Sans Trump, the Republican presidential debates of 2023 have mostly been piddling contests in a shallow pool. We’ve seen nasty insults — most aimed at or directed by Vivek Ramaswamy — and that’s fun to watch. But you can catch those bits on social media and the rest hasn’t been worth tuning in for.
Maybe the problem isn’t just the lack of the Big Orange on stage. Maybe it’s just that the TV debate format doesn’t really work in the internet age. It’s never a battle of compelling ideas. It’s a clash of off-putting egos, each looking to land the big viral moment.
DeSantis is just hard to like: he lacks Trump’s sense of humour. He’s just too serious in a time when all everyone wants is online LOLs
Take last night’s experiment on Fox News. Desperate for a good showdown, the network pitched Governor Gavin Newsom of California against Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida for ‘The Great Red vs Blue State debate.
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