OPINION:
In the recent midterm elections, Gov. Ron DeSantis had a massive victory in Florida. So did Sen. Marco Rubio. I strongly believe, however, that Mr. DeSantis’ success is being overhyped by the media.
I understand you can’t really compare midterm and presidential elections, but let’s go there. In both of his presidential races, Donald Trump received more votes than Mr. DeSantis. In 2016, Mr. Rubio handily defeated challenger Patrick Murphy. In 2018, Rick Scott defeated incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson.
So because Mr. Rubio received more votes than Mr. Trump in 2016, it stands to reason that he would have defeated Hillary Clinton in a presidential election? I don’t think so. In fact, many argue that it was Mr. Trump who helped Messrs. DeSantis and Scott win their races in 2018.
Republicans aren’t likely to win Florida by more than 10% in the 2024 presidential election; that’s just the reality. Mr. Trump — not Mr. DeSantis — turned that state red. In a presidential election, Mr. DeSantis may have a better chance than Mr. Trump of winning the popular vote, but Mr. Trump has a better chance of winning the Electoral College.
TEDDYLEE GRAY
St. Ann, Jamaica
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