When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom debate tonight on Fox News, it may not have a direct impact on the 2024 presidential election, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be an impact on their futures and on the sender will not be. has.
DeSantis is no longer the definitive Trump alternative he was when Fox News host Sean Hannity first floated the idea last summer, and Newsom isn’t even a candidate, despite persistent questions about his presidential ambitions .
And even if the duel between right and left, East and West, Sunshine State and Golden State is more of a game, it is enough to attract the attention of the media, as the negotiations over the format and framework are similar to a ordinary one cannot even compete in any way inferior to the primary election debate. .
The 90-minute Big Red State vs. Blue State debate, which starts at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT, will take place in Georgia and after some back and forth it was agreed that there will be no audience involvement.
Hannity says he is focused on “issues that affect people in these states” and that “no issues are off the table.”
We need to pay attention to whether Hannity brings up the Walt Disney Company — and if so, how he questions both governors. In the early stages of his campaign, DeSantis made a point of highlighting his battle with the “woke” Mouse House, though those references have become increasingly rare as the Disney lawsuit progresses. Disney CEO Bob Iger again called DeSantis’ moves “anti-American” and “anti-corporate” at the DealBook conference in The New York Times on Wednesday, as the company moves forward with a First Amendment lawsuit against the governor. After Disney spoke out against Florida’s so-called “No Gay” law, DeSantis attempted to disrupt the company’s control of a company that oversees its properties.
Newsom was the beneficiary of the battles between DeSantis and Disney when the company in May scrapped plans to relocate about 2,000 employees from California to Florida. “It turns out that big policy has consequences,” Newsom wrote at the time.
But Newsom had his own battle with Disney. As the Covid pandemic continued into the fall of 2020, he refused to allow theme parks to reopen, leading to a harsh public statement from the company stating that all other properties would be allowed to attract visitors again. Around that time, DeSantis praised his state’s policies while California was in “full lockdown.”
On his shows and in interviews with the two governors, Hannity highlighted other issues, including taxes, immigration and crime, and the migration of Californians to Florida.
He made his role in the interview more akin to a traditional news anchor than a combative late-night opinion anchor, and Fox News is thrilled to have Newsom — a high-profile Democrat who has sat for interviews with Hannity several times. back on the line. in a highly supported environment. Many on the left refuse to give Fox interviews and the White House is highly critical of its coverage, but the network regularly touts Nielsen/MRI Fusion research showing it is “the most politically diverse audience in the world.” Cable News.
The event is also likely to give Fox News a ratings boost. Hannity won the period in total viewers, but with one caveat: MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show Loss Hannity Total viewership of Maddow’s weekly broadcasts on Monday of last month. Hannity still won the demo 25-54 and 18-49.
In an email, Hannity said, “The country has never been more divided.” Here you have two powerful governors with such different philosophies of government, and I think it’s important that people understand why they have such different approaches, and decide what they think is best.
As for candidates, Newsom has capitalized on the attention he got when he sat down with Hannity in June to hold his own, and he seems determined to prove once again how smart it is for regular Fox News viewers to reach , especially when promoting President Joe Biden’s recommendation. Choice. Newsom’s appearance is a step toward a higher national profile after trips to Israel and China this fall.
DeSantis, meanwhile, is struggling to remain the alternative to Donald Trump in the presidential campaign as Nikki Haley has much of the media momentum ahead of the (real) Republican primary debate next week.
Dan Schnur, a professor at the Annenberg School of USC and at Berkeley and Pepperdine, said by email, “Newsom will clearly run for president at some point. But he’s not running now, so DeSantis is definitely under more pressure. Newson must strike a balance between being seen as a strong Biden supporter and being a viable Biden successor. But DeSantis must convince Republican primary voters to take him seriously again. It’s ‘ a much more urgent task.”
Source: Deadline
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
