A pro-DeSantis PAC, Never Back Down, has hired Republican strategist Jeff Roe as an adviser. He is the founder of Axiom Strategies, a political consulting firm based in Kansas City, Missouri, with twelve offices in eight states. He’s a big hire for a (potential) political campaign to have access to. Roe was the top strategist for Ted Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Roe has recently been a top adviser to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. This is a strong indication that Youngkin isn’t interested in running for president in 2024. There has been much speculation about Youngkin and whether or not he should be on the list of potential Republican presidential candidates. This looks like the signal that Youngkin is taking a pass on running in 2024. Youngkin recently attended a private donor retreat in Sea Island, Ga. where he refused to engage in questions about a potential presidential run. Youngkin is doing good work in Virginia so it’s good news for Virginians that he plans to finish his term which ends in January 2026.

Roe had previously told others that he felt loyalty to Youngkin, but in a February appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” the strategist said he sees the Republican nomination contest as a two-person race between DeSantis and former president Donald Trump, with “no room for a third or fourth, or even fifth person in this race.” Roe, who later said those comments were not a comment on Youngkin’s potential, has previously indicated that he expects his firm, Axiom, to only work for a single presidential candidate this cycle, rather than splitting loyalties.

I think that Roe is right. The battle for the Republican nomination is a two-person competition. The Republican bench is deep with several potential nominees but none have caught on as DeSantis has due to his success as Governor of Florida. The smaller the field of candidates is, the better the outcome will be. It’s not good when a potential nominee wins the party’s nomination with only 30% of the votes because the field is so diluted with an abundance of candidates. The urge to run is strong with some Republicans, which is understandable when the incumbent is of the opposite party, but to fight the Biden machine and the advantages it has, such as the support of most of the media and its willingness to cover for Sleepy Joe, the Republican field must remain narrow. The candidate who gets in and then realizes that their campaigns are not catching on should graciously bow out and help whomever the Republican nominee is in the general election. Democrats rally behind their candidate while Republicans tend to sit the election out if their favored candidate isn’t the nominee. It’s time for that to change. Any Republican candidate who gets the nomination is going to be better than Joe Biden.

In 2016, Ted Cruz was the last Republican candidate standing beside Trump. He ran a strong campaign and presented himself as the alternative to Trump. DeSantis is already beginning to do that. In his interview with Piers Morgan for Fox, DeSantis said his manner of governing is a no-drama one. Trump lives for drama and the headlines it produces. DeSantis says he runs a tight ship with leaking by those around him not allowed. TrumpWorld leaks like a sieve. These are important differences in management styles. Trump was a successful president with his policies and judicial nominations. Think of what more he might have been able to accomplish if the pandemic had not happened and the daily dramas did not disrupt the administration.

DeSantis told Piers Morgan to “stay tuned” about a presidential candidacy and said, “I have what it takes to be president and I can beat [President] Biden.” That is exactly why Democrats are helping Trump in trashing DeSantis. Democrats don’t want Biden to run against DeSantis. Think of the contrast between the two men on a debate stage. Old versus younger, for starts. Biden will try to run on what he thinks is a successful first term but most Americans don’t feel that. Interest rates keep going up and prices of everyday items, including food and utilities, and rent, are stressing family budgets. It’s going to be a hard sell if Biden thinks all he has to do is tell voters how great his administration has been in running the country. DeSantis offers a fresh face and new policies that have worked in his state.

Biden is at an all-time low, according to an AP poll. He’s at 38% favorability. That’s a crazy low number for an incumbent who plans to run for re-election. Republicans will have a really good shot in 2024 to take back the White House if they don’t blow it. Voters don’t want another Biden-Trump race for president. Voters look forward, not backward.

DeSantis will hit the road again soon and continue to introduce himself to voters across the country while he promotes his book.

While the super PAC is ramping up operations, so too is DeSantis himself. The governor is expected to hit the road again in late March and early April after having done an extensive swing for his book tour. Among the stops he will make will be for speaking engagements in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, New Hampshire and the D.C. area.

The stops will bring him before some influential conservative audiences. Among them, DeSantis is slated to speak at the convocation at Liberty University on April 14.

He will likely make a formal announcement as a candidate for the Republican nomination after the Florida Legislature finishes its session. We’ll stay tuned.