There are countless reasons Mr. DeSantis fell apart and ultimately ended his campaign Sunday — including that his opponent proved once again to be a juggernaut.
Perhaps Mr. DeSantis might have won the nomination in most other years, if he hadn’t been going against a former president.
But rather than dwell on his losing campaign, it’s worth returning to his apparent strength at the outset — that brief moment when Mr. DeSantis, or at least the idea of Mr. DeSantis, routinely led Mr. Trump in high-quality head-to-head polls.
In the eight years since Donald J. Trump won the Republican nomination, this was the only moment when Republican voters appeared willing to go a different direction.
Mr. DeSantis didn’t capitalize on the moment, but nonetheless it’s the only glimpse we’ve had into the post-Trump Republican Party.
Persons:
Ron DeSantis, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, DeSantis, Trump, Donald J, we’ve
Organizations:
Republican, Trump Republican Party