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Interesting that Scott campaigned against Trump in 2016 on the supposed nonpartisan basis (Trump is uniquely bad, it's better to the right if he loses too), but didn't endorse DeSantis or Haley in the republican primary on the same basis.
When has he endorsed anyone in the primaries? The Trump/Hillary option came really late in the game.
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I think Scott could see neither of them realistically had a chance. I've always thought this was the wrong time for DeSantis to go, and the way his campaign crumbled demonstrated that. Even if he had been picked, all the rhetoric would just have shifted to him being Literally Hitler - think of the DeathSantis moniker. That seems to have started with his handling of the Covid response, then shifted to "he won't repeal the death penalty" and then used for whatever was grinding that particular person's gears. I like the bit here about the Christian Catholic (as distinct from us non-Christian Catholics, I suppose?)
So, DeathSantis because he's opposed to queer trans Black illegal immigrants, or whatever?
As for Haley, well she's not really got the name recognition yet. She needs to build her base and maybe 2028 will be her better chance, but if all she's got then is "two terms as governor of South Carolina and I couldn't even win the primary against the Orange Beast", then I don't prognosticate hopeful outcomes.
DeSantis was the leading candidate before Trump got indicted.
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Not sure that DeathSantis would catch on. The combination of two different fricatives adjacent to one another, combined with how people pronounce death for longer than de might make it feel a little awkward to say and clumsy? But Trump was using the only marginally better DeSanctimonious, so what do I know.
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Scott might be excused for not opining any more on party politics in the basis of the reception (and misunderstandings) of that article, though. I don't get the vibe from Astralcodexten Scott that he might.
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