After years of failure from the Biden administration, the latest being the Chinese balloon debacle, Americans are demanding a change in leadership.
More than 70% of American voters believe the country is on the wrong track, with President Biden’s approval rating one of the lowest in U.S. history. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, on the other hand, remains one of America’s most popular governors, and his proven track record of conservative, common-sense leadership has him perfectly positioned to win a national election.
Assuming DeSantis declares a presidential bid in the coming months, he can and will emerge victorious by building on his momentum from 2022. But that will only be possible by engaging the grassroots. Building a grassroots program is the only blueprint that can work in 2024. In the elections to come, Republicans must focus their efforts primarily on everyday voters, since that wasn’t the case in the last three electoral cycles.
What does that look like? It comes down to door-knocking, phone bank nights, meet and greets, house gatherings, voter registration campaigns, petition campaigns, and more. Republicans need to activate a volunteer army across all 50 states, making Democrats fight for every inch of the electoral map.
Elections are won on the ground – they always have been and they always will be. In 2016, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton because he resonated with tens of millions of people outside the Beltway. Trump rallies were raucous.
The same held true in 1984 when I managed President Reagan’s historic reelection campaign. The Great Communicator won because he never lost touch with public sentiment, communicating routinely with the voters he represented and sharing a grand vision of “morning in America.” I saw it firsthand: His ability to connect with everyday Americans was the stuff of legend.
Now, DeSantis is set to follow in Reagan’s footsteps. My organization, Ready for Ron, released a petition to draft and elect DeSantis as president and we have garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures in a matter of months. In many cases, we can collect hundreds of pro-Ron signatures in a span of two or three hours.
Grassroots support is swelling for DeSantis because he understands the art of leadership, unlike Biden. He recognizes the importance of good governance. DeSantis is as skilled a politician as he is authoritative on public policy. Bill by bill, the Florida governor continues to govern through reform, recently signing legislation to expand his migrant relocation program and reduce election fraud.
From immigration to the democratic process, DeSantis doesn’t just talk the talk; he walks the walk by working with lawmakers to get results. Like Reagan before him, he is showing that U.S. governors make the best presidents. Americans value competence in office. They want to see adults in the room, acting professionally and leading by example – no games, no broken promises, no political stunts.
Overpriced advertising campaigns and exorbitant consultant fees are not the recipes for success – they represent the road to nowhere. The road to victory will be trodden by those who do the hard work. There is still a place for TV, radio, and digital ads, but politics starts in local neighborhoods and other communities, with passionate Americans persuading people and getting out the vote.
We’re doing the hard work already. The “Ready for Ron” blueprint is to show that people are ready for Ron to run by actually talking to people. Getting back to the grassroots will ensure that Republicans not only win back the White House, but also regain control of the Senate.