AS TED CRUZ DISCOVERED...

On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal published a piece about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's presidential campaign called "Ron DeSantis, Down in Polls and Taking Flak From Donald Trump, Looks to Rebound." The piece says DeSantis is "sharpening" his "message" in order to reassure important party figures that he's still a viable candidate. He's preparing a new ad campaign, making more critical comments about Trump, and hoping to "introduce himself more on a personal level" as a family man who had a "modest upbringing."

None of the elements of this story are unusual; the dispatch about a candidate who is attempting to "reboot" a presidential bid that is "stalling," "flagging," or "stumbling" is a staple of trail reporting. What is unusual about this story is its timing: It's being published in April 2023, and it concerns the 2024 Republican primary, a race that DeSantis has not even officially joined. The campaign that is said to be attempting a "rebound" does not yet exist, although the Journal's sources say he plans to formally enter the race "some time after the state legislative session ends in May."

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