Donald Trump was a tremendously successful president whose major reductions in taxes and federal regulations produced our best economy since at least the 1960s. His “drill, baby, drill” policy led to U.S. energy independence for the first time in over half a century, his enforcement of immigration laws dramatically reduced illegal immigration, and his judicial appointments moved the Supreme Court and other federal courts in a much more conservative direction. He strengthened the U.S. military, all but eliminated the Islamic State terrorists, and helped normalize relations between Israel and several Muslim nations. President Trump also refrained from getting us mired in any more foolish “nation-building” crusades around the world.
If the 2024 presidential election were decided strictly on proven policy successes, Republican voters would have an obvious choice. But National Review editor William F. Buckley, Jr. understood we need to vote for “the most conservative candidate who can win,” and that man is not Donald Trump. If you doubt this, ask why Democrats and their news media propagandists desperately want Trump as the GOP nominee. They understand his often juvenile personality is toxic to independent voters and affluent, suburban white female Republicans. Leftists also know no other Republican nominee will inspire more Democrats to vote against the GOP. So, as emotionally satisfying as voting for Trump would be for many conservatives, the day after a Biden-Trump rematch would likely bring them another crushing four-year political hangover.
Fortunately, there is an outstanding alternative who is not only more conservative than the former president, but a much better legislative leader and debater with a far more disciplined personality who would win millions more independent, female, and even moderate Democrat votes like he did in his re-election last November. Indeed, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis offers all
the positive policies of Trump sans his embarrassing hijinks, endless legal troubles, and pronounced polarization.
Gov. DeSantis’s biography is remarkably inspiring. Reared in a blue collar Italian Catholic family, the small-town Florida boy captained Yale’s baseball team and achieved its top batting average before graduating magna cum laude. He then earned a Harvard Law degree, graduating cum laude. But instead of immediately pursuing a legal career like the rest of his class, this patriot became a U.S. Navy officer who would earn the Bronze Star in our second Iraqi War.
DeSantis’s political career has been stellar. After being a U.S. attorney, he served in Congress for six years where he voted to repeal Obamacare, helped create the Freedom Caucus, supported President Trump’s bills and, unlike President Biden, left Congress without getting rich there.
Though elected governor in 2018 by just 0.4 percent of the votes, he was re-elected last fall by 19.4 percent, winning 62 of Florida’s 67 counties, including Miami-Dade – as a Republican. In just four years, Gov. DeSantis turned a purple state trending blue into a solidly red bastion, despite a record number of Yankees, Puerto Ricans, and other traditional Democrats moving into the state. In fact, Gov. DeSantis’ policies have proved to be so successful that more Americans are now moving to Florida than to any other state. His phenomenal record reveals why.
When Democratic governors locked up their states during the COVID panic, Gov. DeSantis kept his open. That and his low-tax, pro-business policies enabled Florida’s economy to boom.
Since “personnel is policy,” GOP voters can take comfort that Gov. DeSantis’s judicial appointments turned Florida’s Supreme Court from liberal to conservative. And his choice to be Florida Surgeon General, Nigerian immigrant Dr. Joseph Ladapo, has steadfastly opposed COVID vaccine mandates and promoted hydroxychloroquine as a safe treatment for COVID.
No recent U.S. governor has a more successful conservative legislative record than Gov. DeSantis. Declaring “Florida is where woke goes to die,” he has gotten laws enacted to protect young school children from a sexualized curriculum, girl athletes from having to compete with boys, and all school children and workers from having racist “critical race theory” agitprop forced on them. He also signed laws reducing the legal window for abortions from 24 weeks to just six and to strengthen gun-owners’ handgun rights, earning an A+ rating from the NRA.
DeSantis’ courage is confirmed by his daring to force his state’s most powerful corporation, Disney, to have to obey the same laws as every other business. Like Trump, DeSantis has again and again proved to be a ferocious fighter who never shows fear in the face of leftists.
Unlike Trump, DeSantis is just 44, is a far more articulate debater, has had just one wife (and zero porn star encounters), could serve two presidential terms and, most importantly, can win.
Dr. Douglas Young is a retired political science professor at the University of North Georgia.