Ron DeSantis' 'sent-by-God schtick' won't play well outside of Florida: analyst

In a column for NBC, author Jill Lawrence suggested that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is trying on Donald Trump's "messiah" crown with direct appeals to Christians as the chosen one, and will quickly find out he can't pull it off like the former president.

According to Lawrence, author of "The Art of the Political Deal: How Congress Beat the Odds and Broke Through Gridlock," Trump and the Florida governor both have a "Messiah complex" as evidenced by the former president's claims "I alone can fix it" and a recent DeSantis ad that claimed that, on the 8th day, God created him as a "protector" of the faithful.

Ridiculing the already widely-mocked DeSantis ad -- described by former RNC head Michael Steele as "the dumbest political ad you could ever make" --- Lawrence called it a "hold my beer moment" for the Florida governor.

Pointing out that, "Somebody needs to deliver the GOP from Trump, and from that victory margin to his polling ahead of the former president, signs point to DeSantis as The One," Lawrence later added, "DeSantis made a solid bid to be America’s redeemer in chief in a video his wife posted Nov. 4 on Twitter. 'And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, 'I need a protector." So God made a fighter,' the narrator says over an image of DeSantis among adoring fans."

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Calling the ad, "enraging and scary," she explained, "'God' describes DeSantis as a person who gets up before dawn, leaves his family and travels thousands of miles to 'serve the people'; someone who 'isn’t afraid to defend what he knows to be right and just.' HE KNOWS. When Trump calls him 'Ron DeSanctimonious,' the undisputed master of evil nicknames is spot on, as usual."

As for what the future hold for both Trump and the Florida governor, she asked, "Could Trump himself win another national election?" and then answered, "His political history and ongoing legal crises point to a no."

"Could DeSantis win a national election? Doubtful," she continued.

"America is not Florida, as this week’s Republican disappointments outside the Sunshine State show. And his whole sent-by-God, father-knows-best schtick is not as enticing as he thinks it is."

You can read more here.