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Richard Hanania made some similar points: https://www.richardhanania.com/p/the-biomechanics-of-trumpism
Trump's popularity among his base seems to have far more to do with who he is as a person than any specific political stance he takes or policy proposal he advocates. DeSantis can copy Trump's policy base, he can even be far more effective at getting policies implemented than Trump was or will be, but that won't make people like DeSantis more.
I can sign off on this. It reminds me of reading original Lovecraft versus others doing "Lovecraftian" fiction. Sure, the original might have arguably worse prose, and predictable if unsatisfying endings. To say nothing of the nonexistent story or character arcs. But something genuine about Lovecraft's specific pathos grant the subpar material a life of it's own. The world through Lovecraft's eyes is terrible and fascinating in equal turn. And it's something no imitator or follower has replicated fully. And especially none that tried to "fix" Lovecraft.
So it goes with Trump. Through Trump's eyes, it's not a policy issue, it's a good versus evil issue. The swamp is destroying America and selling the remains to globalist. His policy proscriptions and his ability to work the levers of power are arguably worse than DeSantis. Like, a lot worse. But it's clear DeSantis doesn't have Trump's vision for diagnosing the problem. DeSantis without Trump leading the way to politically salient battles will turn out to be just another Neocon who never understood what Trump was really about. Trying to invoke references that sound "Trumpy" but totally missing Trump's point.
How it is clear?
And also, the problem is already diagnosed. We know the problem. We have whole books upon books of diagnoses. We have the proofs, we have the receipts, we have the emails and the laptops. What we don't have is the treatment plan, and Trump doesn't seem to be in any rush to propose any. While DeSantis seems to have some experimental treatments successfully applied in Florida. So, maybe it is time to move from vision to action?
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Trump can’t even describe how the swamp is destroying America. That’s exactly what Hanania says. Trump is probably the most pro-vaccine prominent politician in the GOP because he couldn’t let go of his personal belief that it’s a great achievement even as the base radicalized beyond him. Trump can’t explain why he isn’t a ‘globalist’.
I agree that Trump is the original, the real deal. But the real deal is a consummate showman, not a serious person. Some call it catharsis but it’s not really that, it’s entertainment. Trump is an entertaining guy, personally. He’s very funny. You can laugh at and with him, which is rare. He’s a great American character, not a demagogue, and that’s why Hanania thinks he’ll win (the primary).
Didn't he kill off international trade treaties ?
Didn't he promise to scale back NATO, and was seen as a threat because of that ?
Didn't he start a escalate a trade conflict with China
I'd say he could explain how he isn't a globalist.
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His narcissism helps him here.
He dies on hills he probably shouldn't, just to be stubborn.
But I guess it can come across as a costly signal of sincerity (or at least spine, something many of his 2016 competitors seemed to lack)
The fact that it causes the outgroup to attack him even more for this might be a secondary benefit of Republicans feel obligated to close ranks.
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Yeah, DeSantis I think has a bit of the Hillary thing: he comes across as a careerist dweeb that'll tell you what you want to hear (like that SNL skit of Hillary morphing into Bernie)
Even when he has a point ( he'd probably be best on fighting wokeness on a legal level) I can see why it doesn't connect. Hillary also claimed the wonk title as a selling point for people who weren't bowled over by her charisma, some people just didn't care at all.
I promised myself I'd treat Hanania with more skepticism after his Ukraine call but the minute I saw DeSantis being mocked for his Twitter announcement that article plus his general view that DeSantis was going to be done in by Trump immediately came to mind.
Yeah, he's not going to be able to shake the establishment vibe.
I wonder whether it would be a good move for him to start publicly laying out very specific policies. He loses flexibility when in office by doing so, but it makes it clear that he actually has specific plans in place to accomplish things, and might decrease the perceived sliminess, in that it makes it clear that he has plans, he isn't just saying whatever is necessary to sate ambition.
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