As first reported by Politico on July 25th, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is having some real trouble with his 2024 Presidential Campaign. In order to trim the budget a bit, reports are saying he is cutting 1/3 of his workforce. Per the outlet’s information, this will amount to 38 positions- including ten event planners and the previously reported departures of campaign advisers Dave Abrams and Tucker Obenshain.
Campaign Manager Generra Peck issued a statement trying to explain the decision. “Following a top-to-bottom review of our organization, we have taken additional, aggressive steps to streamline operations and put Ron DeSantis in the strongest position to win this primary and defeat Joe Biden. Governor DeSantis is going to lead the Great American Comeback, and we’re ready to hit the ground running as we head into an important month of the campaign.”
Even if Peck and DeSantis truly believe the bullshit in her statement, the evidence is clear as day- the American conservatives just don’t like DeSantis like they like Trump.
DeSantis has been slipping in the numbers since the little spike he hit just after his announcement. While many hard-line conservatives love the way he handled the pandemic in Florida, too many middle-of-the-road and younger conservatives remember parts that the mainstream media didn’t complain about. The shuttering of tattoo and body piercing shops with beauty salons, but leaving them closed for weeks after reopening the hair cutting shops.
While this seems like a small thing, it’s one of many for people who live in Florida and those who follow DeSantis closely from elsewhere. His overall disrespect for anyone who doesn’t agree with him is palpable. That’s what made him such a target for Trump as he announced his plans for re-election in 2024.
Looking deeply at this man, it’s easy to see why they are panicking already. The GOP is already trying to get their ducks in a row for an all-out assault on Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and anyone else liberals might try to make front and center in 2024. After all, it’s not a certainty Biden will even make it to the 2024 election. Given the horrific numbers DeSantis is turning out, they will need a big influx of support and donor cash, even with the trimmer lineup.
Looking at the lineup of staffers his campaign has had, the outstanding number of 10 event planners is incredibly ridiculous. Given how small his campaign stops have been, how many volunteers he has had, and how basic they have been, these planners were inefficient, so trimming that fat was a necessity. The two campaign advisors who are leaving certainly need to after running this campaign into the ground.
Even Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for Make America Great Again Inc. needed to provide a statement about this decision. “Team DeSantis has lit tens of millions of dollars on fire. In return, DeSantis has seen a collapse in polling. The people left to suffer are a few dozen low and mid-level staffers. If Ron actually cared about spending the money wisely, he’d refund every dollar he has left and go back to governing Florida, which is what he was elected to do.”
At this point, she isn’t wrong. DeSantis has largely left Florida to run itself. While the tropics have largely stayed quiet, the state needs a governor who will be present and who wants to help ensure the safety and survival of the people who make FL home. With hurricane season active, the Sunshine State needs the right person at the helm and someone who’s not afraid to make the tough decisions.
So far, Gov. DeSantis has only proven that he knows how to waste the energy and money of the people donating to his campaign. If he wants to win this campaign, he’ll listen to his Naval instincts, fall back, regroup, and come back with a real plan.
