California Governor Gavin Newsom has been running a shadow presidential campaign for months, building his brand among the party's national base, just in case Democrats decide to throw the incumbent overboard. A core component of his strategy has been to loudly and relentlessly attack red state governors, with a special fixation on Florida's Ron DeSantis -- whom he recently threatened with scurrilous "kidnapping" charges after the DeSantis administration flew consenting illegal immigrants to the capital city of Newsom's self-proclaimed sanctuary state. He also traveled to Florida to posture about incipient 'authoritarianism,' or whatever, showing up in DeSantis' back yard to troll him. Trolling is harder when you're so clearly losing the argument, based on people's actions. What Newsom calls a "Fox News myth" is, unsurprisingly, flat out true:
“Myth.” https://t.co/ye0culWCWu pic.twitter.com/5YXT99XZMM
— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) June 17, 2023
California has lost population for the first time ever on Newsom's watch, now having shed residents for three straight years. The city he ran, San Francisco, is in awful and deteriorating shape. This is a pretty brutal and detailed dismantling of the governor's counter-spin:
California has consistently been among the top 2 states that people are moving away from. They actually ran out of U-hauls in 2021 because of it.
— AG (@AGHamilton29) June 14, 2023
Their unemployment rate is almost 1.7X Florida's (4.5 vs 2.6).
Several of their DAs have either been recalled or are facing recall… https://t.co/n7IuBB3qJ0
While it's obvious why Newsom is engaged in attention-seeking behavior, targeting Florida's popular chief executive, I've thought for quite some time that it might benefit DeSantis to lean into the fight a little bit more. He's got a really strong "scoreboard" response to Newsom's thirsty, partisan sniping -- and the battle allows DeSantis to slug it out against both the current Democratic president and a top Democrat of his own generation. Showcasing the Florida vs. California comparison is helpful to the broader case for conservative governance (and against "progressive" governance), and it highlights a useful political juxtaposition for DeSantis personally. This is a high-profile feud that benefits him, if he plays it right. And it very much looks like DeSantis has decided to engage more heavily and directly on this front. Last week, he mocked Newsom for effectively running for president, as a back-up plan, without having the courage to actually declare a candidacy and challenge a sputtering incumbent. The message? Man up, or shut up:
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#BREAKING: DeSantis on if he would take on @GavinNewsom in a debate, tells him to stop "pussy footing"
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) June 15, 2023
"Stop pussy footing around! Are you gonna throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe? [...] Or are you gonna sit on the sidelines and chirp? pic.twitter.com/0r8jqM2Bla
This week, Team DeSantis is pushing even harder, shining a spotlight on the Sunshine State versus Golden State side-by-side. Newsom invited this debate. And now he's got it. This is going to leave a mark:
The debate is already settled.
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) June 19, 2023
California’s liberal governance is a disaster. @RonDeSantis’ conservative policies have Florida thriving, and would do so for the nation. pic.twitter.com/c4a8P5g5UQ
And he's also turning the tables on Newsom, visiting California to survey the damage that's been inflicted on a once-great state by failing politicians and policies:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped a new campaign video on Monday targeting California and Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom ahead of a two-day visit to the Golden State. The video takes aim at California’s left-wing policies, arguing that they have led to an increase in crime, homelessness, and a net outward migration from the state. The video’s release comes as DeSantis heads to California to "see first-hand the disastrous results of liberal governance," his campaign said in a statement. Newsom, who has been speculated to enter the 2024 race for the White House in a direct challenge to President Biden, has pushed back on the notion of California’s dwindling population.
I'll leave you with another valuable political enemy DeSantis has attracted -- plus, the latest manifestation of the news media despising DeSantis and applying dramatically different standards to conservative women:
The extent to which this woman loathes and fears DeSantis — a rolling anti-endorsement — may be more valuable and clarifying than any endorsement he receives. https://t.co/tpZMd4A7MT
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) June 18, 2023
It is very inspiring and empowering for a woman to be in an expansive and atypical role, as long as she is a Democrat and not in one of those weird, insular marriages with only two people in it. The Clintons got it right. https://t.co/BGH5wwFE3C
— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) June 19, 2023
Yes, why does Casey DeSantis and her "insular marriage" engender "so much fear," journos? Do lefty political spouses, or lefty women in general, ever receive this sort of treatment from the 'news' media?
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