As previously reported on AFN, 29% percent of Republican voters who watched the debate said DeSantis performed best, according to the Washington Post poll. Vivek Ramaswamy finished a close second with 26% and Nikki Haley finished third in the poll at 15%.
The remaining five candidates finished in single digits while front-runner Trump refused to participate.
Dr. Charles Dunn, professor emeritus of government at Clemson University, agrees DeSantis did very well and helped his struggling campaign.
“And so it's just a reasonable conclusion that [DeSantis] is in a better position now than he was before," Dunn concludes.
DeSantis is trailing second behind Trump in polls but he is far, far behind the former president. In the latest average at RealClearPolitics, seven polls show Trump ahead by an average of 40 points. Like the debate winner poll, DeSantis trails second at 13% and Ramaswamy is third with 7%.
In other RCP polling, Biden would beat DeSantis 44%-39% in a general election. In a similar general election match-up, Biden’s lead over Trump is much smaller, 44%-43%.
Biden basement campaign 2.0
As far as Biden becoming the nominee next year, many are skeptical the 80-year-old is physically and mentally able to remain president beyond his current term. An AP/NORC poll found 77% of those surveyed said Biden is too old to serve a second term.
When a recent poll by The Center Square surveyed Democrats on their choice for president, 48% said Michelle Obama and 36% said Biden. A remaining 16% said they were undecided.
Washington Times columnist Robert Knight tells AFN Biden is “declining” right in front of our eyes, so it’s an open question if those in power in Democratic Party will nominate him for a second term.
“They might just well do it,” he says. “They hid him in the basement in 2020. They could do that again and allow the media to completely skew election news.”
Dunn advises Republicans not to dismiss Michelle Obama as a formidable candidate but he says California Gov. Gavin Newsom would be a bad choice for Democrats.
"I think, in the long run, he's be a weak candidate," Dunn says.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated with additional quotes from Dr. Charles Dunn.
