Ron Brownstein on Republican Primary: There’s a ‘Fundamental Contradiction’ in the Way DeSantis Is Approaching It So Far

RUSH TRANSCRIPT BLITZER DeSantis ░░░░░░░░ leaned heavily into a ░░░░░░░░ of rather hot button ░░░░░░░░ issues in the last ░░░░░░░░ months in addition to ░░░░░░░░ ongoing fight with Disney ░░░░░░░░ example he signed a ░░░░░░░░ week abortion ban He ░░░░░░░░ a law allowing conceal ░░░░░░░░ of firearms without a ░░░░░░░░ He s implements new ░░░░░░░░ on access to transgender ░░░░░░░░ and he s cracking ░░░░░░░░ on undocumented immigrants Do ░░░░░░░░ see this as a ░░░░░░░░ strategy in a Republican ░░░░░░░░ let alone a general ░░░░░░░░ BROWNSTEIN Yeah you know ░░░░░░░░ the fundamental question I ░░░░░░░░ for the DeSantis campaign ░░░░░░░░ whether they think he ░░░░░░░░ a better chance of ░░░░░░░░ Republican voters that Donald ░░░░░░░░ is insufficiently conservative or ░░░░░░░░ electable Those two goals ░░░░░░░░ in conflict As you ░░░░░░░░ DeSantis has compiled an ░░░░░░░░ conservative record on a ░░░░░░░░ range of cultural hot ░░░░░░░░ as governor and as ░░░░░░░░ candidate he has signaled ░░░░░░░░ he is differentiating himself ░░░░░░░░ Trump it is mostly ░░░░░░░░ to be from his ░░░░░░░░ making cases on Covid ░░░░░░░░ abortion that voters can ░░░░░░░░ trust Trump to stand ░░░░░░░░ him The challenge I ░░░░░░░░ is a stronger argument ░░░░░░░░ Trump in a Republican ░░░░░░░░ may be that he ░░░░░░░░ t win another election ░░░░░░░░ deliver the policies that ░░░░░░░░ s promised And to ░░░░░░░░ extent DeSantis is painting ░░░░░░░░ into this far right ░░░░░░░░ again and again it ░░░░░░░░ already causing Republicans who ░░░░░░░░ focused on electability to ░░░░░░░░ whether he would be ░░░░░░░░ better position than Trump ░░░░░░░░ win back the voters ░░░░░░░░ suburban Philadelphia or Detroit ░░░░░░░░ Atlanta that have hurt ░░░░░░░░ GOP so much in ░░░░░░░░ last few elections He ░░░░░░░░ got to choose a ░░░░░░░░ I think there s ░░░░░░░░ fundamental contradiction to the ░░░░░░░░ he s approaching it ░░░░░░░░ far.”