Here's one DeSantis guy's take on things: As a matter of records and policy, DeSantis was and is the most conservative candidate, hands down. His record in Florida is exemplary pretty much across the board. As President, he would be the best chance to cut the Swamp down to size because he knows the ropes but does not have the scandal baggage Trump has.
Haley did a superb job as UN ambassador for 2 years, but in most other ways since, has revealed herself to be of the Swamp, so it is of no wonder that she does not want to debate DeSantis further in front of the nominally more conservative electorate of the GOP. She did a nice job as governor of SC, but that was politically ages ago and she has not distinguished herself as an advocate for the base conservative voter -- the "forgotten man" voter who first resurfaced in the Tea Party and who Trump has tapped into since 2016.
Trump almost certainly will be the nominee short of a political calamity because, as Rush said beginning in 2016, Trump is the only one who can break his bond with his voters. No third party can break that bond. And those voters are the vast majority of the GOP primary voters. However, remember that Trump is not and has never been ideologically driven, at least in the traditional sense of our politics. He is transactional. Describing Trump as conservative is neither accurate nor useful.
Remember above all else -- any of the 3 of Trump, DeSantis or Haley are eminently preferable to Biden or any other D.
I disagree about Haley's term as governor. I begin following her decisions at about that time, and was not impressed. She is too interested in finding common ground rather than doing what's right. DeSantis is the best at identifying what needs to be done, and why, and then getting it done with minimal fuss. That makes him... boring. After 16 years of Obama, Trump, and Biden, I would very much like some boring predictability from a sane President.
