California Governor Gavin Newsom and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis participated in a highly anticipated debate on Thursday night. However, the debate proved to be a disappointment, as it was more of a sideshow than a substantive discussion on national policy. Newsom reiterated that he is not a candidate for president, while DeSantis, who is running for the Republican nomination, appeared desperate for attention.
The debate, titled “The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate,” was promoted by Fox News but failed to live up to the hype. The two governors spent much of the 90-minute debate trading insults and talking over each other, making it difficult to understand their positions on the issues. The lack of substance in the debate only served to reinforce what we already know: Newsom and DeSantis have a strong dislike for each other and have vastly different approaches to governing their respective states.
The debate was moderated by Sean Hannity, who had promised to be impartial but clearly showed a bias towards DeSantis. Each segment of the debate was prefaced with statistics that painted California in a negative light, further highlighting Hannity’s support for the Florida governor.
Despite the advantage of having statistics in his favor, DeSantis seemed uncomfortable throughout the debate. His standard response to Newsom’s statements was to call them lies, accompanied by a forced smile. Newsom, on the other hand, appeared to be enjoying the opportunity to confront DeSantis directly and taunted him about his low polling numbers in Florida.
One subplot of the debate was Newsom’s alleged “shadow campaign” to challenge President Biden for the Democratic nomination. However, Newsom was unwavering in his support for Biden, praising his performance and defending Vice President Kamala Harris when DeSantis mispronounced her name.
While the debate was hyped as a possible preview of the 2028 presidential campaign, it is unlikely to have any real impact on the 2024 race. Political debates typically have a short shelf life, and this one is likely to be forgotten soon.
In the end, the best that can be said about the debate is that it provided an opportunity for Newsom and DeSantis to face off against each other. However, it is unlikely to change the trajectory of the 2024 campaign. Fox News made the decision not to extend the debate beyond its scheduled 90 minutes, sparing the audience from further tetchy exchanges.
Overall, the debate between Newsom and DeSantis was a disappointment. It failed to provide any new insights or meaningful discussion on the issues. It was simply a sideshow to the main event, the race for the White House.
Original Story at www.dominionpost.com – 2023-12-05 04:13:00
