Will DeSantis Ride the Sound of Silence to the White House?

Presidents Trump and Biden are shooting themselves in the foot by shooting off their mouths. In the social media age, they seem to believe that silence is death. Meanwhile, the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, shows that in politics, sometimes silence speaks louder than words.When has Mr. DeSantis had to do a “walk back,” Mr. Biden’s favorite dance move? Who can name a time when he’s lost his cool with a voter? Has he ever had to apologize, as Mr. Biden did, to journalists such as White House correspondents Peter Doocy of Fox and Caitlin Collins of CNN?Consider a question on the “Ruthless” podcast to Mr. DeSantis about “animosity” with Mr. Trump. Rather than swing back at reported insults by the former president, the governor emphasized party unity and aimed his uppercut elsewhere.“This is what the media does,” he said, “and you cannot fall for the bait.” The Florida governor continued that everyone was needed to win the consent of the governed, “not just Republicans but independents,” and with Democrats unhappy with Mr. Biden, there is “a chance to broaden our coalition.”When CBS alleged that Mr. DeSantis had partnered with Publix on vaccine distribution as a result of a campaign donation, he counterpunched with such skill that even elected Democrats helped debunk the story.The spotlight in Tallahassee isn’t as glaring as the one focused on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., but that’s only more reason for whoever ends up behind the Resolute Desk to take a page from President Coolidge.Although nicknamed “Silent Cal,” according to the Coolidge Foundation, he “gave more in-person press conferences than any American president, before or since.” He just followed the maxim that it’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.Ever since Mr. Trump descended the escalator to announce his run for the White House, he has inspired devotion from hardcore supporters for punching back against any slight — large or small, real or imagined.This Whack-a-Mole impulse, however, causes consternation among less partisan Republicans and independents. Mr. Trump won the latter group by four points in 2016 and lost them by 13 four years later, in part because he had a hard time playing the part of a smart fish and ignoring the bait.Mr. Biden’s anti-MAGA speech suffered from the same flaw. He savaged dissenting Americans as threats to the republic, doing so before a blood-red backdrop only days after accusing the opposition party of “semi-fascism.”According to a poll by the Trafalgar Group, 62.4 percent of third-party and independent voters viewed the speech as “dangerous,” twice the number who felt it was acceptable.When someone disagrees or asks Mr. Biden a question he doesn’t like, he’s more apt to challenge them to Festivus-style “feats of strength” than to hold his temper. He promised unity and has delivered more “mean tweets.”Presidents 44 and 45 both failed to understand that Americans wish to see the guy in the Oval Office as representing everyone. It’s why TV networks do not Chyron presidents by party the way they do other officeholders.This idea of growing in office was learned in 1881 by a New York senator, Roscoe P. Conkling. He sought a favor from President Arthur and was rebuffed, even though his machine had put Arthur on the GOP ticket.“He’s not ‘Chet’ anymore,” Conkling said. “He’s now the president of the United States.” Arthur knew that there are things a wise commander-in-chief cannot do and must not say. Partisanship is best left to supporters willing to fight dirty.“Don’t hit a man if you can possibly avoid it,” President Theodore Roosevelt said, “but if you do hit him, put him to sleep.” The “greatest sin,” he taught his sons, was “hitting softly.”No one will ever accuse Messrs. Trump or Biden of being weak hitters, but Mr. DeSantis combines what TR called “throwing your Sunday punch” with the discipline of restraint and the sweet sound of silence.This will serve him well if he ends up in the ring with Presidents Trump or Biden, and just might allow him to rope-a-dope his way into the Oval Office.

Will DeSantis Ride the Sound of Silence to the White House?

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