Gov. Ron DeSantis is now being criticized by 3/5ths of the elected black Republicans in Congress after his comments on slavery as his odds of a political comeback dim.
Rep. John James (R-MI) of Michigan tweeted:
.@RonDeSantis, #1: slavery was not CTE! Nothing about that 400 years of evil was a “net benefit” to my ancestors. #2: there are only five black Republicans in Congress and you’re attacking two of them.
My brother in Christ… 🤦🏾♂️ if you find yourself in a deep hole put the shovel… https://t.co/9DGZw4BI0o
— John James (@JohnJamesMI) July 28, 2023
There are only five elected black Republicans in Congress, and three of them have criticized DeSsantis’s comments on slavery, which people like Jesse Watters have also echoed on Fox News. There are a group of white Republicans who are defending DeSantis with the old, he really didn’t say that excuse, but somehow a failing presidential candidate has tried to save his presidential campaign by setting it on fire with comments that people from across the political spectrum view as a defense of slavery.
Politico then came along and threw some dirt on DeSantis’s political grave with a bit of history:
Historically, there have been a few times when presidential hopefuls come out of nowhere and snatch their party’s nomination. This happened with Jimmy Carter in 1976. Bill Clinton pulled off a similar feat in 1992, when the then-Arkansas governor used a second-place finish in New Hampshire to turn the page after allegations that he’d had an affair with a former local TV reporter and brand himself “The Comeback Kid.”
Lately, though, voters have been sticking with the frontrunners. That’s bad news for DeSantis and the other Republicans seeking to dethrone Donald Trump.
It would be historic for DeSantis to come back and win. John McCain did it in 2008, but people forget that McCain was the early and expected frontrunner before his campaign sluggishly stumbled to start 2008.
The only true example of a candidate coming from behind to win in the modern era is Bill Clinton in 1992, and Ron DeSantis isn’t Bill Clinton.
A DeSantis collapse and defeat would be historic because a primary candidate has never had an opponent facing 75 felony charges and lost. Never has a primary candidate for a presidential nomination had so much money behind him ($200 million) and lost.
Ron DeSantis looks like one of the greatest presidential primary flops in modern electoral history, and he is making it worse every day on the campaign trail.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
