This may have been true once upon a time, but it's not true today @Mesaclone
It's been an open secret in Washington for many months that DeSantis is meeting, with regularity, with Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, their teams, their communication staffs, and their donors. Remember, RDS is a product of this wing of the Republican Party --- having spent his entire tenure in the House under the mentorship of Ryan and McCarthy. In 2016, he dropped his bid for the Senate at McConnell's request, and returned to Ryan's open arms. Their reconnection was predictable.
The one surprise was RDS's endorsement, with audio evidence, of the one GOP Senate candidate who made a pillar of his campaign a promise to fight against Donald Trump in 2024, John O'Dea in Colorado. The running joke in some DC circles was DeSantis passed his test and was now a "made" member of the DC Republican swamp famiy. 
Support RDS, if you choose. But, do so understanding he is being bought and paid for and will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the organizations that have dedicated their careers to the elimination of all things MAGA.
Look, I completely understand the points you're making. But there's some unfair extrapolation going on. Just because the man meets with the future "speaker of the House and the majority leader in the Senate" does not mean he's somehow sold out to them. Likewise for talking with Ryan, who I agree is a weasel. This is simple tactics...shore up support ACROSS the party...but does NOT equate to caving in to everyone he deigns to speak with. On the contrary, he reaches out from a position of strength and that means these folks must come to him and adjust to his positions...not vice versa.
This ongoing division in the party goes to one of President Trump's weaknesses...the inability to unite the factions of the party. To be fair, he first had to defeat and displace in the primaries...to establish the supremacy of the MAGA doctrine and change the direction of the party. Doing that was critical...the key to the party's future...but it comes with the cost of enduring division and I don't think he has the demeanor to heal that divide. I think Desantis has the political skills to bring those elements TO the MAGA movement...I do not believe he is going to them and caving to their wishes...not at all and there's no evidence that this is what is happening. Should such evidence ever emerge, I will no longer support him. I'm guessing he knows must conservatives feel the same way.
Make no mistake, the party must be MAGA focused yet it MUST unite all the elements of the party. Internal division is a big part of what REPEATEDLY causes us to lose national elections...the other factor has been the vapid weakness of the Bush-Ryan wing. Trump defeated that wing...its not coming back into power in the party...everyone, including Desantis understands that fight is over and those folks are not what conservative voters want. Period.
What we need now is a strong leader who advocates for MAGA but who can also not alienate every other element in the party...and let's remember we'll need to make inroads with Independents and suburban voters (we lost independents in this mid-term for the first time in a long time). Winning those elements is less about doctrine than it is about demeanor and tone...and I just don't believe President Trump has the message and personal discipline to NOT alienate those key voters. I think Desantis does...and he will do so while advocating the EXACT same policy positions as President Trump.
Right_in_Virginia...I think Donald Trump has done much to save the country. His charisma and sheer determination have changed the direction of the GOP...for the foreseeable future. But it is not always the soldier who leads the revolution who is best to consolidate its victories and to rule a nation. We'll always owe a debt to the President, but the key question today is "who can beat the Democrats and take back the White House?" Honestly, Desantis and Trump have virtually no differences on policy...so answering that key question revolves around political skill and message discipline. We all have to decide for ourselves which candidate best executes those two traits.
If Trump wins the nomination, I will 100% support and vote for him...heck...I love the guy. But I will vote for Desantis because I think he will win a national election...and have grave doubts that President Trump can.
