‘Who sets expectations” is always an issue. But this is the Voice of God setting expectations. These are the expectations.

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 09:51PM
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DeSantis has Haley right where he wants her! I’m only half-joking — if his (very expensive) ground game can overcome this small margin and beat her on a very cold day, it will now be a surprise and a boost for him, no? https://t.co/r2pYNTtPea

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 09:49PM
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Noonan attributes this view to Trump backers, but it seems much more widely shared than that. And maybe it should be numbered (2.5), since it’s the product of Democratic policies (crime, gender, race obsessions) as well as centripetal and catastrophic tendencies of modern society

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 09:42PM
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.@Peggynoonannyc has a subtler version of (3) at the end of this week’s column, which rings true: “[They] think it’s all over. They love America truly and deeply but think the glue that held us together is gone…[I]n the Rite Aid everything’s locked up. School shootings..men in… https://t.co/jwAFep8Cep https://t.co/CSfv4ZW42W

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 09:13PM
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“The former pioneer of the 747 jumbo jet is now regarded dismally by many in its industry, including some of its own employees. Boeing has become bureaucratic and focused more on financial returns than engineering prowess.” https://t.co/d9rZf0S4xR

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 08:57PM
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Energy level was high at the West Des Moines event, though it was at Never Back Down HQ and featured many campaign workers. DeSantis waded into crowd at end, apparently having overcome his alleged aversion to humanity. (I am a bad photographer.) https://t.co/mhx5Y6DwPa https://t.co/dzWGEKodyr

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 08:36PM
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Olsen makes key point about working class Republicans at the end … https://t.co/QeHyd3jYSz

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 08:26PM
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Maybe voter pessimism doesn’t reflect
1) anything particlarly awful about Biden economy or
3) inchoate fears of a future with AI, robots, aliens, pandemics
but rather
2) deep ennui regarding dreary Biden/Dem ideology (eg BBB, “equity,” migrant supremacy) https://t.co/e3rcduT9fJ

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 08:20PM
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“Alarmist lawmakers…have made it seem that we are facing an unprecedented crisis, but we are not. [Although] last year recorded the highest numbers of arrivals on record, Customs and Border Protection has five times the budget it used to have”

Huh?

https://t.co/2MR4RlVzrZ

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 08:05PM
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DeSantis campaign presents as a supergroup: Chip Roy, Vander Plaats, Governor Reynolds and De Santis. Reduces pressure on RDS to come with the rizz all by himself. It worked. DeSantis held his own in the Mick Fleetwood role . https://t.co/9G7ttmKGIL

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 07:40PM
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RDS rally musical choices less than top, however. “Hooked on a Feeling”? Really? They definitely need “Taking Care of Business.” (RDS’ PAC, Never Back Down, actually has its own eponymous bespoke song, which isn’t bad!)

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 07:33PM
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Vander Plaats also made a point of saying that while De Santis will travel to South Carolina right after Iowa, he will then go to New Hampshire–i.e. he isn’t skipping New Hampshire. https://t.co/9G7ttmKGIL

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 07:32PM
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RDS rally musical choices less than top, however. “Hooked on a Feeling”? Really? They definitely need “Taking Care of Business.” (RDS’ PAC, Never Back Down, actually has its own eponymous song, which isn’t bad!)

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 07:30PM
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DeSantis does take questions, and shows considerable breadth of knowledge in answering them (though at the rally I went to he did not gaggle). https://t.co/96PrDlM4aK

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 07:23PM
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DeSantis campaign presents as a supergroup: Chip Roy, Vander Plaats, Governor Reynolds and De Santis. Reduces pressure on RDS to come with the rizz all by himself. It worked. DeSantis held his own in the Lindsey Buckingham role . https://t.co/9G7ttmKGIL

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 07:21PM
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De Santis backer Gov. Reynolds, on the other hand, simply said he was going to win … https://t.co/9G7ttmKGIL

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 07:17PM
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At DeSantis West Des Moines post-rally press gaggle they sent out Bob Vander Plaats who predicted 1) De Santis will beat Haley 2) will beat current polls 3) Trump will not get a majority. Achievable goals!

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 07:16PM
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And the Republicans did pass HR-2, which includes Remain in Mexico. Donovan may not like it, Paul Ryan may not like it, but they can’t say current Republicans are unwilling to address the problem, unless (as I suspect) he thinks the problem is failure to amnesty illegals now here https://t.co/V5TJSHXsGD

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 14, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 07:06PM
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DeSantis denouncing the Senate border deal ….

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 13, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 04:30PM
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Campaign reporters are really annoyed that Haley, unlike others, won’t take questions. https://t.co/CXmAjL4cTz

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 13, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 13, 2024 at 03:42PM
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Looks like a total disaster. Instead of limiting Biden’s abuse of “parole” it ratifies it. May also ratify Catch & Release. So bad I can’t believe GOP House won’t reject. https://t.co/XOF9yZULYA via @BreitbartNews

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 13, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 12, 2024 at 10:36PM
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Martin says DeSantis polls in “teens” with non-college. OK. But he’s been polling in the teens generally! Martin has to show that he’s polling much higher among the college crowd than the non-college …

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 12, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 12, 2024 at 06:30PM
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I get where Haley’s support is limited to the (outnumbered) GOP ‘wine track.’ But where is the evidence for @JMart saying that DeSantis is also limited to the wine track? https://t.co/EPNyUAoyCj

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 12, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 12, 2024 at 06:28PM
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“Show me the rizz!” a) DeSantis has the Charisma of Competence. Best I can do. It’s not as if he’s an arid scold like Dukakis. Talks a bit like a sports coach, which he was; b) Nobody else has the vision thing either. https://t.co/rogmz5J3JT

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 12, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 12, 2024 at 05:51PM
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He raised prospect of a lame duck Trump moving left. Legit worry, though I doubt it will move many caucus goers. (Trump moving left might be good–eg finally ending carried interest loophole–or bad–embracing child tax credit dole. You don’t know. That’s why it’s a worry!)

— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey)
Jan 12, 2024

from Twitter https://twitter.com/kausmickey

January 12, 2024 at 05:44PM
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