Ron's Rules: Eight reasons why DeSantis crushed it

On a disappointing night for Republicans, Governor Ron DeSantis crushed it in the free state of Florida, lapping his challenger, Congressman Charlie Crist, by close to 20 points. Before DeSantis’s emergence, Florida used to keep us wondering whether it would turn blue or red until the wee hours on Election Night or, in the case of the 2000 election, for weeks thereafter. But it was clear well before midnight on Tuesday that Florida had turned solid red. From Portsmouth to Puget Sound, Republicans interested in replicating DeSantis’s “win for the ages” should learn from these eight rules. …

Competence matters. Florida is a low-tax state with a healthy budget surplus and government that is well-run by almost any measure. It counted its votes faster and more efficiently than almost any other state in the last two elections. Most Floridians regard the DeSantis administration’s response to Hurricane Ian as excellent. I live in Pinellas County, which was under evacuation orders, and I’ll never forget how, as we left town driving north along I-75, legions of emergency relief vehicles streamed past us to the south. As it turned out, we never lost power. Others weren’t as lucky, but the speed with which power was restored and bridges and other infrastructure were reopened was remarkable. The election results provided proof of locals’ satisfaction: in the hardest-hit counties in southwest Florida, DeSantis won about 70 percent of the vote.

You don’t necessarily have to move to the center to win over independents. Republicans may have a nearly 300,000 voter advantage in the state, but DeSantis won by more than 1.5 million votes. The ordinary school of thought is that politicians must tack to the center to win independents. DeSantis never did. Instead, he crafted a bold, unapologetically conservative agenda and traveled around the state tirelessly promoting it. As Ronald Reagan proved, you can build a broad coalition with a conservative platform, but you have to be an effective communicator and a great salesman. DeSantis has been both.

(via Lucianne
)