By: Jeffrey Wu

If elected on Inauguration Day, Ron DeSantis would be, at 46, the youngest president since John F. Kennedy. Mr. DeSantis was born after the Vietnam War when computers were becoming commonplace in homes across the US. As a Florida governor, he talks about the “energy and discipline” required daily in the White House, implying that a president needs a youthful mental state, something the other candidates do not have.

Mr. DeSantis frequently mentions their three young children, ages six, five, and three. Although he doesn’t explicitly state his youth, he and his campaigns greatly emphasize this point.

According to a recent national survey conducted by Quinnipiac University, two-thirds of voters consider Mr. Biden too old to serve another term. Roughly 36 percent believe Mr. Trump is also too old, indicating that Mr. DeSantis’ age is an advantage in the presidential elections. However, only two out of every five voters favor Mr. DeSantis as a candidate.

Mr. DeSantis’ views on climate change, abortion, and race are quite conservative, falling well behind his liberal generation’s visionary schemes: abortion should be allowed in all or most situations, climate change is a significant issue that must be addressed, and the Black Lives Matter movement should be supported.

Mr. DeSantis also lacks the youthful zeal that Mr. Obama possessed, making it difficult to attract young social media influencers who may help build trust among citizens. Mr. Obama used social media to raise awareness and financial support for his campaign, but Mr. DeSantis has already tried announcing his campaign on Twitter with Elon Musk, but his live stream repeatedly glitched out.

“I don’t like him as a politician,” says Janie Jackson, a Democratic voter from Miami who runs a housekeeping business. She continued, “but I think he’s a good father and husband.”

“Engaging with his family helps humanize him,” said Dave Carney, a New Hampshire-based Republican strategist. “He’s a dad. People can relate to that. It gives him credibility to talk about family issues… [but] there’s a balance. You don’t want your kids to seem like a prop.”

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/18/us/politics/ron-desantis-age.html

https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/social-media-in-government/