DeSantis blames the media for his failure to launch

Republicans complain that men have become effeminate pantywaists. Looking at conservative men, you would have to agree. They are a bunch of finger-pointing whiners. Their leader has blamed everyone except himself for his serial failures. (Note: his only success, the 2016 election, only happened because of America’s Rube Goldberg presidential elections rules — he has never won a popular vote.) And their Dear Leader’s #1 challenger is also an irredeemable blame shifter.

Ron DeSantis has shown all the traction of a drunk on ice skates. However, he will not look in the mirror to see the source of his failure. He has the charisma of a turnip. And the retail political skills of a coma victim. He can not acknowledge that his hateful run to the right of Trump has been a disaster. If he could be honest with himself he would rebrand his campaign and try harder to look like he cares.

However, admitting mistakes is not part of Ron’s vocabulary. He would rather blame the media. On what grounds, you might wonder. I will let DeSantis explain. On Sunday, Maria Bartiromo asked him, "There was a lot of optimism about you running for president early in the year [...] What happened? DeSantis chuckled and replied, "These are narratives." Adding,

"The media does not want me to be the nominee. I think that's very clear. Why? Because they know I'd beat [President Joe] Biden, but even more importantly, they know I would actually deliver on all these things."

That might salve his ego. But it leaves Ron exactly where he is — lagging 30 points behind the front-runner. What is his plan to improve his standing? He does not say. Which is fine if he wants to whine. But if he wants to win, he has to do something different. He cannot rely on the media deciding not to report what he is actually doing.

Last Thursday, this drowning man clutched the same straw. In another interview with Fox, he blamed a plot for his failure to win conservative hearts and minds.

“Well, I think if you look at the people like the corporate media, who are they going after? Who do they not want to be the nominee? They’re going after me.”

“So, I think if you look at all these people that are responsible for a lot of the ills in our society, they’re targeting me as the person they don’t want to see as the candidate.”

I am sure that the “corporate media” is astounded to discover they influence Republicans. Trump, and his shameless enablers, have spent seven years decrying “fake news.” Are there any Republicans left who take their cues from CNN — a cable station that few people watch anymore? Are any of the base reading the editorial pages of WaPo & the NYT? And forget the network news. They are so committed to being ‘evenhanded’ they would give Attila the Hun favorable notices.

DeSantis should stop his useless finger-pointing and ask himself why the British, who presumably do not influence the GOP primary voter, were underwhelmed on the London stop of his world tour. Attendees described him variously as “horrendous,” and “low-wattage,” One U.K. business figure said DeSantis “looked bored” and “stared at his feet.”

The British not only slammed DeSantis’ lack of charisma and interpersonal skills but also poured cold water on his aspirations for higher office.

“Nobody in the room was left thinking, ‘this man’s going places’.”

“It felt really a bit like we were watching a state-level politician. I wouldn’t be surprised if [people in attendance] came out thinking ‘That’s not the guy’.”

DeSantis should also ask himself why he is not floating the donor class’s boat. I doubt Republican megadonor Thomas Peterfyy based his decision on the media when he explained why he was not contributing to Ron’s campaign.

“I have put myself on hold. Because of his [DeSantis’s] stance on abortion and book banning … myself, and a bunch of friends, are holding our powder dry.”

Political pundits like to talk about lanes. Ron is determined to run in the whiny bitch lane. But that political space is dominated by the complainer-in-chief, the ne plus ultra moaner, Trump. Ron should choose a different path. He will not. He has the blind self-confidence that springs from a lack of self-awareness. And he is a victim of the trope (never said by Einstein) that "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

DeSantis can project optimism about his prospects, but he has only two paths to the nomination. One is to hope that Trump’s crimes finally cost him. Or he can change course. DeSantis should not put much faith in the first. And he is incapable of the second.

Trump infamously said, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?" Ron’s best hope might be to shoot Trump on Fifth Ave and see what happens.