Gov.
Ron DeSantis
(R-FL) is not attending this year’s
CPAC
conservative conference in Washington, D.C.
CPAC is normally a must-attend for prospective
GOP
primary contenders. Itâs not clear if DeSantis wasnât invited or whether he declined an invitation. Still, DeSantis’s absence raises an interesting question: Can he win the GOP presidential primary without CPACâs support?
CPAC typically draws center-right and right-wing politicians, members of the media, activists, and more. Former President
Donald Trump
not only attended CPAC every year he was president, but heâs also attended every year since. This year, Trump, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and J.D. Vance (R-OH) are scheduled to appear.
CORPORATIONS SHOULD LISTEN TO DESANTIS’S ADVICE ABOUT IGNORING LIBERAL OUTRAGE CYCLES
Itâs possible DeSantis is simply too busy to attend CPAC. But it’s also possible that DeSantis recognizes he’s the GOP favorite right now. Perhaps he doesn’t believe he needs to draw support from Trumpâs base. Perhaps he doesn’t believe he needs CPAC’s favor. Indeed, CPAC and Trump’s base are now largely interchangeable.
Where does DeSantis stand versus Trump?
A recent
Quinnipiac
University poll showed Trump receiving 42% of the vote to DeSantisâs 36%. But other polls told a different story. A poll released on Feb. 23 from
WPA Intelligence
“put DeSantis ahead of Trump, 40% to 31%” when other contenders were included in the poll. In a direct DeSantis vs. Trump matchup, DeSantis soared 55% to 37%.
Even so, Trump still retains a dedicated cadre of voters. DeSantis would ultimately need to win over at least some of these voters. That will be no small task. Right now, however, DeSantis appears to have decided itâs better to tread ground that may be more receptive. The next two weeks, DeSantisâs schedule shows heâs doing book promotional events in Texas, California, and Alabama.
Is that the right decision? Only time will tell.
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Nicole Russell is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist in Washington, D.C., who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota. She is an opinion columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
