“Why Never Trumpers Should Bet on DeSantis Now.”

That’s the headline in the reliably Democratic/liberal/progressive Atlantic magazine. Here’s the nut of the argument:

Nevertheless, Trump remains more popular among the shrinking Republican base than anyone else. So in publications including National Review, The Dispatch, and The Bulwark, anti-Trump conservatives are now debating what to do. They all view the 45th president as an unacceptable leader, deplore the Trumpist turn in the GOP, and lament the dearth of promising strategies for reversing it. Alongside the options they’re considering, I’d add one more: uniting behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the GOP rising star who can boast both conventional political achievements and credibility on the Trumpist right. By failing to unite around any candidate in 2016, Trump’s opponents all but guaranteed that the celebrity businessman would coast to the nomination. In 2024, DeSantis may not be the president that Never Trumpers would choose. He’s too Trumpy for their taste. But their options are limited, and if beating Trump is their highest priority, as I think it should be, DeSantis may be their best bet.

I generally agree. For many independents, Trump’s effort to overturn the election is outside the bounds of normal politics and they were never, ever vote for Trump. If he’s the nominee, Republicans again will be left outside the White House, looking in.

Of course, some Republicans will regard the article as a hit piece, killing DeSantis’ chances by making it appear that he’s got some kind of secret liberal agenda.

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