Newton, Iowa — Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign began airing a new ad in Iowa this week featuring former Donald Trump supporters who say it’s time to “move on” and support the “drama-free” Florida governor.
But on the ground in Iowa, this Trump-versus-DeSantis calculation is obviously a bit more complicated. Just ask Colfax resident Linda Barnum, who has made it her mission to go see as many Republican presidential-primary candidates as she can ahead of Iowa’s January 15 caucuses. She and her friend came to the Florida governor’s Saturday rally in Newton, which marked his completion of an impressive feat — visiting every single one of the Hawkeye State’s 99 counties.
Barnum’s brief conversation with National Review — which took place shortly after DeSantis concluded his remarks — gives us a glimpse into how some soft Trump supporters are assessing the Florida governor’s Iowa-focused presidential campaign. Of course, one conversation with a voter can’t speak for an entire segment of the electorate, but sometimes even brief interviews have a way of perfectly capturing a political moment. That’s certainly the case with Republicans like Barnum, who are still dazzled by Trump’s dynamism as they consider other options such as DeSantis.
“I really like what he’s saying. I really, really do. I think the main thing to worry about right now is who can beat the Democrats, who has the backbone to stand up to the swamp. And I think he can do it,” says Barnum.
She adds that the Florida governor has a “pretty strong movement here in Iowa.” But?
“You don’t see people going crazy over him. So momentum’s not great, but the only ones you really see are the Trumpers. And I loved President Trump. So, for me, it’s a question of: Do I want to stay with the known quantity? And Trump has got his faults, that’s for darn sure. But he’s a proven commodity, whereas Ron’s proven in Florida. It’s just a question of: Can he do it?”
We then discussed the Trump phenomenon. Unlike DeSantis, who has a robust ground game here and is giving the state his all from a campaign standpoint, it’s rare for Trump to stump in Iowa. But when he does make an appearance, the people go wild. Earlier on Saturday in Ankeny, NR watched Trump voters stand on top of tables to snap photos of the former president during his nearly hour-long, free-wheeling speech. The energy inside the room was electric. As Barnum explains, it’s this kind of celebrity energy that’s extremely difficult for other candidates such as DeSantis and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley to replicate. In many ways, it completely transcends politics. She says,
Trump’s got Trump energy. I don’t know exactly how to describe it. But he’s, like, larger than life. And just watching him give a speech — he’s just on top of it, and he is in his element. I mean, we saw Trump, of course, too, and in the second row again there. And it was fun. It was really fun.
It’s just like this aura that goes with him. What I would love to see is a second Trump term, and then two terms of DeSantis. But are they going to do that? I don’t know. I’m a much more logical person than emotional, for the most part. And I see the Democrats as running on emotions. And I was an IT professional, we run on logic.
She then pointed to DeSantis, who at that stage in the evening was still mingling with rally attendees.
“This is logical. This is very logical. But Trump manages to catch emotions. I think maybe that’s the difference.”
One Undecided Iowan’s Trump/DeSantis Dilemma
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06.12.2023
Newton, Iowa — Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign began airing a new ad in Iowa this week featuring former Donald Trump supporters who say it’s time to “move on” and support the “drama-free” Florida governor.
But on the ground in Iowa, this Trump-versus-DeSantis calculation is obviously a bit more complicated. Just ask Colfax resident Linda Barnum, who has made it her mission to go see as many Republican presidential-primary candidates as she can ahead of Iowa’s January 15 caucuses. She and her friend came to the Florida governor’s Saturday rally in Newton, which marked his completion of an impressive feat — visiting every single one of the Hawkeye State’s 99 counties.
Barnum’s brief conversation with National Review — which took place shortly after DeSantis concluded his remarks — gives us a glimpse into how some soft Trump........
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