𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦, 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗦, 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗗𝗢𝗡'𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗩

 

Ron DeSantis

In the presidential campaigns of yesteryear, one hundred or more years ago, Americans knew little about the candidates, sometimes not even knowing who won the election until days or weeks afterward.

It's been said that many Americans, possibly most, knew nothing of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's paralysis and wheelchair dependency during his four terms as President as photos of Roosevelt in his wheelchair were expressly forbidden by tyrannical Press Secretary Steve Early.

But, of course, things have changed.

Growing up, news footage of President Dwight David Eisenhower was common on the TV and in newsreels at the movies.

In 1960, I watched every minute of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy-Richard Milhous Nixon debate, even seeing the beads of sweat on Nixon's forehead.

We even did a mock vote at my school in Renton, Washington, "electing" Nixon by a narrow margin, the opposite of the actual results nationwide.

Nixon, it's been said, didn't come across particularly well on television, while Kennedy came across like a "movie star."

Among current candidates, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, seems to be somewhat Nixon-like.  The more people see of him, the less he's liked or so it seems.

His terse, unnatural attempt at smiling has been a news topic just today, while his flat, uninspiring voice has been also kicked around.

DeSantis, the Mickey Mouse hater, is a throwback, a candidate that would have done better in the days before television, before voters could sense a certain awkwardness, characterizing it as phoniness, insincerity, even dishonesty.

Actually, it's not just DeSantis that's suffering from overexposure these days.  

Several of the Republican presidential candidates seem to be fading in the limelight.

Many voters are finding Vivek Ramaswamy annoying, Nikki Haley a bit whiny, Tim Scott fake, Chris Christie round and Ron DeSantis insincere and we have television and live internet streaming to blame.