To underscore how much Iowa means to Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor was unwilling to put his campaigning there on hold even in the waning hours of 2023.
At a New Year’s Eve event in a Sheraton Hotel ballroom in West Des Moines, jeans and cowboy boots outnumbered tuxedos and cocktail dresses, and Miller Lite seemed more popular than champagne.
But the modesty of the affair, where roughly 200 people turned out for the last campaign event of the busy year in Iowa, belied its importance to the host, who has wagered the future of his Republican bid for president on the leadoff Iowa caucuses, just two weeks away.
I hope he comes in third so his losers rally behind Haley. I know Trump will win the nomination, but I hope Haley wins enough states to lengthen the primary just enough that it drives Trump even crazier. The longer he focuses his ire on his fellow Republicans, the better the chances of him being defeated.
I’m voting for Haley in the primary and I hope that you all join me (if you live in an open primary state that is). Just be sure to mention you need a Republican ballot. You can wash your mouth out with soap later