‘It’s His’ Fault: Legendary GOP Strategist Blames DeSantis’ ‘Flawed’ Personality for Campaign Failure

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

The presidential campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) continues to slide downward, and a new article in Rolling Stone paints a dire picture of what’s happening behind the scenes. But while some of the blame is placed on DeSantis’ staff, one veteran GOP strategist says the buck stops with the candidate.

The article, written by Asawin Suebsaeng and Adam Rawnsley, includes a quote by Ed Rollins, a legendary Republican political consultant and strategist who once supported former President Donald Trump before backing DeSantis and his Ready for Ron PAC. Rollins bluntly assesses that DeSantis is ultimately a “flawed candidate” who fails to connect with voters. Suebsaeng included an extended version of the quote by Rollins in a tweet:

I don’t think it’s the campaign’s fault at all; it’s his. I think he’s been a very flawed candidate. I know some of the people around him, and some of them are good, talented people. But every time he opens his mouth, he has a tendency to — shall we say — think out-loud, and he clearly doesn’t understand the game. Iowa is not Florida, and he just doesn’t get it. … He’s not a particularly articulate candidate… and the skill you need to become president is typically being able to show voters you connect with them, and that you understand their problems. … It was a great skill of [former Presidents] Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama, and my sense is that this guy does not have it. He does not come off as warm and fuzzy, and when you get into these culture wars the way that he has, the vast majority of people don’t understand what they are. … That may work in parts of Florida… but not these other places he needs to win. That is not what sells.

Rollins goes even further to predict a re-election for President Joe Biden and the Democrats retaking the House of Representatives in 2024:

At this point in time, I don’t see how [DeSantis is] going to turn it around. … I think it’s gonna be Trump’s game, and at this point in time, I would be shocked if Trump were not the nominee. … And at the end of the day, I don’t see how Trump is a viable presidential candidate… So, unless something serious happens, Biden is probably going to get a second term… and I could even see Republicans losing their majority in the House.

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