A new poll shows that California Republican voters favor Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over former President Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP primary.
The Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey found that in an open field, California Republican voters prefer DeSantis over Trump by 8 points, and in a head-to-head matchup, the Sunshine state governor prevails by a whopping 17 points.
DeSantis’ overall approval rating is also higher, with 79 percent of GOP voters giving him high marks, compared to 69 percent for the former president.
I know these numbers are probably surprising to former President Trump, but they shouldn’t be.
Here’s the secret: California voters really can’t stand Gavin Newsom, and DeSantis is universally recognized as being the anti-Newsom.
And by ‘can’t stand,’ I mean with ‘the hot, hot hate of a thousand suns,’ as the saying goes.
Even Gavin Newsom is framing himself as the polar opposite of Ron DeSantis, both in ads that ran in the state of Florida and in countless speeches and interviews.
Last November, Newsom tried to goad DeSantis into a TV debate, but the Free-State governor wouldn’t take the bait. My guess is that the debate will take place during California’s next statewide power outage.
It’s really laughable, when you think about it.
What’s Newsom’s pitch to the rest of the country, anyway?
“I was up for recall, but then the voters decided not to kick me out of office after all!”
It even rhymes…sort of.
I’m sure that will sell in Iowa.
California Republicans are upset over Newsom’s COVID-19 shutdowns, emergency order that lasted for almost three years, closure of the schools, and virtually everything else coming out of Sacramento.
Many have already voted with their feet.
Between 2020 and 2022, half a million people left California. If this trend continues, we’re going to have to start using ‘seat fillers’ like they do at the Oscars.
But those who’ve remained want to run as far away from Newsom and his destructive policies as possible.
If that’s the goal, you vote DeSantis, and not Trump.
Every time Newsom attacks DeSantis, DeSantis gains popularity with California Republicans.
With all of the money the Gettys spent on finishing school, you’d think Professor Henry Higgins would have taught Newsom how to pronounce an Italian name or two.
Anyway, I digress.
While most California Republicans have positive attitudes toward the former President, he’s not spending a lot of time talking about the subjects they’re concerned with.
Who is interested in re-litigating the 2020 election, when the homeless have taken over your city and neighborhood Starbucks closed permanently due to high crime?
At this point, even Stacey Abrams would let it go.
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President Trump was victorious in 2016 because he shined a light on subjects that the other candidates ignored; issues like trade, never-ending wars, and immigration. Now, it’s DeSantis who is doing that, and Trump who’s seemingly rendered himself irrelevant.
If your kid lost years of learning because the teachers unions rule the roost, and the lockdowns wrecked your small business, DeSantis looks like a superhero in a cape…and Trump looks like Madonna at the Grammys.
Lets face it, California is a deep blue state and the outcome for the November election is predetermined. However, because we are so big, California will send more delegates to the Republican National Convention in 2024 than any other state.
The election that matters most in California is the primary; and at this point Ron DeSantis is in the driver’s seat with the top down on PCH.
John Phillips can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on “The John Phillips Show” on KABC/AM 790.