Once we got through the first half hour . . .
DeSantis is really excellent on policy. Well-spoken, presents lots of facts but marshals them well, has good grasp on how government is supposed to work, what legislation is pending, what the Supremes might do about Chevron deference, how to rein in the administrative state, etc. Pronounces names correctly — remembers them, too.
This could have been really good (on a reliable platform) if it had been a one-on-one discussion with a solid host who would ask good questions but let him talk. I also think the governor is going to do very well if he’s challenged — he is well prepared and knows how to interject without being rude. The Twitter rollout was a bad idea, and they should have been certain the tech would work (and having Musk run it at the beginning meant there was too much stammering and chatter about Twitter). But the last 45 minutes underscore that DeSantis has real strengths. You can easily see how they can be capitalized on going forward.
Downside: No one has asked about the orange elephant in the room, and DeSantis has signaled no urge to go there. It’s what people need to be confident about: that he’s going to go after Trump, be ready to hit him between the eyes (it’s not like there’s a lack of material), and not pull punches out of concern about the Trump base. The attitude has to be: I will kick his ass, and the base will come along — and whoever doesn’t, who cares?