By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.
Be careful about self-promotion and talking too much. Sometimes it can come back to haunt you. It’s better to start off in the back and be asked to come to the front.
We all know people who specialize in talking about themselves. In today’s world of high-octane media, it’s about getting ‘likes and “shares”. I have always believed that your good work and deeds should speak for themselves.
The debates are over. Republican primaries have already been held in Iowa and New Hampshire. South Carolina will be coming up soon. It will give the candidates another chance to see where they stand.
There were roughly a dozen candidates who started off some months ago with high aspirations about being the next president of the United States of America. Their platforms were similar as their main goal was to go after President Joe Biden. That refrain became a bit stale, so they started to go after each other.
The only candidate that had a steady stream of criticism for former president Donald Trump was Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey. Everyone else had cold feet and didn’t want to agitate Mr. Trump.
The name calling and verbal jousting were on full display. One candidate in particular, Vivek Ramaswamy, an investor and author would begin his bashing saying when, “I become president.” I guess it made him feel pretty good to utter his name and president of the United States of America in the same breath. Mr. Ramaswamy is now long gone and forgotten.
One by one, the Republican nominees dropped out of the race. They spent millions with no tangible results. Lay-offs and not face-offs have happened over the past few months. Volunteers, once hopeful, became hopeless for a lost cause.
Shortly after the Iowa Caucus, there were 3 candidates left. They were, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina and Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida. Now there are only two candidates.
Breaking news came in last week saying that Ron DeSantis was suspending his campaign and that he was endorsing Donald Trump.
Was that a surprise he was endorsing Donald Trump? I hope not. Mr. DeSantis was in the Trump camp all along. He just took a long break from being governor to pretend he was running for president.
During his campaign, his message was uninspiring and unmotivating. He was talking loud and saying nothing. He has been Mr. T’s mouthpiece for much of his career and never created an identity of his own. He was unpopular on the campaign trail and is also unpopular in his home state of Florida.
He had the money but didn’t have the magic to sustain his candidacy. He had no innovative ideas and no solutions for the issues of the day. He is now left to assume his original position and that is to be a “Trump volunteer”.
Some are suggesting he is a potential presidential candidate in 2028. He and other Republican hopefuls are in Trump’s shadow. If Trump remains relevant, DeSantis and the others will receive the crumbs from the table.
As the November election draws closer, will he campaign for the former president? If I was in his shoes, I would be a bit embarrassed to stump for someone who has stepped on me so hard. It would just look strange to advocate for a person you wanted to kick to the curb just a few months ago.
Additionally, I muse about how the GOP sees Governor DeSantis and whether they want to toss him a political life jacket? Obviously, he doesn’t have any shame. He has already sold his soul and his judgment is waning. What’s left?
At one point, Ron DeSantis had the bright lights on him. Now, he may only have a few parking lights shining dimly on him.
Dr. James B. Ewers, Jr. is a long-time educator who hails from Winston Salem, N.C. One of the top tennis players in the state, he was inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in January 2021. A graduate of Johnson C. Smith University, he received his M. A. degree in Education from Catholic University in Washington, DC, and Ed. D. degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA. He has also done post-doctoral studies at Harvard University and Ewers is a life member of the NAACP and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
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