DeSantis Announcement Outrage is Dumb

Of all the things to complain about, complaining about a Presidential announcement on Twitter is much ado about nothing.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is announcing his Presidential campaign during a Twitter spaces event today with Twitter owner Elon Musk:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will announce he is running for president during a discussion with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, three sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.

Musk and DeSantis will host an event on Twitter Spaces, the site’s platform for audio chats, on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET. It will be moderated by David Sacks, a tech entrepreneur who is a Musk confidant and DeSantis supporter. 

That same evening, the campaign will release a launch video, and DeSantis will begin visiting several early states after Memorial Day. 

The relationship could be a significant boost for DeSantis by giving him an introduction to, and credibility with, Musk’s massive following — including his 140 million Twitter followers. But it could prove a burden should DeSantis become distracted by the tycoon’s many controversial comments.

The launch will closely tie together the billionaire tech mogul with one of the Republican Party’s rising stars. Musk has been an admirer of DeSantis, who also regularly chides corporate media. Last year, Musk said he would support the governor if he were to run for president. 

Based on the reaction by some Democrats and members of the media, you would think that DeSantis was planning to skin a buffalo alive while he made his announcement. Vanity Fair is one example.

Now while I’m certainly no fan of either DeSantis or Musk these days, comparing either man to a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan is beyond overdramatic

Presidential campaign announcements are and always have been scripted events to maximize attention and publicity. Before DeSantis even made his announcement, people across the country know about it based on the oversensationalized overreaction.

DeSantis' announcement is unusual yes. But it is not unusual that announcements are unusual. Hillary Clinton announced on her website. John McCain announced on Letterman. Newt Gingrich tweeted it. Donald Trump came down an elevator. They were all weird in their own way.

By the weekend, DeSantis will be off doing traditional campaign activities in early primary states. His announcement will be but a footnote in the history of his campaign, whether he wins or he loses. The outrage over how he announces, where he announces, and with whom he announces is much ado about absolutely nothing…