several people say DeSantis has a "glass jaw" and all I can say is that I was so impressed with him during the pandemic b/c the FL press were constantly attacking him & he fended them off easily by simply telling the truth https://t.co/0G3tIf9t8G

— PoliMath (@politicalmath) November 11, 2022

Expect tons more attacks on DeSantis in the media because of this. The “glass jaw,” the lack of charisma, the weird robot thing. It is aimed at convincing us that DeSantis is not as good a politician as he appears. His victory in Florida won’t translate to America at large.

“Florida is different!” DeSantis is lucky! Republicans moved to Florida! OK. Great. Whatever. We’ll see about that.

This isn’t analysis, it is pleading for relevance. Their grift depends upon Trump being relevant, so they try to keep him relevant. That was the January 6th Committee’s job, and the media is keeping it going. Trump fading isn’t good for either votes or their grift.

Democrats motivated their base by Bad Orange Manning the election. They want to do it again. The media makes money because of Bad Orange Man. A match made in heaven.

Can Trump survive those attacks? Who knows. But that isn’t the point. They are only propping up Trump for themselves, just as the Democrats invested in candidates they judged to be weaker. It is about them, not the country, nor telling you their honest opinions.

It is about their own interests.

Keep an eye on the “anti-Trump” commentators who gleefully root for him over DeSantis. A tell, and a big one. https://t.co/IHUTmnyAYW

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) November 11, 2022

UPDATE: DeSantis has an interesting strategy that I think will frustrate both Trump and the people who depend upon this grift: ignore the issue entirely and govern. This is the strategy that most politicos have been suggesting, because by doing so he is sidestepping the traps set by both Trump and his–weirdly enough, in this case–media supporters who need Trump to stay the focus of attention.

DeSantis can ignore all the drama and make the Lincoln Project types and media grifters look much smaller than he. It is the exact opposite of Trump’s strategy, but by doing so DeSantis gets to create his own narrative rather than be defined by others. He can still gain attention by owning the liberals on policies, such as immigration and woke nonsense. These are the issues that enraged the Left and endeared him to conservatives. He can also make up ground by governing well.

Trump’s superpower is showmanship, which is why the media loves to cover him. DeSantis’ is using his power to achieve goals and call attention to issues, not personality. He is playing to his strengths and avoiding traps.

It’s a smart strategy. It could lead to the self destruction of Trump if he continues his attacks. The media, though, will unfortunately still benefit by being able to keep Trump in the fight. Expect them to ally with Trump on taking down DeSantis if Trump continues his strategy.

That will be an odd couple indeed.

DeSantis team is not commenting on Trump’s recent tirade on his social platform, but sources close to him tell me & @jayobtv that the governor’s strategy is to not engage and he has no intention of responding to the attacks. (Something that is sure to anger Trump even more)

— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) November 11, 2022