Viewers guide to the debate
Tonight is the highly-anticipated debate between Governor Ron DeSantis and Governor Gavin Newsom. Airing on Fox News Channel, and set up by primetime host Sean Hannity, there will be no live audience. Hannity said he worked closely with the two governors’ teams to put the terms of the event in place.
Hannity is the longest-running primetime cable news host. His show is regularly one of the top-rated primetime shows. He seems to be a hands-on host so it isn’t much of a surprise that he was involved in setting up this event. After all, he invited both Newsom and DeSantis to debate during on-air interviews. Is this debate necessary? I think that depends on a viewer’s level of interest in the 2024 presidential race. Both of these men are running for president. Only one admits it.
Gavin Newsom has shown his obsession with Ron DeSantis for months. Newsom regularly inserts his opinion on the DeSantis agenda in Florida. The arguing back and forth between the two governors makes a televised debate a natural progression of their relationship. In the lead-up to a presidential election, it is natural that a debate centered on the stark contrast between the red state Florida and the blue state California came to be.
The popularity of Ron DeSantis in Florida is undeniable. He won re-election by almost 20 points. Purple swing state Florida is now a solidly red state. On the flip side, California is a failing state. The socialist policies of Newsom and other Democrats are destroying a once-thriving state. Case in point – look no further than Newsom’s own family. His in-laws moved to Florida during the pandemic to pursue greater freedom. They supported the re-election of DeSantis as campaign donors. That’s got to sting.
Voters are looking for alternatives to Joe Biden and Donald Trump. DeSantis is challenging Trump in the Republican primary. Newsom is coy about his presidential ambition.
