Dan Balz: “In the spring of 1999, Bush stayed in Austin and let the world come to him. Republicans kept arriving daily — elected officials, donors, strategists and policy experts. As other candidates trooped to Iowa, a group of Iowa Republicans chartered two planes to Austin. Bush used the time to consolidate support among fellow governors and other elected officials, build a financial network and immerse himself in briefings.”
“DeSantis could run a similar front-porch campaign from Tallahassee in the coming months, as his team prepares for a possible candidacy. The governor said this past week that people should ‘chill out’ about 2024. In his reelection campaign, he declined to say he would serve out his four-year term.”
“DeSantis has a team in place. He has proven his ability to raise plenty of money, and that pile of money could be transferred to a super PAC to support a candidacy. His record as governor — often described as a combination of traditional conservatism with a heavy dose of culture wars — already gives Republican voters something to look at.”
