DeSantis Tells Pennsylvania Conservatives Why Stakes Are High in the 2024 Elections

At the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, conservative voters in the state discussed the Republican Party’s dual leadership. The question on most people’s minds was “Trump or DeSantis, who do you like?” and the answer was usually “both.” The audience wanted to know who had a better chance of winning. Despite the recent indictment of former President Donald Trump, this crowd still fully supports him. They do not let negative stories about Trump that turn out untrue or inconsequential affect their decision.

Many Pennsylvania Republicans believe that both candidates have an equal chance of winning since negative attacks will continue for any Republican that tries to unseat a Democrat. The prevailing view is that if Trump was not a candidate, DeSantis would receive the same attacks opponents hurl at Trump.

Set the Rules, Then “Play to Win”

DeSantis believes that all states should ban ballot harvesting, just as Florida has done. He thinks that some states have exploited COVID to change voting rules, but states should strive to get it right. Florida has prohibited states from mailing unsolicited ballots to voters and necessitates identification to vote. DeSantis stated that, “Whatever the rules happen to be in election season, we’ve got to play ball with that.”

Therefore, if a law allows Democrats to harvest all these ballots, Republicans should do it too. If Zuckerbucks is legal, Republicans should do Zuckerbucks. They should engage with everything Democrats are doing instead of fighting with one hand tied behind their back.

The Woke Agenda

Florida has passed laws on how to address children over gender issues. DeSantis does not believe it is appropriate for teachers to suggest to a student that they can change their gender or that they were born the wrong gender. The state does not allow gender ideology in their schools.

The state has had to investigate the practice of gender surgeries and hormone blockers in minors. Children as young as 13 or 14 go through puberty changes, and it is believed that one should not take off their body part during this time.