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DeSantis' 2024 strategy: dominate the internet | US Politics In :60 | GZERO Media

DeSantis' 2024 strategy: dominate the internet

Jon Lieber, head of Eurasia Group's coverage of political and policy developments in Washington, DC shares his perspective on US politics.

Is Ron DeSantis too online?

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his 2024 presidential bid this week on a Twitter Spaces event hosted by its terminally online CEO Elon Musk. Amid dropping poll numbers and headline after headline criticizing his unfriendly nature, DeSantis’s decision to launch his campaign on Twitter raises an important question: is the Florida Governor too online?

Twitter has been an important hub for conservatives for years and has become more so since Musk bought the platform and became its CEO. DeSantis’s decision to launch his presidential campaign on Twitter instead of somewhere that caters to a more traditional media audience reflects the platform’s importance for conservatives and, perhaps more importantly, allows DeSantis to bypass the media and have more control over his announcement.

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Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) bangs the gavel for the first time after being elected the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in a late night 15th round of voting on January 7, 2023.

Reuters

Bruised McCarthy finally sworn in as House speaker

After four days and 15 rounds of voting, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has finally been elected and sworn in as speaker of the House of Representatives, one of the most influential posts in the US government. Heading into Friday evening’s first vote, there were still six holdout Republicans: Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Bob Good (R-Va.), and Matthew M. Rosendale (R-Mont.). After a series of desperate backdoor negotiations, the 14th round saw Boebert and Gaetz vote as “present,” leaving McCarthy one vote shy of the gavel. Frustrations visibly boiled over in the chamber, and lawmakers finally elected McCarthy in the 15th round, with six voting as “present.” The humiliating last few days have demonstrated McCarthy’s limited sway over an unruly Republican caucus, and he was forced to make significant concessions, including agreeing to a provision that would allow a single lawmaker to bring to the floor a vote of no confidence against him at any time. The GOP stalwart had long resisted giving the ragtag of anti-establishment holdouts this sort of power but was forced to acquiesce.

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