Winston DeSantis A Punter Or Kicker?

Did DeSantis make “first big mistake” in GOP 2024 race by calling Ukraine War a “territorial dispute” or score first big points by saying he’d have fired Fauci at start of pandemic? First is “Trumpian.” Second is “Churchillian.”

The WSJ editors were especially critical of Mr. DeSantis’ Ukraine take, saying they can’t explain “his puzzling surrender … to the Trumpian temptation of American retreat.” What riled the hawkish paper’s policy wonks was the gov’s telling Fox News Ukraine wasn’t a “vital national interest” & giving the Ukrainians long-range weapons & fighter jets ought to be ‘off the table’ to avoid the possibility of nuclear war with Russian. Dunno how that’s so puzzling since DeSantis did NOT say he wouldn’t support Ukraine in other ways, only sooner & faster than Slow Boat To Ukraine Joe is doing. In a subsequent interview, DeSantis emphasized as a besides all criticisms he’s gotten from a host of sources, “If I run for president, I’m running against Biden, not Trump.”

Still, DeSantis arguably made a veiled “slam dunk on Trump" (almost rhymes ala No. 46’s not so poetic style) by telling Fox News’ Piers Morgan about his different “leadership” style. “I would have fired somebody like Fauci,” DeSantis said. “I think he got way too big for his britches & I think he did a lot of damage.” Earlier, Mr. DeSantis had called out Fauci, ex-chief medical advisor to both Trump & Biden, for his intimate yet oft-meandering if not confusing role in the government’s response to the pandemic, saying he should be “held accountable,” especially on his school lockdown & mask mandate comments. Could Winston Churchill have said it better, with or without the cigar & cane?

Davd Soul