DeSantis be running against just one president in the primaries; he’ll likely face two in the general election if he even makes it that far.
During the 2008 presidential campaign, former President Clinton made a fateful prediction. Hillary, he said, would face her biggest challenge in the primaries and not in the general election.
For Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), the reverse probably will be true; the general election will be the more difficult of the two. That’s because he’ll be running against just one president in the primaries; he’ll likely face two in the general election if he even makes it that far.
Former President Trump hasn’t said “pick me or I’ll bolt” since he launched his 2024 campaign — not in so many words, anyway. He’s implied as much, however, more than once, including last December when he subtly teased a third-party run on his Truth Social website.
By the middle of next summer, Trump may have stopped teasing his supporters and taken the plunge. If so, the outcome of the 2024 election will be a foregone conclusion.
If Trump doesn’t get picked, he’ll almost certainly go rogue. And in a three-way race with the former president, DeSantis will be crushed. So why did the governor decide to run?
Three possible reasons come to mind. The first involves the name recognition needed to become president.
DeSantis is well-known in Florida but not outside of the state.
