As Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign attempts a turnaround after a turbulent two months and plummeting polls, Republican operatives and poll analysts are confident the new strategy will work I do not have.
The Florida governor’s campaign vowed to streamline operations, cut staff, refocus on grassroots events and increase media appearances, according to sources and multiple reports. Some pollsters and Republican operatives say DeSantis’ new strategy is effective, but say a race reset could outpace former President Donald Trump’s wide lead in the primaries. Some are not convinced.
“The reset gives Governor DeSantis a chance to reassert himself as the strongest alternative to former President Trump,” said John McHenry, Republican polling analyst and vice president of North Star Opinion Research. I think,” he told DCNF. “Governor. It’s a great first step that Mr. DeSantis is trying to present himself more to the media and voters.”
But Mr. DeSantis has faced significant headwinds from a series of accidents, combined with a drop in polls since the president’s announcement in late May. (Related article: ‘Don’t you think it’s a fair question?’: Matt Gates takes on DeSantis PAC founder in election campaign and financial issues)
Following a rocky start on Twitter, riddled with technical glitches, the governor’s campaign ran out of money and laid off most of its staff. Mr. DeSantis and his campaign aides have also had numerous public altercations with Republicans, which has itself drawn criticism, and the campaign allegedly made a video featuring Nazi symbols. One employee has been laid off.
The campaign aims to right the ship, drawing on Mr. DeSantis’ personal story as a family man and veteran, and focusing on his vision for foreign policy and the economy, de-emphasizing social issues. are planning DeSantis’ reset aims to cut unnecessary campaign spending, increase media appearances, and make the governor more accessible to early major state primary voters.
“Really bloated”
DeSantis surpassed the funding of the entire Republican primary field in the second quarter of 2023, but his campaign has less cash on hand than Trump and Senator Scott of South Carolina for the first time since its inauguration in late May. The fundraising period has ended. An outside adviser to the DeSantis campaign told DCNF, requesting anonymity to speak candidly about the campaign’s strategy, that the campaign will use its funds more efficiently going forward.
“We ended up with a very bloated organization that we didn’t need at all. We were running out of money because the burn rate was too high to reach record funding in the first quarter. ‘, the adviser told DCNF. “This will make us a leaner, meaner organization, and all the money we save on salaries, events, travel, etc. will go to voters and win votes in front of Ron DeSantis in the nascent reserve states. It will be spent on
The DeSantis campaign has cut a total of 38 staff following the departure of two advisers, Dave Abrams and Tucker Obenshain, and a “overhaul of the organization,” according to campaign manager Genera Peck. It is said that The campaign also fired high-profile staffer Nate Hochman, who came under fire for making a video featuring pro-Nazi imagery.
McHenry argued that the campaign was “overstaffed” and that this showed contributors that DeSantis was not responsible for managing the money. DeSantis also needs to promote its records in Florida instead of just “owning the library,” McHenry said.
“Someday I’ll have to make a distinction with President Trump and talk about how I’ve actually led as President Trump followed suit with Washington,” McHenry said. He said, “Being ‘Trump without baggage’ is not enough. We must make better choices and have a vision for the country’s future.”
Mr. DeSantis is expected to focus his campaign on foreign policy and the economy, not on the “culture wars” or his performance in Florida. The governor will also headline smaller events such as city halls and living room meetings with voters, and DeSantis will engage in retail politics to better introduce himself on a “personal level.” It’s planned.
Jamie Miller, former executive director of the Florida Republican Party, believes the new strategy will work for Mr. DeSantis, pointing to the policies of former Republican candidate John McCain. campaign reset Late summer before the 2008 primary.
“He’s got the time. He’s got the financial resources. He’s still first-rate. He hasn’t made a big mistake. He’s made a series of minor ones,” Miller said of DeSantis. Told.
Never Back Down, the Political Action Committee (PAC) that supports DeSantis’ White House candidacy, will continue to focus on grassroots organizing, Chief Operating Officer Christine Davison told DCNF.
“We continue to step up our efforts and focus on spreading his message in early reserve states,” Davison said. “Our team has already knocked on a million doors nationwide and will continue to knock on doors, collect caucus appointments, host events attended by Governor DeSantis as a special guest, and share stories from the governor. It will make a difference to DeSantis,” and will affect the rest of the Republican Party over the coming months. ”
“Two-seater race”
The rift between the former president and Mr DeSantis has continued to widen since his candidacy was officially announced, along with several controversies on social media.
The governor recently clashed with Rep. Scott and Florida Republican Rep. I developed it,” he was criticized for teaching his students. Scott and Donald criticize DeSantis for pushing the curriculum, with Scott claiming there is “no silver lining in slavery,” and Donald asking the Florida Department of Education to amend the language of the standards. encouraged to do so.
Reboot doesn’t work. https://t.co/VChzpj0uVd
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) July 28, 2023
Before the presidential announcement, Mr. DeSantis’ polls were close to, and sometimes better than, his predecessor, but have since plummeted. Additionally, DeSantis’ long-awaited entry into the Republican primary, which involved a glitchy campaign launch on Twitter, was postponed due to technical problems.
Real Clear Politics (RCP) average The former president leads DeSantis 52.4% to 18.4% in the 2024 Republican National Primary, based on polls conducted between July 5 and July 25, ahead of conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. He followed with 5.4% and former Vice President Mike Pence with 5.2%. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley is 3.7%.
Trump also beat DeSantis in all four major states in the early primaries. Iowa 27 points difference, new hampshire 30 points each Nevada Within 30 points south carolinaThe former president leads Haley and DeSantis, with 14% and 13% respectively.
“No matter how hard the media and the Washington, D.C. elite try to squash Ron DeSantis, they can’t change the fact that it’s a two-man race,” DeSantis public relations director Andrew Romeo told DCNF. . “Ron DeSantis is ready to prove his doubters wrong once more, and our campaign won this primary, and as we move on to the next phase of defeating Joe Biden, we have a great campaign. Ready to execute on his vision of an American comeback.”
“Snakebit from the beginning”
But Ben Torpey, a Florida-based Republican political consultant, isn’t convinced that a reset alone will be enough for DeSantis to slash Trump’s sizable lead in the polls, saying he’s not sure if the gubernatorial election will be successful. He claimed the movement was “bitten by a snake from the beginning.” Go,” he told DCNF.
“and [Trump’s] I’m leading now, which means it’s not over yet, but I think there’s a fat woman in the back warming up her vocal cords,” Topy said. “I don’t know how effective the personnel changes and restructuring will really be, but it’s better to try something than to keep doing the same things that aren’t working right now.”
DeSantis remains a “strong number two”, but if the governor’s campaign reset doesn’t bode well, the primary could quickly turn into a “one-man race,” Torpey said.
Kyle Kondik, a polling analyst at the University of Virginia Center for Politics and editor-in-chief of the Sabbath Crystal Ball, told the DCNF that while DeSantis was strongest before his candidacy, the former president “continued to be very strong.” strong,” he said.
“Trump is weaker than he appears, and as the vote draws nearer and the race heats up, voters may turn cold toward him. It is also not clear at this time whether Mr DeSantis will definitely inherit those voters if they move to another candidate,” Kondik said.
President Trump did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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