Ross Dauta scores some decent points in this column for 2016 deja vu before moving on to what appears to be his real point: Trump is gaining momentum because the “press” actually wants him back. “[A] on some semi-conscious level, the mainstream press really wants Trump back. He wants to enjoy the ratings of The Trump Show; he wants the Republican Party to be defined by Trumpism when it defines itself as the defender of democracy.”
To be fair to Dautat, he says that ahead of these lines, if Trump is renominated, it will ultimately be down to GOP primary voters. fair. But I really don’t buy it. Yesterday, date Huffpo SV wrote that the American press failed in its duty of not putting the reality of January 6 in the center of attention in all reports about this man. It’s right. Every general press report about Trump should start with a descriptor like “Donald Trump, the former president who staged an unsuccessful coup after losing the 2020 election…”.
But even this failure is not the same as wanting it back. I just don’t think this is true even for the dumbest and most traditional of the nation’s political reporters.
Ross Dauta scores some decent points in this column for 2016 deja vu before moving on to what appears to be his real point: Trump is gaining momentum because the “press” actually wants him back. “[A] on some semi-conscious level, the mainstream press really wants Trump back. He wants to enjoy the ratings of The Trump Show; he wants the Republican Party to be defined by Trumpism when it defines itself as the defender of democracy.”
To be fair to Dautat, he says that ahead of these lines, if Trump is renominated, it will ultimately be down to GOP primary voters. fair. But I really don’t buy it. Yesterday, date Huffpo SV wrote that the American press failed to do its job by not placing the reality of January 6 at the center of all reports about this man. It’s right. Every general press report about Trump should start with a descriptor like “Donald Trump, the former president who staged an unsuccessful coup after losing the 2020 election…”.
But even this failure is not the same as wanting it back. I just don’t think this is true even for the dumbest and most traditional of the nation’s political reporters.
What I do think we’re seeing from the more vocal commentators and especially opinion columnists is a certain heartfelt welcome to any news of the DeSantis implosion. Indeed, I would classify myself in this group. I’m always up for Ron Meatball’s latest rake stomping.
But this is not about Trump. It’s about DeSantis. It’s just that on a personal level, he’s a rather unattractive guy. He built his campaign image around the qualities of a bully and pompous braggart that were once looked down upon. (Remind you of anyone?) Finally, even if you agree to most of the Republican political program, you must be really, Really hardcore in Trumpist predatory thinking not to see clearly that DeSantis used some of the most vulnerable people in his state as pawns, pieces of the playing field really, to push every hot button in the Trump-era GOP agenda.
As I apparently said in a recent podcast, DeSantis’ campaign platform is basically about being an asshole. And, let’s be honest, it’s a strong platform in GOP circles. Look at Trump. But it doesn’t rub everyone right. Of course, there is something special with the press. DeSantis insists on staying in a bubble that only the most obsequious reporters can enter. He fought any real criticism from the national press.
Put it all together, and there are definitely plenty of people who feel vicarious glee at DeSantis’ downfall. But most of these people did the same with Trump. Or at least they welcomed his various failures and blunders. The problem was that none of this killed Trump. The Republican base just couldn’t leave this guy. They were too supportive. The connection with Trump was inextricable.
Here we come to the crux of these complaints. A certain Republican insider and money man wants everyone else to support DeSantis. He’s like an egg in a picnic egg race. it’s fragile. Don’t break it. A lot of work has gone into this guy. We need him to get to the end of the race unharmed! Why are you throwing it up and down?
Save Private DeSantis or DeSantis’ Egg? It is a mixture of these two.
The problem, of course, is that DeSantis doesn’t save us from Trumpism. He’s as bad as Trump. If not, then he tries to be. He’s just the candidate of the Trump supporters who want a Trump who can run a better election, someone who isn’t so fucked up. Or at least it used to be.
I know a lot of people who are against Trump and DeSantis. do I think the press is playing that role, making the same mistakes they made in 2016 and bringing it back. maybe. But I don’t think it’s about Trump’s will. If anything, it is built into the conventions of contemporary political reporting. No one should feel like they need to support Ron DeSantis in order to demonstrate some sort of conscientious attitude towards Trump. Trump’s power over Republican primary voters rests solely with Republican primary voters, just as the downfall of DeSantis rests entirely on his soft shoulders.
