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Friday, April 21, 2023

[UPDATED] DeSantis and Florida's Six Week "Heartbeat" anti-abortion bill signing. If he gets the nomination it will be interesting how he handles his willingness, and touting in April his willingness.

 Strib carrying an AP feed, mid-item:

Even before he signed the law, DeSantis' team was eager to highlight his willingness to fight for, and enact, aggressive abortion restrictions. The Florida governor's position stands in sharp contrast, they say, with some Republican White House hopefuls — most notably former President Donald Trump — who are downplaying their support for anti-abortion policies for fear they may ultimately alienate women or other swing voters in the 2024 general election.

"Unlike Trump, Gov. DeSantis doesn't back down from defending the lives of innocent unborn babies,'' said Erin Perrine, a spokesperson for DeSantis' super PAC, when asked about Florida's six-week ban.

Product differentation in April, 2023, gets what after a GOP primary where general election voters are next? Hope for a short attention span? It will get mention if DeSantis is the GOP nominee. 

More aggressive than Trump on opposing abortion is not a stance allowing much play. 

There is a tightness of the box-in DeSantis faces, and he'd look bad if trying to walk back his policy if once getting past GOP primaries, and facing a general election for President.

_____________UPDATE_____________

Rolling Stone, quoted by Breitbart, suggest GOP mega donors are unhappy about DeSantis polling far behind Trump, etc.

What to make of that, before DeSantis has even declared a candidacy, is unclear. 

Readers can look at the man, online (20min. at 2022 CPAC), and decide whether they empathize. Does he have a Presidential demeanor? Does he come across as a bully? As too doctrinaire and opinionated? Not folksy? Trump can walk the tight track of being a MAGA-minded bigot without showing too mean of a demeanor. Can DeSantis? 

What real need is there of DeSantis, if the donors already have Trump, with a base?

Product Differentiation: How does "the devil we know" represented by Trump, really differ from DeSantis, and vice versa, with DeSantis being one about whom we may wonder and doubt? Trump, him we know. As now, with Biden.

What carryover does the decisive Florida DeSantis reelection majority represent, nationwide? Is Florida and its electorate representative of anything, being strongly GOP with DeSantis the GOP incumbent?

Trump took the 2020 Florida electorial votes, but not by as large a percentage as DeSantis achieved in his reelection. His speech upon being reelected.

...........................................................

(While Crabgrass has no high regard for either Trump or DeSantis, Biden is also not ringing any loud bell here either. Lesser evil is still the belief and the governing factor looking ahead to the 2024 election. Opinions can differ.)

____________UPDATE___________

April 23, 2023, Seattle Times carrying an AP feed:

Inside the Florida statehouse, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Republican allies say they’re working “at warp speed” to finish their legislative business.

In South Carolina and Nevada, early voting states that are critical in a presidential primary, his operatives are moving quickly to build out a political team that is essentially a campaign in waiting. And in Washington, his most vocal supporters are urging him to announce his White House intentions now.

Just six months after a dominant reelection sent his national stock soaring, a palpable sense of urgency is growing among DeSantis’ allies as increasingly emboldened critics within his own party — particularly former President Donald Trump — work to undermine his presidential campaign before it begins.

Questions about DeSantis’ apparent slide followed him to Japan on Monday as he launched a multi-country international trade mission.

“I’m not a candidate, so we’ll see if and when that changes,” the Florida governor told reporters in Tokyo.

The answer, a consistent refrain from DeSantis for much of the year, is frustrating some allies who worry that it’s time to move even faster.

“I would prefer him to be in the race right now. In fact, I encouraged him to get in the race right now,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who hosted a visit by DeSantis to Washington last week that was overshadowed by Trump’s efforts to pick off support among Florida’s congressional delegation.

In an interview, Massie, who is one of just three members of Congress who has endorsed DeSantis for 2024, acknowledged the governor is losing some political strength.

Many GOP voters have rallied behind Trump in the wake of his recent criminal indictment in New York. Some DeSantis donors are pausing their donations, citing concerns about his readiness for the national stage. Other would-be supporters have begun to worry that the policy victories he celebrates in Florida — including the six-week abortion ban he signed earlier in the month and an ongoing crackdown on Disney, the state’s largest employer — may ultimately become political liabilities.

“If there is any urgency, it’s to make sure no third-place candidate emerges. Right now, it’s a heads-up race between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis,” Massie said. “The urgency I feel is, the more cats and dogs that get in the race, the more they could siphon from Ron DeSantis.”

The Republican Party won’t formally choose its next presidential nominee until August of next year at its national convention. But with the first presidential debate little more than three months away, several Republicans have launched campaigns already. More are expected to join in the coming weeks.

DeSantis, who has operated for much of the year with a quiet confidence that he could enter the race on his terms, isn’t likely to make any announcements until after the state legislature concludes its business in early May.

He's not a candidate. Sure. And I don't blog, this space just fills itself up. 

Ted Cruz has been silent. Parler is under new ownership. AND -

Times of San Diego reports,

La Jolla-Raised Tucker Carlson Out at Fox in Wake of $800 Million Defamation Suit Settlement 

Whether there is cause and effect as that headline implies, NPR thinks there is.

So, Tucker and Parler are each retooling. At  https://parler.com/

While the Parler app as it is currently constituted will be pulled down from operation to undergo a strategic assessment, we at Starboard see tremendous opportunities across multiple sectors to continue to serve marginalized or even outright censored communities – even extending beyond domestic politics.

Advancements in AI technology, along with the existing code base and other new features, provide an opportunity for Starboard to begin servicing unsupported online communities – building a home for them away from the ad-hoc regulatory hand of platforms that hate them.

The terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed although Starboard expects the deal to be accretive by the end of Q2 2023.

About Starboard: Founded in 2018 by Ryan Coyne, Starboard (Formerly, Olympic Media) is a digital media conglomerate that houses business lines focused on digital advertising, fundraising, publishing, and consumer brands. The publishing vertical has expanded aggressively with several recent acquisitions amounting to several-hundred million engaged content consumers annually. Starboard was named the 13th fastest growing company in the nation on the INC 5000, and the fastest growing in advertising / media in 2021. Starboard is based in Arlington, Virginia.

 Media Inquiries: Press@Starboard.Co

"accretive" Parler is to have an accretive future. Woo, woo.

Ramping up for the 2024 is a good time to accrete. 

Ask DeSantis.