The Paths Forward for the GOP Presidential FieldJosh Hammer
Aug 25, 2023
Wednesday evening's much-anticipated first Republican presidential primary debate came and went without an obvious "winner" or dominant figure. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the onstage front-runner given the conspicuous absence of former President Donald Trump, performed ably with numerous compelling and substantive answers. Still, pre-debate expectations were high enough -- and his national horse race polling deficit with Trump wide enough -- that it was left unclear whether such a performance might suffice. Some of the second-tier candidates, such as former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, likely outperformed; some, such as Haley's fellow South Carolinian, Sen. Tim Scott, likely underperformed. And there was the glib charlatan Vivek Ramaswamy, whose egomania and insufferably grating nature were finally exposed before a national television audience; his personal favorability polling metrics have cratered, accordingly.
Of those who participated, DeSantis was the steadiest hand and delivered the best performance overall. He was righteously indignant when such indignation was called for, and he reminded the viewers of his transformative governing track record in Florida at the right moments. It would have been gratifying to see DeSantis knock down Ramaswamy a few notches, but the governor came across as competent, untouched, and above the fray. A post-debate Fox News focus group and most available post-debate polling revealed DeSantis as the most popular choice when those who had watched the debate were asked to identify the "winner."
But it was not a thoroughly memorable or dominant performance, either -- not precisely a first-round, Mike Tyson-style knockout blow. And a particular Palm Beach denizen, now fending off four separate criminal indictments from this most vindictive of regimes, was notably absent from the Milwaukee melee. More data is needed before offering any firm conclusions, but it is difficult to foresee the next batch of polls moving the needle a great deal. It must also be noted that a multicandidate debate format simply does not play to DeSantis' strengths as a politician; he has many strengths, but this is just not one of them. So perhaps we cannot reasonably expect more than Wednesday's calm, composed, and low-key winning performance in future crowded debates. The question thus becomes whether, at this current trajectory, "slow and steady" will indeed "win the race," as Aesop once taught.
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Source:
https://townhall.com/columnists/joshhammer/2023/08/25/the-paths-forward-for-the-gop-presidential-field-n2627512
