Neither Trump nor DeSantis will beat the Democrat in 2024.

Once upon a time, people thought the only person who could beat Trump, was Joe Biden. After two years in office, there is a similar feeling that anyone not called Donald Trump could, in return, beat Joe Biden. But if that ‘anyone’ happens to be called Ron DeSantis, does that adage still hold?

It is not a new observation to say Ron DeSantis is the non-Trump frontrunner…for now. I have my doubts about him, though. Reports, even at this stage, reckon he is far from a natural politician, appearing awkward and without any of the charisma Trump had. Because — whisper it quietly, Trump was, sometimes, quite funny, and — whisper it even more quietly — even charming, especially when off-script. DeSantis seems bereft of humour or charm; which, in and of itself, is not a disaster, if he decides to run on the perception he is a competent governor instead. The real problem is authenticity, and that’s central to Trumpism. You can feel when someone imitates Trump. They always do it badly. It’s even worse than the real thing.

Aside from his personality, Florida is just a bizarre place. I wonder whether its blend of cultural, economic, and demography peculiarities will actually provide fertile ground for a national run. Trump was able to channel peoples true, latent grievances. Are voters really against AP African American Studies…