Murdoch is getting behind Ron DeSantis, but he may regret it

Conservatives love the Florida Republican governor, but he might have peaked too early.

(AP)

Donald Trump’s Marine One helicopter was not even off the White House grounds on 20 January before conservatives began to coronate Florida Gov Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis, the Florida governor who won his 2018 election by emulating Mr Trump and appealing to his base, rose to success through taking a laissez-faire approach to Covid-19. After briefly closing down businesses, Florida reopened sooner than many states.

The return of business as usual allowed him to serve as a foil to two Democratic governors of solidly blue states: now-disgraced Gov Andrew Cuomo of New York, who sought to obscure nursing home deaths during the Pandemic; and Gov Gavin Newsom of California, who faces a recall, after he was caught at a restaurant during Covid lockdown without a mask.

Supporting Mr DeSantis is a way to promote conservative ideals Mr Trump never fully embraced while also “owning the libs”.

Mr DeSantis has relished this position, selling beer koozies saying “don’t Fauci my Florida”, in reference to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director who is trusted by many liberals but whom conservatives detest. After a brief rapprochement with President Joe Biden after the collapse of a condominium building in Surfside earlier this summer, the two are engaged in what is surely a pre-season scrimmage for what Mr DeSantis hopes to be their own final showdown in the 2024 presidential election.

As cases have risen in Florida, Mr Biden has criticized Mr DeSantis, which has led to the Florida governor saying “I don’t want to hear a blip about Covid.”

And conservatives seem to be taking notice. Various polls show Mr DeSantis leading the Republican pack; in a recent straw poll, he beat Mr Trump. As a result, the Tampa Bay Times reported on emails that show how Fox News, Rupert Murdoch’s crown jewel broadcaster, has sought to ingratiate itself with Mr DeSantis. The moves make sense; in 2018, Mr DeSantis, a mostly unknown congressman with few friends, won his primary thanks in part to consistent appearances on Fox News.

But Mr Murdoch, conservative media and Republican boosters might come to regret gassing up Mr DeSantis so early in the Republican primary process.

As Covid cases and hospitalisations have risen in Florida, Mr DeSantis’ popularity might sag. Florida is a notoriously difficult state to poll, but there are at least some indicators his approval rating could take a hit amid the Delta surge. Even if opposing harsher pandemic mitigation measures are popular with conservatives, it may play worse among a general election audience being introduced to Mr DeSantis at a broader level.

Even with an emaciated Democratic Party that consistently fails, especially during midtern elections, Mr DeSantis has only won statewide once. And he claimed victory by a little less than one per cent. In a state that consistently elects Republicans, this is not a particularly impressive performance.

Similarly, despite the constant coverage of his 2018 gubernatorial campaign against Andrew Gillum being nationalized, he is still a largely unknown entity. Plenty of candidates – from Rick Perry in Texas to Scott Walker in Wisconsin to Chris Christie in New Jersey and fellow Floridian Jeb Bush – have been juggernauts in their respective states only to fry to a crisp under the bright lights of a national stage.

Mr DeSantis’ rivals have yet to really dig in their claws against him. South Dakota Gov Kristi Noem, another potential 2024 contender, seemed to take a swipe at Mr DeSantis last month when she implied some conservative governors didn’t really keep their states open or oppose mask mandates.

Similarly, he also has to contend with Mr Trump himself, who has implied making Mr DeSantis his running mate in 2024, a compliment to be sure, but also a way to keep the governor in his place and remind him who’s really the boss. Behind closed doors, Mr Trump doesn’t take too kindly to Mr DeSantis’ eating habits or social skills. His long-standing feud with his predecessor, now-Sen Rick Scott, who himself has potential eyes on 2024, could also lead to Mr Scott wanting to torpedo Mr DeSantis even if it means destroying his own chances.

None of this is to say Mr DeSantis is dead in the Clearwater. Popularity among Fox News viewers goes a long way, as does appearing to fight Joe Biden vigorously on Covid when many right-wingers feel it is overblown. Democrats could possibly overplay their hand against Mr DeSantis and wind up hurting themselves in the process if the Covid numbers start to improve in the south, where rates of infection appear to be slowing, yet remain staggeringly high.

But Mr DeSantis is far from a shoe-in; his popularity now doesn’t mean he still isn’t a gamble, and the former Yale baseball player still has the chance to strikeout.