California Governor Gavin Newsom ignited speculation about this match-up on Independence Day, when he began running attack ads against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis … in Florida.
In doing so, Newsom not only telegraphed his presidential ambition, but also showed the fighting spirit increasingly apathetic Democrats have been longing to see in President Biden.
Hell, Newsom will probably get extra points from dispirited Democrats for giving Republicans a little of their own medicine. This, with the gaslighting claim that he is running these ad in DeSantis’s presidential swing state only as part of his gubernatorial re-election campaign…
I called for this matchup months ago
As it happens, though, my good friends Ron and Beth will readily attest that, during a lively dinner chat a week before he began running them, I mentioned Newsom as the Democrats’ best bet to face DeSantis (Trump’s heir apparent whether Trump likes it or not) in 2024.
I did so because
- I am convinced Rupert Murdoch has already anointed DeSantis as the Republican nominee, and it’s only a matter of time before Fox News begins indoctrinating the base accordingly;
- This match-up would have not just a clarifying but a rejuvenating effect on American politics – presenting voters, as it would, a clear choice between conservative and liberal values and signifying a passing of the torch to a new generation of leaders, respectively.
Coincidentally, just as Newsom’s ads dropped, The New York Times treated us to “breaking news” about Trump planning to announce his re-election campaign this month.
Wither Trump
I know… But here’s the art of this deal:
Remember the MAGA sycophants who told Trump VP Mike Pence could ignore the electoral votes and re-elect him president? Well they have now told him declaring his re-election bid will make him immune from prosecution for orchestrating that attempted coup, which led to the infamous storming of the US Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.
And, of course, Trump is too stupid to ever learn…
To be fair to Trump, though, it’s also the case that the narcissism so many scoff at in young turks is far surpassed by the megalomania that clearly drives these old guards – like Democrats Biden and Pelosi, Republicans Trump and McConnell – to hold onto power.
In any event, I am convinced neither Trump nor Biden will be his party’s respective presidential nominee in 2024.