As soon as America skates through the coming 2022 midterms, the national narrative will almost surely turn toward 2024, and whatever sort of maniacal presidential contest that will bring.
The stage has already been partially set for ’24, of course, with incumbent President Joe Biden having repeatedly suggested that he’ll be running again, (even though there has been a little more reluctance of late on that claim), and former President Donald Trump almost certainly planning to announce his own campaign as soon as the Republican Party believes it safe to.
But there’s another odd conflict brewing, and it has many wondering if a pair of governors from opposite ends of the political spectrum – and the country – could be the marquee candidates come 2024.
While California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been somewhat reluctant to discuss debating the man running against him this fall, he offered a detailed proposal for a debate with a different politician 2,500 miles away.
“Hey @GovRonDeSantis,” wrote Newsom on Friday afternoon on Twitter, “clearly you’re struggling, distracted, and busy playing politics with people’s lives. Since you have only one overriding need — attention — let’s take this up & debate.”
That wasn’t all:
Newsom also tagged @CNN, apparently as a proposed host for the debate.
He also responded to DeSantis’ “hair gel” quip about him earlier in the day — “I think his hair gel is interfering with his brain function” — with “I’ll bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray. Name the time before Election Day.”
Newsom had previously gone out of his way to buy television ad space in Florida to bash DeSantis, leading many political observers to believe that the California lawmaker sees himself dealing directly with DeSantis in 2024.
