Trump has fundamentally changed the game for candidates, and what was considered a “lethal mistake” nearly two decades ago is now quickly forgotten, if noticed at all
Florida governor Ron DeSantis launched his campaign on Twitter Spaces with predictable glitches and snafus, in a format foreign to most of the American public. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina launched his campaign with a loud but awkward cheer that was widely panned as his “Howard Dean moment.” (The Vermont governor’s voice famously cracked during an unscripted scream during a 2004 speech, and his presidential campaign went down in flames not long after.)
How can either of these candidates mount a formidable challenge if this is how they begin? Aren’t first impressions critical?
Those pining for a candidate to take on Trump and beat him have been calling me privately, freaking out and wringing their hands, and conservative media outlets are opining that the race for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination is already over.
This is all silliness.
My prediction is that these launch moments are going to be forgotten, along with many other campaign mishaps in the coming weeks and months. Trump has fundamentally changed the game for candidates, and what was considered a “lethal mistake” nearly two decades ago is now quickly forgotten, if noticed at all.
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