Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Big Donors Leave DeSantis and Turn to Youngkin

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by

Bob Rayner
in ,

by Jeanine Martin

Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign has failed to catch the attention of Republican voters. His support now hovers in the upper teens. DeSantis has recently fired one-third of his campaign staff. He is now losing major donors and many of them are turning to Governor Glenn Youngkin whose job approval is at an all-time high of 57%.

Governor Youngkin’s fundraising efforts are also hitting all-time highs.

Former DeSantis supporter billionaire businessman Thomas Peterffy is now backing Youngkin for President.

From USAtoday.com:

“I very much hope that he’s going to enter the race. People I speak to are all favorably inclined towards him,” Peterffy told Fox Business Wednesday. “If he entered, I think there would be tremendous enthusiasm.”

According to The New York Times, media mogul Rupert Murdoch is also hoping for a Youngkin run for President.

More from USAtoday.com:

“In no uncertain terms, Rupert Murdoch made clear that Ron DeSantis is his golden boy, no longer,” Trump’s team wrote in a press release Tuesday.”

“Wilbur Ross, former commerce secretary to Trump, will host top donors and party leaders at his Hamptons mansion Friday for “a chance to listen to Youngkin talk about how he’s going to take over the Virginia legislature,” according to the invitation.

While explicitly not a fundraiser, the event gives key party figures the opportunity to meet the governor and potentially boost Youngkin’s national profile.

How does Governor Youngkin respond to all of this support for a run for President?

“It’s really humbling when people talk about 2024 and a national role for me. And I thank them, and then I reiterate that I’ve got a big job to do here,” Youngkin told USA TODAY.

It seems there needs to be a Republican candidate who can gain the support of the voters as the candidate who can beat Trump in the primaries and any Democrat opponent he faces in 2024. With Youngkin’s high approval in the purple state of Virginia, and his fundraising skills, he just might be the candidate who can do it.

Republished with permission from The Bull Elephant.

 

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25 responses to “Big Donors Leave DeSantis and Turn to Youngkin”

  1. vicnicholls Avatar
    vicnicholls

    Forget it, Youngkin. Don’t even try it. Sorry, not a fan of him running for Pres. Keep your mind on your job, the current one you have and do well in it FIRST.

  2. DJRippert Avatar
    DJRippert

    Can Youngkin afford to wait on an announcement until after the Virginia elections this Fall?

    I think he needs a major victory in the state elections this Fall in order to be a credible candidate in 2024.

    1. Kathleen Smith Avatar
      Kathleen Smith

      He surely needs a major victory not short of control over senate and houses. Otherwise, he will have no results to prove his worth.

  3. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    But, but, but, he’s not running in 2024…

  4. Nathan Avatar
    Nathan

    With Trump polling as he is, it’s pointless. Wait for the next election cycle.

    The last thing the country needs is a Biden vs. Trump rematch, but that’s the way it’s currently headed. Neither is fit for the office.

    1. killerhertz Avatar
      killerhertz

      Are you kidding? It’s going to be glorious!

  5. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    Only Trump can beat Trump. It will need to be a self-destruction scenario. The Dems fully understand that the serial indictments are just making him stronger with the GOP base and they may get what they want, a third Trump candidacy. If and when Trump takes himself down, then the field will form up a bit clearer. I agree Youngkin only gets noticed if the GOP holds the House and wins the Senate back, hardly a lead pipe cinch. But even with that, Trump is going to sail to the nomination unless he does himself in. Democrat prosecutors, DOJ, any trial process — none of those will stop him, and indeed they are intended to prop him up and to keep the R’s from focusing on an actual campaign message.

    1. DJRippert Avatar
      DJRippert

      Never underestimate Trump’s ability to commit electoral suicide.

    2. killerhertz Avatar
      killerhertz

      Gonna be Trump/Vivek against the woke monster

    3. Matt Adams Avatar
      Matt Adams

      I think the Dems path a murky just as well. They Reps may be holding an October surprise and there really isn’t a successor. Harris is unelectable and the only other is Newsome, but if he’d lose his first go, he’d be political toast.

      Then we haven’t even discussed the spoiler for RFK Jr, he’s likely to draw the Bernie crowd and suck votes from Biden, if he makes it to the general.

      Either way, there isn’t a single good choice and it’s truly another election of the lesser of two evils.

      1. Lefty665 Avatar
        Lefty665

        Swore after ’12 that I was never going to be sucked into the “lesser evil” madness again, and so far I have not.

        3rd party until the other parties get sane or at 40%, more today than either Repubs or Dems, us Indies become a major party. ’24 could be the year the country says screw you to the Repubs and Dems, you’re not fit to govern. A Biden vs Trump rematch might be enough to do it. At least I can dream.

        Cornel West as a Green is more likely than RFK to attract the Bernie crowd. RFK will pull some Dems and Repubs too. Not sure which he’ll draw from most. Think you’re right on Newsome, he’s unelectable. The country is not longing for Californication.

        The Dems are stuck, they can’t dump demented Joe as long as Kamala is there waiting. They’ve got to get shed of her first. It’s sort of like Nixon and Agnew. Spiro had to go first.

        The Repubs are stuck too. With every indictment Trump has a bigger lock on the nomination and poorer chances in the general election. That seems to be what the Dems want. You’d have thought they’d have learned their lesson in ’16, but apparently not.

        We’re still a long way out, and there’s plenty of blood to go under the bridge before we get to the election. A lot can happen between now and then. Stay tuned.

        My first political contribution was to Eugene McCarthy with no real expectation that he was going to accomplish anything. He toppled LBJ. My contributions in ’16 were to Bernie, to Tulsi in ’20 and so far this cycle to West. Logic being that like with McCarthy, money in the primaries has the best opportunity to actually help make change. Contribute early and often. Help make lightning strike twice, for both parties.

        It would be entertaining, if it was not so utterly terrifying. How did we get to this sorry place?

        The only good news is that Hillary seems to have hung up her skates. That at least is a relief.

        1. Matt Adams Avatar
          Matt Adams

          “The only good news is that Hillary seems to have hung up her skates. That at least is a relief.”

          Well now you’ve gone and done it, you said the H word. She’ll be hoping in the ring next week.

          I do concur with your assessments, 16 I voted Deadpool, 20 I abstained.

        2. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          Vote Nancy Naive/WayneS in 2024!

          Our campaign slogan?

          “We Can’t Possibly be any worse than THOSE guys!”

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Which cabinet post do we give Lefty? I’d go Agriculture, but god knows what he’d grow in the SCIF.

          2. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            But you know it would be some good secret s***. There would be a new classification HS-SCI – High Secret, Sens Compartmentalized Inhalation.

          3. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            Where do I send my contributions? 🙂

            The slogan is inspired… by those guys!

    4. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Meh, he doesn’t need gains in the GA. The national GOP has gotten use to losing, 2018, 2020, and the Big Red Fizzle of 2022.

      1. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        And 2021 in Virginia …. ?

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          Don’t getcha in the White House.

          Maybe he can be Co-President for a year.

    5. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      Only Trump can beat Trump. It will need to be a self-destruction scenario.

      Give him a chance. he’s been practicing a lot.

  6. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwwaWVP2PGE

    But… if not already, he’ll get his $12M back plus big time inflation-beating interest.

  7. Turbocohen Avatar
    Turbocohen

    A run for POTUS does not make sense. A run for US Senate does. The path for Virginia Republicans who make it to the US Senate runs through the governors mansion.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      As the Loving Spoonful song goes, “Better go home, Son, and make up your mind.”

      If he takes a serious swipe at the Presidency and loses, he becomes less likely to get the nod for the Senate .

      How often does it happen?

    2. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      Good point!

      He’d be running against Tim Kaine in 2024, wouldn’t he?

      1. Lefty665 Avatar
        Lefty665

        A toe in the presidential pool can be a plus for a Senate campaign. It worked for Warner (Mark). OTOH, they’ve all run for Senate after completing their terms as Gov. Dumping the current elected position to run for another is not a good look. ’26 against Warner seems more likely, and he’s more vulnerable than Timmy.

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