Gonna be some people who think this is way toooo hypothetical …..
That ain’t me….
Replacing the Democratic and Republican ‘supposilly’ front runner ‘s with younger Governor types might be just what a lot of voters could want…
And this HAS ALREADY started …..
Forget Donald Trump versus Joe Biden. The biggest prelude to 2024 might just be the escalating back-and-forth between Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis.
The governors for California and Florida have hurled insults about each other’s leadership and policies during most of the Covid-19 pandemic. But now Newsom has ratcheted up the conflict by taking almost daily pot-shots at his Republican foils such as DeSantis and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Most recently, Newsom dropped more than $100,000 on a new ad airing on Fox News that tweaked DeSantis in his home state. On Tuesday, he started fundraising off the ad and conflict with DeSantis.
Fox-watching Floridians won’t likely switch their voter registration or move to California after seeing a TV spot in which Newsom warned them “freedom is under attack in your state.” But the ad is producing a frenzy of national coverage that boosts Newsom’s profile while allowing DeSantis to sharpen his attacks on Democrats ahead of a possible 2024 White House bid.
The fight highlights how two young governors have captured the attention of their respective parties: On one side is Newsom, a progressive and telegenic leader who survived an attempted recall. On the other is DeSantis, who is often heralded as a more disciplined Donald Trump but who also has a penchant for populism and a refusal to back down from a fight.
“Most politicians operate best when they have somebody or something to contrast against, and there’s no bigger contrast to Gavin Newsom and California right now than Florida and Ron DeSantis,” said Jim Ross, a Democratic consultant who ran Newsom’s first mayoral campaign.
Republicans’ response to Newsom is simple: Bring it on. They say they would love a chance to highlight California’s homelessness crisis, shrinking population and other factors that make it a regular GOP punching bag….
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DeSantis too regularly shoots down questions over his 2024 aspirations, saying he is focused on his November reelection. The Florida governor has more than $100 million in funds from big-money donors as well as small-dollar donations from individuals in all 50 states. He has topped Trump in a series of straw pollsand isn’t asking the former president for an endorsement.
Nevertheless, the ongoing fight underscores what “might conceivably be a marquee 2024 matchup” if “all the dominoes fall in the right direction,” Democratic political consultant Maviglio said. That helped generate additional interest as national pundits and politicians rushed to analyze what it meant.
Whether or not Newsom runs for president, the national spotlight could bolster his standing in California as he approaches a likely final term by allowing him to “demonstrate political strength” and elevate issues that resonate with voters, [ a Democratic consultant who ran Newsom’s first mayoral campaign] Ross said….