Joe Henderson: The key to political success these days might be ‘something new’

Nikki Fried had the right idea when she branded her gubernatorial campaign as “something new.” If there is any lesson from the muckfest that is politics in 2022, it’s that voters see the status quo as “status no.”

When they get restless, they begin to look for different solutions. And man, are they restless.

Whether Fried can ride that to an upset victory in both the Primary and General Election remains to be seen. The polls haven’t been kind to her, but she was enthusiastically received at the Leadership Blue gathering over the weekend in Tampa.

Before we get too deep into that, though, let’s explore the quest for something new to save us from four more years of Donald Trump or Joe Biden. Trump is an incompetent lying cuckoo, and Biden gets blamed for everything.

When Rick Scott calls you “incoherent, incapacitated and confused” as he did President Biden, it will leave a mark. Scott’s style is to pick a theme and repeat it regularly until it sinks in. Now, even Democrats appear restless at the thought of four more years of Biden.

That brings us to our favorite state in the Union — Florida.

We know that Gov. Ron DeSantis appears to gain traction (and cash) daily from Republicans around the country who like what he’s doing in Florida. They want to see that on the big stage, which is why I believe (with many others) that DeSantis will run for President in 2024 no matter what Trump does.

Who knows, Trump might even be in jail by then, or at least under indictment for the Jan. 6 insurrection he encouraged.

On the other hand, DeSantis carries no such baggage. Republicans increasingly see him as that “something new” that can put them back in the White House.

But what about the other party?

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker gave the keynote speech at the Leadership Blue gala. He received excellent reviews, and he got in a great zinger aimed at the heart of the GOP message.

“The Republican game plan is to divide Democrats and to divide America,” Pritzker said. “They want to task obvious solutions to everyday problems as something ‘exotic’ or ‘woke.’ They’re hoping, as the old story goes, that no one is willing to say that their emperor has no clothes. Well, Florida, I’m here to tell you that the GOP is naked and afraid.”

The Chicago Tribune noted his Florida trip had the effect of “further fueling speculation — and criticism — that he’s eyeing a presidential bid even as he seeks a second term as Illinois’ chief executive.”

Once chatter like that starts, it tends to take on a life of its own.

He checks a lot of the right boxes, especially on abortion rights and gun control. People are paying attention.

Publicly, he follows the DeSantis game plan of “Aw shucks, stop all that White House talk.” But if 2023 looks too much like 2022 for Biden, things could change quickly. Pritzker looks like someone who wants to be ready if that moment arrives.

Meanwhile, Fried continues beating the “something new” drum with her attacks on Charlie Crist, who is anything but new. He mostly ignores her.

Instead, Crist concentrates his fire on DeSantis and, as CNN noted, “He’s doing it the only way he knows how: by trying to shake every hand in the state.”

That might work in the Primary, where conventional wisdom is that Democrats believe he has the best chance to beat DeSantis. Maybe so, but the polls show either Crist or Fried is in for a drubbing in November.

But what about Val Demings?

Unlike Crist or Fried, she has the money to go toe-to-toe with Marco Rubio on TV ads, and she’s something new. Before this race, she was a fairly obscure congresswoman from Orlando. She received a raucous reception at the Leadership Blue conclave.

She has a much higher profile now.

Florida Republicans understandably feel they’re going to clean up in November, and they just might. With DeSantis as the standard-bearer, they have that shiny “something new” bauble that tends to excite the electorate.

Democrats also appear to be catching on to what they need to do. Demings gives them some fresh juice, and Pritzker reminded them that in a fight for political survival, they have to throw punches instead of just absorbing them.