You would not have thought this possible when 2023 began – but it is really looking possible now. Gov. Ron DeSantis is running a terrible campaign. He is literally losing ground to President Trump, even as Trump suffers indictment after indictment. DeSantis just isn’t coming across to GOP voters in a way that draws them in. He’s got to turn it around quickly, or he may look very much like Scott Walker in 2016, who actually dropped out in September 2015, before even a single primary or caucus had taken place.
OPINION-DOUGLAS SCHOEN:
Nine months ago, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) was regarded in GOP circles as a savvier, younger and more electable version of former President Trump — in other words, Trump without the baggage.
Now, DeSantis is more commonly typified as the next Scott Walker, the former Wisconsin governor who famously dropped out of the 2016 Republican presidential primary after being considered an early front-runner.
Indeed, a new poll in the all-important first primary state, Iowa, finds DeSantis trailing Trump by 30 points, with 16 percent support to Trump’s 46 percent. Further, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is gaining momentum on DeSantis, having eclipsed double-digits for the first time with 10 percent support, a sign that voters seeking an alternative to Trump are looking past DeSantis.
As DeSantis has struggled in the polls, mega-donors have grown skittish and recent headlines highlighting internal campaign chaos have only added fuel to this dumpster fire. DeSantis’s campaign is reportedly short on cash, firing staff, shaking up key leadership positions and failing to court small donors, indicating a lack of voter enthusiasm. . . . .
THE HILL