They are currently Florida’s most talked about politicians, former president Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.
These were the infamous words former president Donald Trump said back in November of 2022, “In order to make America great and glorious again, I am announcing my candidacy for president of the United States.”
And you have heard DeSantis say his well-known phrase, “Florida is where woke goes to die.”
But while the two Republicans look similar on paper personality-wise, they couldn’t be more different.
“We all know who Donald Trump is, we know his personality, he tends to get himself into a lot of trouble from time to time, but his supporters forgive him,” shares Brian Crowley.
The political analyst expert furthers, “And Ron DeSantis is still new, and while a lot of folks like what they hear about him, they still don’t know him very well.”
That’s according to Crowley, who specializes in Florida politics, who says the significant differences are in how the two conservatives operate.
Former President Donald Trump is no stranger to the spotlight.
Crowley emphasizes Trump was raised in a wealthy family, became a successful businessman, and starred in the show ‘The Apprentice.’ And then Trump went on to win the presidency in 2016, and he continues to create crowds and meet them.
“He knows how to work a big audience,” states Crowley. “He knows how to play to a crowd.”
However, according to Crowley, DeSantis hasn’t had much practice with crowd-pleasing and tends to shy away from it.
“That is not Ron DeSantis’ strongest point. He is a bit of a nerd, if you will, in some ways; he likes to get into details, he likes to get into the process, he likes to study issues, but he is not that good at conveying them in a lot of ways. He’s really good at reading a speech, but that spontaneous effort that is necessary in a small state, he has not demonstrated yet.”
And the differences don’t stop there…but extend to their policies.
Crowley says while Trump paved the way for many younger Republicans, like DeSantis, the Florida governor has also learned to pave his way.
One field, in particular, is education. It’s a topic the former president rarely touches upon, but Florida’s governor continues to emphasize parental rights.
“That rings with most people,” shares Crowley. “Whether you are Republican, Democrat, Independent, just the words parental rights makes sense to them. Of course, I should have parental rights; of course, I should be the one deciding what happens to my child. Donald Trump hasn’t been able to pick up on that; that’s something new.”
When we explore other issues, the candidates seem to be in alignment. For example, Trump and DeSantis are known to be tough on immigration.
Trump, at times during his presidential term, classified immigrants as ‘criminals’ and ‘evil people.’ DeSantis became known nationally after Florida paid to transport migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.
Yet Crowley says DeSantis is in a more complicated predicament of the two.
“As Governor of Florida, he has to walk a much finer line,” states Crowley.
He continues. “A very significant part of our population are Hispanic immigrants. Some came here legally, others didn’t, but they all came here for the freedom of this country, and what it represents, so he has to walk a finer line as governor. Will he abandon that line as a national candidate, maybe we will see.”
Both candidates also favor lower taxes, but the parties they hope to serve differ.
According to Crowley, Trump delivered some of the most significant tax cuts our nation has seen during his presidential term, but the cuts favored the wealthy.
DeSantis has favored the ‘little guy,’ helping middle-class families by creating sales tax exemptions and removing taxes from items like diapers.
Another topic where they both see eye to eye is gun reform.
The former president firmly believes in the second amendment, as is the governor.
“The biggest change we have seen in Florida is now that concealed weapons are now legal, you won’t need a permit,” states Crowley.
Crowley says while the two candidates share a likeness in beliefs, their messaging and delivery vary.
Crowley says in the coming weeks, all eyes will be on Florida’s governor to see if he can go neck and neck with his former ally and capture the votes of America.
‘That doesn’t mean he won’t learn how to get better at it, but the clock is ticking,” shares Crowley.
