DeSantis faces more negative spending than Biden and Trump combined.
A Quarter of Independent Expenditures Target Governor Ron DeSantis in 2024 Election Cycle
A staggering $20.2 million, a quarter of all independent expenditures in the 2024 election cycle, has been directed towards Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL). This amount surpasses the combined spending on both positive and negative independent expenditures for former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.
Trump and Biden Face Less Negative Expenditures
According to data compiled by Republican consultant Rob Pyers, Trump, the Republican front-runner, faced only $8.1 million in negative independent expenditures. Biden, the incumbent president and front-runner for the 2024 Democratic nomination, was attacked with $9.2 million of independent expenditures.
Why DeSantis is the Primary Target
Republican pollster Doug Usher explains that negative advertising tends to target the top candidates in polling. However, since few Republican candidates are willing to go negative on Trump, DeSantis ends up taking the most fire. Republican strategist Doug Heye agrees, stating that DeSantis is seen as the biggest obstacle by most Republican campaigns. As for Trump, candidates are hesitant to criticize him, so funds are not spent attacking him.
According to GOP strategist Susan Del Percio, the focus on DeSantis is also driven by the fact that he is in second place in the Republican primary polls. Other experts suggest that targeting DeSantis is an effort to define a lower-profile politician compared to Biden and Trump.
Defining DeSantis Early
Political scientist David Darmofal notes that the focus on DeSantis reflects a common political strategy of defining opponents negatively before they have a chance to define themselves. DeSantis has faced the most negative independent expenditures so far, but he has also received significant positive spending, surpassing both Trump and Biden.
Efforts to Secure the Nomination
Experts believe that the expenditures against DeSantis are part of an effort to define him early for voters. GOP strategist Ron Bonjean suggests that DeSantis would be the front-runner if Trump wasn’t in the race, which is why outside groups are spending heavily to define him early. The majority of the $79.9 million spent on independent expenditures in the 2024 cycle was specifically targeted at the primary elections.
Attacks on DeSantis and the Role of Super PACs
Most of the negative independent expenditures against DeSantis came from Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump. The PAC launched a series of ads attacking DeSantis on various issues, causing a decline in his polling average. However, the PAC has now shifted its focus to attacking Biden.
DeSantis’s campaign and the super PAC supporting him view these attacks as evidence that he should be the nominee in 2024. They believe that DeSantis is the only candidate who can beat both Trump and Biden.
DeSantis’s Media Strategy Shift
After a campaign reboot that involved staff cuts and a change in campaign managers, DeSantis is now making appearances on major news networks. This change in media strategy may indicate an attempt to appeal to more centrist Republicans and independent voters.
Hotel entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, the largest individual donor to Never Back Down, encourages this shift, stating that DeSantis needs to appeal to moderates in order to win.
Despite the onslaught of attacks, DeSantis remains resilient. His campaign believes that he has the message and organization to surpass Trump and make Biden’s beach vacation permanent.
Source: The Washington Examiner
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