76 Comments

The more I hear DeSantis speak, the more the thought of him not becoming president saddens me.

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Me, too! I didn't even see that one coming. He's so smart. Wouldn't it be great to have a smart president on our side?

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This answer was awesome, and so was his list of Trump’s failures. Top two of the night.

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He had a lot of great moments, but this one was spectacular. It's not an accident that the media did not replay the debate ANYPLACE, not even online -- except Sat night 10pm (because no one has other plans then and can sit how and watch cable news). The media only showed viewers the clips they chose. Not surprisingly, this was not one of the clips curated for us by the media.

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CASE IN POINT: Right now, hours after the first horror show of Nikki's CNN Townhall -- a Townhall only because she refused to debate DeSantis again (wonder why) -- CNN is replaying her Townhall. But last week's DEBATE? Nope, one shot. Blink and you miss it. The media DON'T WANT VOTERS TO SEE DESANTIS. They'll tell you what to think.

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Oh but Nikki said she is skipping the debate unless Trump agrees to go.....LOL! (Great move on her part.) Unfortunately for us, beyond the media carefully ignoring what DeSantis is great at, his own campaign rollout and strategy has been a montage of mistakes. I don't know how you fail in displaying why he is easily the best candidate out there, but they managed to do it. (Girdusky's account of this is spot on.) I can only hope RD learned a lot from this when he runs again in 4 years...

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One thing would've changed everything: back in earlier 2023 DeSantis makes his case to Republican voters for why they should support him over Trump. MAGA is bigger than Donald Trump. Don't let an egomaniac who couldn't deliver on any of his campaign promises make it all about him again. The policies are good and I got them done in Florida. Here's the list. Thank you and goodnight. (Repeat, repeat, repeat)

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Why don't you like Vivek, Ann? He's clearly higher IQ, more articulate, more confident, more charismatic, and more accomplished than DeSantis, who's basically a career [having-accomplished-nothing-in-the-real-world] politician.

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He's been on every side of every issue and the Jan 6 and 9/11 conspiracies show that he will say ANYTHING if he thinks the audience would like it. Come to think. of it, that makes him perfect for Fox.

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Why this isn't the first thing people notice about him is beyond me. He does have brief moments when he is excellent, like when he confronts stupid woke questions. But that is definitely not a reason to vote for the guy.

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Seriously, planet are you living on? You cannot factually justify that stupidity?

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after the last GOP debate he was in Vivek was voted most “smarmy”

some people see Vivek’s style as one thing and others see it another way

talking over people like Vivek does never impresses me

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I have been referring to him as “Smarmy” in my Twitter posts. He’s a little punk who has only gotten the attention he has because he’s a foil for that coward Trump. He lacks character like Trump with his dishonest drug deal. How anyone can gravitate toward him is beyond me. I’d vote for Haley first and that’s never happening. They are both the worst kind of flip-floppers, changing statements within 24 hours of making them, despite knowing video impeaches. He’s the kind of choice that makes write-in an option.

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Brilliant argument.

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It was statement. Your nonsense is an embarrassment.

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Chill out man, you've done nothing but make insults. You haven't made any argument against Vivek's stances. All you've said is "he's smarmy, and a flip flopper".

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I liked him when he attacked Nikki and made her cry.

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Here’s an actually insult - you can’t comprehend English. I said, and I repeat, he’s responsible for a failed drug that he falsely placed into the market. I’m tired of dullards failing to admit culpability of their stupid choices.

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Zero chance this time but he would be my choice. Next cycle.

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Ramaswarmy has a good position on climate change, but otherwise he's just another big talking financier with visions of dictatorship.

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👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼

that’s absofuckinglutely hilarious

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The next cycle? Who knows? It’s 4 years away. It’s obvious it won’t happen this year. Most people thought he won that debate so not sure who the smarmy voters are.

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Could the hatred for Republicans be any more obvious on the faces of these debate "moderators"?

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Desantis is so superior to all these candidates

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I like DeSantis but he plays a little loose with the first amendment also. He also has passed laws to make it easier specifically for Jewish kids to transfer schools to Florida. That also seems to violate civil rights laws.

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it doesn’t apply to just Jewish kids though does it?

was it a response to their persecution in other states?

yes

but does it apply to Christians and Muslims who might face similar persecution too?

also yes

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But he specifically talked about Jewish kids so we know what it’s for.

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One heck of an assumption.

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Still struggling why Fox is pushing Trump. Wouldn’t the well dry up when he’s sentenced to confinement or gets slaughtered in the General? Even the normally thoughtful Bret Baier embarrassed himself by permitting Trump to lie about lockdowns. Do these media outlets believe that continued Democrat control is best for their bottom line?

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A Dem president is better for their ratings. Clinton, Obama and Biden administrations -- fantastic for their bottom line.. Real patriots.

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LOL there is no way Biden is winning this time unless they can manage another lockdown or get mail in ballots pushed through for everyone in multiple states. All of the republican candidates as of right now beat Biden.

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The Dems will replace Biden.

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They don't need to if it's Trump.

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Very possible.

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They will do it by any means necessary.

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Jan 14·edited Jan 14

And yet the latest poll has neo Nikki at 20, DeSantis at 16 and the Big Orange Beast at 48. What in God’s name is wrong with Republicans? We need a Ronnie miracle. Trump will lose in Nov., people. Haley will lose, and wouldn’t do anything good if she won anyway.

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They also voted for McCain, sure loser.

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He’s not going to lose to Biden.

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Boy I heard that a lot in 2008 about Obama v. McCain. Especially on Fox News.

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It’s true. But McCain did choose a dimwit for VP and I think that was a big part of what sunk him. Not that he was a great candidate either but better than the alternative. Republicans have failed at choosing candidates. Even when they win they’re generally awful and only slightly better than the democrats.

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Wanna bet? And at any rate, if he's the nominee, the most likely way I can't vote for him is if he picks that daft dimbo, Haley, to be his running mate. If he does, will all you Trumpist diehards finally admit he doesn't know what the hell he is doing?

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That would be catastrophic for sure but I don’t think that will happen. Stefanik is more likely which is also a terrible answer. Let’s hope he chooses wisely.

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I agree that he doesn't have a chance to win. But I don't think that is how Ann is stating her preference; I believe that DeSantis is her absolute preference, chancing of winning or not be damned. She's what I would call an ideologic voter, not a pragmatic one. Which is of course fine and makes sense since she's a big influencer. Anyway, my question stands, why doesn't she like Vivek? If she sat down and talked to Vivek for a couple hours and then the next day with DeSantis for a couple hours, I suspect she'd come back far more impressed with Vivek.

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I feel like this is the blind men arguing about what an elephant looks like.

Vivek has had a few spectacular moments -- and it's easier to be spectacular when you don't have a chance -- but he's also had some abominable moments. I suspect you've seen the good ones and not the abominable ones. Is the elephant more like a snake or a tree trunk?

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Exactly right. His bad moments are enough to laugh him off the stage. We need to stop this bullshit of overlooking huge red flags because sometimes the guys says things we really really like. SOUND FAMILIAR?!

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Talk about someone who has no chance to win. You have identified the one candidate remaining who has 0 chance of being the nominee.

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My favorite moment from the debate HAS to be when she asked why Florida has the highest property insurance in the country. Any thinking person would know that’s because the state is surrounded by water and completely vulnerable to hurricanes and other tropical storms.

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Ha yes and also the the cost of living is high. Maybe because half the country has moved there. Tends to drive home values up. "That restaurant SUCKS! Too crowded!"

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Jake Tapper, schmuck!

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Jan 13·edited Jan 14

Except Ann forgets that the Dems would hit DeSantis hard on his 6wk abortion ban and that fact alone would cause him to lose. I don't see how Ann can persuasively argue that attempted abortion restrictions and bans are killing the GOP even in red states but somehow the voters will overlook DeSantis's abortion stance in a presidential race.

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It was stupid, but IT'S NOT A FEDERAL ISSUE. As we always wanted, abortion is finally a state issue.

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Swing voters won't see it that way because Dems and their media would claim that DeSantis will enact a nationwide abortion ban even though he wouldn't. As you know the left wing media ecosystem is long on fake narratives and hyperbole and short on actual facts.

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Thanks Ann, Andrew from 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🥂

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If you have any interactions with reality, do you look for what things are and evaluate through results? I do. I have heard it said that there are those who do not, and judging by the results, I believe that. Ron DeSantis has results I can look at. I like them. He has a non-politician method of saying what he will do and then shoot, some time later there it is.

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I'm British, so I don't know a lot about his political record. But I am grateful to him for standing up to the unprecedented, anti-freedom hysteria over coronavirus between 2020 to 2021. Ironically, Trump voters in Florida benefitted from DeSantis' refusal to put a cannonball through the state's economy, while Trump was busy strangulating the country on Dr Fauci's orders.

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“Thank you Governor”: Marxist shills of the mainstream media.

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DeSantis for president !

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