As of now, Republican primary polling indicates that the top two choices for the presidential nomination are former President Donald Trump and current Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. However, the general election polling indicates DeSantis would much more easily beat the Democratic nominee than Trump. Electability is one of the most significant factors that primary voters should keep in mind.

A recent poll conducted by The Wall Street Journal shows that voters who dislike both Trump and Biden overwhelming favor the Republican Party in House and Senate races but would still pick Biden over Trump to lead the country as president. Voters should keep this in mind when they cast their ballots in the 2024 presidential primaries.

The main factor dragging Trump behind the rest of the GOP is the January 6th riot and his slow and ineffective response condemning it. Trump’s character flaws distinguish himself from the rest of the GOP, which has many potentially strong candidates for the 2024 presidential election.

The simple fact here is that the majority of Americans currently disapprove of both Trump and Biden, even though a majority may be more in favor of Trump’s policies than Biden’s. This should open the door for a savvy politician like Governor DeSantis to become the next president. He knows how to be a strong conservative without being divisive and dismissive of those who disagree with him.

Given President Biden’s low approval ratings in every key swing state, DeSantis can win with an electoral college landslide and claim a mandate for a reversal of the current course of liberal proposals from the current administration. If Trump truly wants the country to get back to the strong economy that existed during his administration before the pandemic, he should step aside. The ability to win moderate voters is key to every presidential election.

This does not mean that the positive aspects of the Trump presidency should be completely ignored by the GOP. Appointing three conservative Supreme Court justices in a four year term is a historic accomplishment. Additionally, Trump was able to expand the Republicans’ electoral base by bringing in many more Black and Hispanic voters than previous Republican nominees.

The Republican Party can build on these accomplishments going forward. Right now, the focus is on the 2022 midterms. Then the focus will immediately be on 2024.

If Trump makes another run for president, there is no doubt that he will unleash viscious and baseless attacks against the other Republicans running, just as he did in 2016. Trump may call DeSantis a good friend today, but if DeSantis stands in Trump’s way for the presidential nomination, Trump will quickly ramp up his attacks.

The good news is that as time goes on, Trump’s influence in the GOP is waning as voters reassess whether he is a good fit as a leader. As we saw in 2016, politics can be extremely unpredictable.