The DeSantis campaign is showing what Republican voters really want

What Will You Tell Your Senator if You Don’t Want to Leave, But You Can’t Give It To Your Senator’s Friend. (Summer 2016)

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This left a crucial middle bloc, maybe 40 percent of the party in my own guesstimation, that was Trump-friendly but also seemingly persuadable and open to another choice. These were those Republicans who mostly hadn’t voted for Trump in the early primaries in 2016, who had regarded him as the lesser of two evils during his tilt with Hillary Clinton, but who had gradually become more authentically favorable toward him over the course of his presidency — because of the judges he appointed, because of the strength of the economy, because they reacted against the hysteria of his liberal opponents, or just because of the alchemy of partisan identification.

Haley is trying to walk a fine line: to attract more moderate or “Never Trump” Republicans, without alienating the Trump faithful that make up the GOP primary base.

The triumph of the simple, intuitive, but possibly mistaken idea: that voters should be taken at their word when they say what they want from their leaders, would come if Ron DeSantis were to surprise and win the Republican nomination.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Ahead of Monday’s Iowa caucuses, Republican presidential hopefuls have been traversing the state for months, making their cases as to why they are the best candidate to challenge President Biden.

It could be the coldest caucus day on record with lows at evening caucus time below zero and a wind chill that is much colder. The freezing temperatures follow multiple snowstorms that blew through the state in recent days, forcing campaigns to cancel events or move them online.

The forecast — brutal even by Iowa standards — could mean a depressed turnout, and has thrown a curveball into a race that has been remarkably steady for months. Donald Trump has lead in the polls by as much as 30 percentage points.

His rivals — mainly Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, but also entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson — face an uphill battle as they compete for the slice of Republican voters who are ready to put the Trump years behind them.

Haley said at an event in the Des Moines suburb of Ankeny that she was the best candidate at the right time even though Donald Trump was the right man for the job.

“I agree with a lot of his policies, but rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him,” she said. “You all know it. Chaos follows him. And we can’t be a country in disarray and have a world on fire and go through four more years of chaos because we won’t survive it.”

One attendee who’s ready to move past the Trump years was small business owner Cory Kelly, who voted Republican for 20 years but was so turned off by Trump she voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020.

“We’ll get though four years of policy that you don’t agree with,” Kelly said. We may not get another four years of Donald Trump with our democracy intact.

Caucus Trump versus Clinton: When Will Haley’s Campaign Be Determined by a Civil Vote? “Brutal cold adds another layer to Republicans’ final push in Iowa”

Haley believes that she has the best chance of defeating Biden in a general election. Electability was one thing that drew Steve Boal, a retired finance executive, to Haley’s campaign.

He said he has seen her try to be civil. “That really grinds on me to see that, you know, people that just are really disrespectful of one another. You know, it’s like we just need to have some civil discourse.”

Still, DeSantis is careful not to go too far. He told the voters to appreciate what Donald Trump did. You can not like the people who are doing this to him — the DOJ and these prosecutors in New York and all this, 100%. It’s unfair.” But that doesn’t mean he would be a good presidential candidate, he said.

“If he’s the nominee,” DeSantis said in Clive, Iowa, “the whole election is going to be about legal issues, criminal trials or maybe criminal convictions by then, Jan. 6, all of that. That plays into the Democrats’ hands.”

DeSantis has also jabbed at Trump for his record on abortion, saying the former president isn’t sufficiently “pro-life.” Trump criticized abortion limits put in place by some state legislatures, but bragged about appointing justices who reversed the Supreme Court decision.

Source: Brutal cold adds another layer to Republicans’ final push in Iowa

Iowa Republican Caucus Trump Hasse Desantis: Where Are We? Where Do We Stand? How Do We Get There?

“Every single event that I’ve been to, every debate, every town hall, everything I have seen from him has only cemented my commitment to caucus for him and to want to vote for him in November,” Bahrt said.

“If I don’t have to vote for Trump, there’s enough reason not to vote for Trump,” he said. “In November, I’ll weigh my options at that point. I try to vote my conscience.

Republicans like Kelly and Bahrt are exceptions, not the rule. Poll after poll shows the former president safely ahead in Iowa — even though he’s spent less time in the state himself than some of his competitors.

“They’re trying to get you to have that apathy,” the younger Trump said. Donald Trump is winning by a lot of points. You should stay home.’ “

The room was small, but packed. Two people are seated at a table in the center. Both are big Trump fans. Both see the many legal troubles he is facing as politically motivated.

Gary Leffler is serving as a caucus captain for the former president, meaning he’ll speak on Trump’s behalf at a caucus site Monday. He thinks Trump will get a big victory.

“The people are just really more energized than I’ve ever seen them,” Leffler said. “I was there in ’16 and ’20, and they are more organized, they are more dedicated, they’re more enthused.”

Source: Brutal cold adds another layer to Republicans’ final push in Iowa

Haley, Donald, and the Road Towards an America without Chaos (Middleton, Fla., Dec. 1997)

Haley, a former South Carolina governor, said it was going to be cold on Monday. I don’t know what -15 is. I was complaining it was cold in Iowa in October. I’ll let you know what. We can do this. You deserve better. You have a right to an America without chaos.

“I understand it’s going to be -4,” Trump Jr. said. “But if I can get my Florida butt back up here … everyone can get back up there. We can leave. The caucus process is open to us.

“I am a Florida guy,” said DeSantis, who staked his campaign on the Iowa caucuses. Florida guys don’t usually come north in January. But if you’re willing to go out there, you’re willing to brave those elements for three, four hours … You springboard us by doing that. For the next eight years I’ll be your voice. We will turn this country around.”