Everyone knows it’s happening, the question is when.
As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has begun making appearances across the country and will soon set out on a book tour, signs and hints surrounding an inevitable campaign launch are undeniable.
Case in point, a video released this morning that describes the “Florida blueprint” for America contrasted with the DC establishment swamp.
If this isn’t a soft launch trial balloon of a 2024 presidential campaign, what is?
All the hallmarks are there for a campaign platform.
DeSantis has a solid record and the residents of Florida overwhelmingly gave him another term as their Governor despite knowing it was incredibly likely he would soon be running for President.
This is normally the sort of video that would be interwoven with the candidate talking about their experience and their reason to seek higher office. In this case, it’s DeSantis speaking at an event and outlining the highlights of his first term. It’s sort of sending out some feelers to see how supporters and perhaps non-supporters will react.
What this amounts to is basically a signal to donors and backers that not only is he running, but that he’s very serious about it. He could announce now and be done with the suspense but that would draw criticism for not finishing out the current Florida legislative session. There is still work to be done in the Sunshine State and DeSantis wants a few more victories under his belt before launching into national politics.
His donors, however, will be delighted to see this sort of video making the rounds as it sends several clear signals.
First, DeSantis has a well-defined agenda. It’s a stark contrast between his views and his record versus the dysfunctional swamp in Washington, DC. It touches on Covid-19 lockdowns, an area where DeSantis excelled, and it also pushes back on the failed economic policies of the Biden administration. In other words, it plays all the right notes.
Compared to his Republican counterparts, such as former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, a declared presidential candidate, DeSantis has a recent record of victories and a record of fighting for the causes conservatives have latched onto in recent years. He’s been a woodchipper against woke policies and ideologies in his state and even fought back against Disney which continues to push a hyper-sexualized agenda into its “family-friendly” programming.
Second, his team is competent and his image, as it will be presented to a national audience, is well-polished and well-crafted. In short, this will not be a novice campaign launch filled with d-list staffers and consultants.
A recent NBC News story noted that DeSantis’ presence on the national stage is about to expand:
Ron DeSantis’ shadow campaign for the presidency has suddenly become much more visible, even as his advisers insist he’s focused on governing Florida.
DeSantis recently launched a tax-exempt organization that sponsored his speaking engagements to police groups in New York and the Philadelphia and Chicago suburbs last week. He hosted a retreat for top donors from across the country at the Four Seasons in Palm Beach this weekend. And he has already sold out venues for a national book tour that begins Tuesday.
In one midsize city, DeSantis’ political team has set a goal of raising $1 million for a spring event that is still in the planning stages — an aggressive sum, particularly given the size of the city — according to a person with knowledge of the plans.
Sufficed to say, what this all means is that DeSantis is not heeding calls to stand down and wait until 2028 to run for President, he’s taking his bright spotlight and stellar term governing one of America’s largest states and parlaying it into a presidential run.
Expect more from DeSantis in the coming months with a 2024 presidential campaign launch that seems inevitable.
