The View’s Alyssa Farah Griffin and New York Times national politics reporter Astead Herndon joined Tuesday’s CNN This Morning to discuss Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign and the state of the 2024 GOP Primary. During the conversation, Herndon would accuse DeSantis and former President Donald Trump of “outgrievancing” each other because that is what GOP voters want, as opposed to the economic message of someone like New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu.
After some discussion on DeSantis’s record, host Erica Hill observed, “it’s so interesting and I feel like we’ve talked about this so much and we’re going to continue to talk about is as we’re leading into the primary, we know that is a lot different than when we get to a general election.”
She then wondered if this provides Sununu with an opportunity, “But, what's fascinating is we see and hear from some of these other, more moderate Republicans, Chris Sununu just on Sunday was pointing out to Jake Tapper, okay the culture wars are fine, but if that's your top priority that's a problem because there are so many other issues, whether it be the economy, whether it be fiscal responsibility, that the party seems to have lost sight of.”
Finally getting around to a question, she asked, “I guess the question at this point: is there room for that within the scope, right, within the scope of the Republican Party at this point?”
Herndon replied by stating the GOP is in a different place than Hill and Sununu would like, “That's the key question because for a lot of people it's wish casting. They wish the economy was that top priority for voters. They wish that they were really making those priorities.”
For Herndon this isn’t because the left now think it is bigoted to say that men can’t get pregnant, but because “in Donald Trump's version of the Republican Party it's not necessarily wokeness that has been the kind of cohesive ideology, but it has been grievance, it has been a kind of retribution, it has been being an enemy to the enemies and that has really been what's drawn people towards him. The problem for DeSantis is as he’s running in that: are you outgrievancing Donald Trump?"
For the media, Republicans have grievances while Democrats have concerns. Meanwhile, if Herndon accused the media of wish casting for Sununu, Farah Griffin wasn’t giving up hope on Sununu just yet, “Well, and that's an important point you raise because in primary seasons about base voters and what we forget about is any registered Republican who you can convince to turn out in a primary is a primary voter, is a base voter.”
She further accused DeSantis of “catering to the most traditional right—furthest right lane in a primary” while “there are a lot of voters who could be activated in early primary states who often wait to vote Republican until the general. That's the lane that a Chris Sununu would need to take. Turn out voters who don't generally turn out in a primary, but are able to vote in a Republican primary and that’s—the economy is where the message is.”
Of course, a candidate can focus on culture wars and economics. If only there was a profession whose job it was to ask presidential candidates what their economic policies would be.
This segment was sponsored by Sleep Number.
Here is a transcript for the May 30 show:
CNN This Morning
5/30/2023
8:19 AM ET
ERICA HILL: So, it’s so interesting and I feel like we’ve talked about this so much and we’re going to continue to talk about is as we’re leading into the primary, we know that is a lot different than when we get to a general election.
ASTEAD HERNDON: Yeah.
HILL: But, what's fascinating is we see and hear from some of these other, more moderate Republicans, Chris Sununu just on Sunday was pointing out to Jake Tapper, okay the culture wars are fine, but if that's your top priority that's a problem because there are so many other issues, whether it be the economy, whether it be fiscal responsibility, that the party seems to have lost sight of.
I guess the question at this point: is there room for that within the scope--
HERNDON: Yeah.
HILL: -- right, within the scope of the Republican Party at this point?
HERNDON: That's the key question because for a lot of people it's wish casting. They wish the economy was that top priority for voters. They wish that they were really making those priorities, but in Donald Trump's version of the Republican Party it's not necessarily wokeness that has been the kind of cohesive ideology, but it has been grievance, it has been a kind of retribution, it has been being an enemy to the enemies and that has really been what's drawn people towards him. The problem for DeSantis is as he’s running in that: are you outgrievancing Donald Trump?
POPPY HARLOW: Outgrievancing?
[crosstalk]
HERNDON: And that's what he is trying to do here. He’s trying to get people to say, okay, if you are looking for a kind of way to thumb your nose at your enemies, I am the guy, not Donald Trump. That's a different kind of calculation--
HARLOW: Yes.
HERNDON: -- that I think we have seen before but it's a reality that in this version of the Republican Party, that is the bind that's holding things together.
There’s not really evidence that there is room for that economic-driven message that we’ve seen the Sununus and seen the other moderate Republicans taking. The onus, I think, is on them to really prove there is an electorate for those ideas rather than the other folks.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Well, and that's an important point you raise because in primary seasons about base voters and what we forget about is any registered Republican who you can convince to turn out in a primary is a primary voter, is a base voter.
So, what Desantis is doing is catering to the most traditional right—furthest right lane in a primary. But there are a lot of voters who could be activated in early primary states who often wait to vote Republican until the general. That's the lane that a Chris Sununu would need to take. Turn out voters who don't generally turn out in a primary, but are able to vote in a Republican primary and that’s—the economy is where the message is.
