In the realm of presidential campaign announcements, careful planning and meticulous coordination have always been key. From historic train stations to renowned schools, candidates have sought the perfect backdrop to captivate the media’s attention and deliver their speeches. More recently, media-savvy politicians have opted for high-profile interviews with their favorite cable news or late-night television personalities. However, it seems that Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida decided to deviate from the norm and dive headfirst into the unpredictable world of social media, with Elon Musk as his unlikely co-pilot.
On Wednesday night, DeSantis chose not to deliver a conventional speech or participate in a high-profile interview but instead joined Elon Musk in Twitter Space—a virtual space where users can engage in live audio conversations. The event attracted a staggering 600,000 eager listeners, only to be plagued by technical difficulties. The app repeatedly crashed, forcibly removing participants, including both the governor and David Sacks, who was supposed to host the event.
“We are kind of melting the servers,” Sacks remarked amidst the chaos.
For approximately 15 minutes, the server meltdown persisted before the Twitter Space abruptly concluded. In an attempt to salvage the situation, a new Space was created under Sacks’s account—presumably to lessen the influx of participants, given that Musk wasn’t the one initiating it. While this alteration may have alleviated strain on the servers, it certainly didn’t bode well for DeSantis, who aimed to reach a wide audience and formally announce his presidential candidacy.
DeSantis had strategized that unveiling his campaign in this manner would grant him greater control over the narrative. Moreover, it would provide an opportunity to critique the mainstream media for its perceived biases and corruption by circumventing it altogether. However, his calculations proved inaccurate. The primary story that emerged from this event was not DeSantis’s candidacy but rather the meltdown experienced by Twitter. Even when the technical issues were resolved, DeSantis found himself listening to Musk and Sacks discussing Twitter’s significance and the monumental impact this event had on “rooms on social media,” whatever that may imply.
Had DeSantis chosen to launch his campaign on Fox News or CNN, he would have been spared the experience of sitting through Anderson Cooper’s musings on cable television distribution. While he may have faced challenging questions, the focus would predominantly have been on DeSantis himself and his campaign ideas.
Setting aside personal opinions about DeSantis, a more profound lesson can be gleaned from this episode: never entrust something of utmost importance to someone who solely prioritizes their own agenda. Likewise, never place your faith in chaos when dealing with matters of significance.
Reports suggest that Twitter made no preparations whatsoever for an event that Elon Musk seemed to perceive as the internet’s pinnacle moment (which, truth be told, it wasn’t). It remains unclear whether this oversight arose from an overestimation of Twitter’s capacity to handle an influx of listeners in a single Twitter Space or if it was simply a consequence of Musk’s purported reduction in staff, thereby eliminating individuals who may have contemplated such scenarios.
Regardless of one’s stance on DeSantis, it is undeniable that he possesses a deep understanding of the issues he champions and exhibits eloquence when articulating his beliefs. One may view him as an ineffective governor, a subpar candidate, or even a morally compromised individual, but one cannot accuse him of political ineptitude. His mistake lay in presuming that he could exert control over a situation dependent on figures like Musk and platforms like Twitter. While DeSantis did manage to deliver his prepared speech and secure a few soundbites, the only lasting memory from this event will be his relinquishment of the one opportunity that truly mattered.
In the realm of political campaigns, calculated risks are often taken to secure an advantage or disrupt established norms. However, it is crucial to remember that even the most well-prepared plans can unravel when entrusted to uncontrollable variables. As DeSantis learned the hard way, the pursuit of a perfect launch can be an elusive endeavor, and the consequences of misplaced trust can reverberate far beyond a single misstep.
