IT WOULD BE BETTER IF HE GOVERNED FIRST...:

In a speech at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, last month that some Republicans saw as a warm-up to a presidential stump speech, Scott criticized President Biden, accusing him of exploiting "the painful parts of America's past." But he also struck a note of unity, describing himself as a "messenger of hope."

"I see 330 million Americans getting back to celebrating our shared blessings again, tolerating our differences again and having each other's backs again," Scott said. "This is what I see. A new American sunrise. Even brighter than before."

Doug Heye, a Republican strategist who first met Scott during his time in the House, said that the South Carolina senator isn't the kind of person to back down from a fight, but described him as a kind of happy warrior who could offer voters a much-needed change from Trump's combativeness. 

"There are those voters, but that's not the entire party or the entire primary voter makeup," Heye said. "He is aggressive and he is a fighter, but he does so with a smile on his face. And after six years of Donald Trump, there's an exhaustion for a lot of people who want new voices and fresh voices, and I think Scott represents that very well." 

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