The ‘Trump with brains’ is about to end. All eyes on Iowa: Donald Trump is flying high, just in time for the first primaries

“He’s toast” is a popular American expression for someone who is done. Ron DeSantis will soon take on the metaphorical form of toasted white bread, because to describe his situation as dire would be a gross understatement. She’s pretty much hopeless.

Traditionally, the first primaries will take place in Iowa next Tuesday. DeSantis put virtually everything on the map of this conservative state and did what he actually despises: he personally visited every district, shook hands and kissed babies. He even managed to gain the support of the popular governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds.

DeSantis faces the ultimate shame

This is unlikely to bring him any use. Although Donald Trump has barely lifted a finger to endear himself to the people of Iowa, he is miles ahead of DeSantis in the polls. Even Nikki Haley, now the former president’s biggest rival, can hope to surpass DeSantis. That would be the ultimate shame for the governor of Florida.

DeSantis has focused his entire strategy on winning Iowa. According to a dubious unwritten law, according to which the winner in Iowa gains “momentum” and can start the tough elimination tour through the other states with an advantage, he has so far concentrated almost all his forces on the conservative state.

A miscalculation. Even if he were to defeat Trump – which is unlikely – that would not guarantee further success. As a reminder, in 2016, Trump lost to Ted Cruz in Iowa – and then sailed safely to the presidential nomination.

Overall, Ron DeSantis’ election campaign strategy is a complete misunderstanding. Blinded by a landslide victory in the state of Florida, he felt compelled to seek his fortune on the national stage as a “Trump with brains.” He overlooked the fact that his opponent in Florida – a washed-up Republican who had switched sides – was extremely weak.

Most of all, DeSantis overlooked the fact that the base of the Grand Old Party (GOP) does not want “Trump with brains.” She can live with the chaos the ex-president causes. Trump fans love it when their idol spouts nonsense, threatens retaliation and openly utters fascist slogans.

Trump is doing what DeSantis will never be able to do. He can make little women and men feel like he is one of them. He can feel with them the real or imagined humiliation they suffer at the hands of a so-called elite. Moreover, the ex-president never managed to enter New York’s high society and continues to suffer from this to this day. Yes, there is the not-so-unlikely theory that Trump only entered the presidential race because he was ridiculed by Barack Obama in a speech at the traditional journalists’ gala.

DeSantis comes from a humble background. However, he studied at two elite universities: Yale and Harvard. His empathy for the little man is limited; he has to pretend, just like he tries to make himself look bigger than he is with insoles in his cowboy boots. (When it comes to shoes, he doesn’t have much luck anyway; see his white boots during flood operations.) That’s why DeSantis looks wooden and artificial in his appearance.

Florida is also losing its shine. Just a few years ago, DeSantis seemed to be succeeding in selling the Sunshine State as a conservative alternative to supposedly decadent California. Low taxes, little regulation and a fight against any form of wokeness should turn the retirees’ paradise into a paradise for the middle class.

That doesn’t really work either. With an idiotic feud with Disney Corp. – perhaps the most popular company in the US and the largest employer in Florida – DeSantis is angering the business community. With an overly strict ban on abortion, he has lost sympathy for women, and conservatives are currently shocked by a serious sex scandal involving the current head of Florida Republicans and his wife.

DeSantis’ campaign strategy was a misunderstanding, his tactics cowardly. So far, he has not dared to attack Trump head-on. In an argument with Nikki Haley last Tuesday, he made a few shy attempts, but to the ex-president he still comes across as a schoolboy who only dares to make faces behind the teacher’s back.

Just a year ago, DeSantis had hopes of moving to the White House. The Republicans’ poor performance in the midterm elections also made Trump look old. His announcement of his candidacy for re-election was received with caution, to say the least.

Even Fox News dropped Trump for a while and gave DeSantis a lot of airtime instead. Famous customers opened their wallets for the governor of Florida. Meanwhile, the Murdoch broadcaster and the ex-president have found each other again and the donors are turning to Haley. The fact that there is constant infighting within DeSantis’ campaign team doesn’t really make things better.

Chris Christie announced his departure from the presidential race on Tuesday. The former governor of New Jersey was the only Republican candidate who dared to attack Trump head-on, admitting that his one-time support for the ex-president was a mistake driven by blind ambition.

Ron DeSantis still has a slim chance of becoming president. If Trump were to leave for health reasons, his votes would likely go to him. Nikki Haley is too woke for the GOP base. It is much more likely that the Florida governor will have to resign because he simply runs out of money. He won’t do it with style like Christie.