The DeSantis-hating opponents of Trump are effectively saying, “Sure, Donald Trump led an insurrection and represents an ongoing threat to American democracy, but hey, that other guy refused to let schools impose mask mandates on kids — he’s much worse.”
Progressives have to decide two things. One is if they really want Trump gone, or if they want him as a foil for the duration.
If it is the former, they should welcome DeSantis as a potential vehicle for ending what they believe is the ongoing state of political emergency represented by Trump. If it is the latter, DeSantis could spoil everything.
The second is whether they consider Trump-led efforts to undermine the 2020 election the chief threat to our system, or whether they consider populist-inflected conservatism itself the threat.
Again, if it is the former, DeSantis is the way out of the purported crisis. If it is the latter, DeSantis is indeed a bigger threat than Trump, since he’d have a better chance of winning a 2024 race and a much better chance of governing effectively.
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