Hold your horses, folks! We’ve got some juicy political drama for you. So, there’s this cancelled show – sorry, we mean political stance – that had become super popular among Republicans. It was a major way to shape policy opinions in the GOP. But, wait for it, here comes Ron DeSantis to minimize the whole shebang as just a “territorial dispute.” Well, well, well, if it ain’t an isolationist argument. Basically, Ron thinks that the US shouldn’t get involved in the conflict as it’s not of any interest to the country. Paging Ron – earth calling, come in, Ron! How about a little empathy for our Ukrainian friends stuck in the middle of this entire scuffle?

Now, hold on just a minute! Something crazy’s been brewing under the surface of the Republican party. Lemme break it down for you. Pew polling has shown that there’s been a steady decrease in support for US aid to Ukraine among Republican voters. Last year, only 9% of these voters thought the US was too involved in the conflict. Fast forward to this year, and that number has exponentially grown to 40% – whoa, Nelly! I mean, whoever said patience was a virtue clearly never took part in a heated political debate.

But wait, there’s more! What’s the deal here with the shift in opinion among Republican voters? Yes, the war and dissatisfaction with the Biden administration do play a role. But hold onto your ballcaps, folks! There’s a structural shift happening here. And it’s like operating in a never-ending loop between politicians and their voter base. Nope, I’m not pulling your leg – it’s like a government-sponsored game of telephone! The influence now lies solely in the hands of powerful nodes in the conservative media ecosystem – and hey, we’re talking about the likes of Carlson from Fox News and Ingraham.

But wait, there’s still even more juicy gossip to spill! Remember Trump? Yeah, well, he has an innate talent for the populist art of reflecting supporters’ instincts, feeding off them, and intensifying them. It’s like he’s got some sorta sixth sense for knowing how to get people on his side. And hey, Trump didn’t even invent the whole isolationist thing; he’s just egging it on more and more. But DeSantis ain’t got no sixth sense. He mirrored a position to an audience that was already primed to accept it, without even realizing its wider potential appeal. It’s like totally awkward – eek!

Oh, snap! Hold onto your hats – Trump’s back and he’s got some scathing comments about DeSantis. He dismissed him as nothing more than a copycat who’s just “following” him. Ouch! And it’s not just Trump who’s throwing shade – Haley’s joined in on the action, too. She accused DeSantis of “copying” Trump and ruffled some feathers, treading where no one wants to go – in-depth talk about politics. Of course, you’ve got some establishment hawks that are also pretty upset about this whole situation – including Rubio and Graham. There’s like a whole group of people who are desperately trying to keep their position of power and influence alive in this new world order.

Okay, hold up! DeSantis did get some backlash – gotta give him credit where credit is due. He did somewhat retreat from his statement, clearing up any misunderstandings. He said, in fact, that his “territorial dispute” remark had been “mischaracterized” and that he was simply referring to contested areas in eastern Ukraine. He did address an elephant (or should we say bear) in the room, stating that he believed Vladimir Putin is a “war criminal.” Well, Ron, you finally said something that we can get behind!

Serious News: nytimes