The Kordes K orner

Mr. DeSantis’s stridency on social issues could have diminishing returns among some Republicans.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump, after stumping a bit with his campaign announcement, has retained his grip over his base and restarted his bombastic (and well attended) campaign rallies, the most recent one in Waco, Texas. Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, which has long been sharply critical of Mr. Trump, says that Republicans are “once again drawn to what they consider his distinct and unmatched sense of personal power.” In Mr. Lowry’s view, “no one is becoming the nominee unless at the end of the day Donald Trump is no longer the biggest person in the room.”

I recognize that this might seem an odd column to write in light of Mr. Trump’s potential indictment in Manhattan, but my view is that this matter won’t make much difference. This case has severe legal shortcomings and people who don’t already hate Mr. Trump just aren’t very worried about his conduct (or hush money) involving Stormy Daniels. This is not to say that future investigations and possible indictments, which relate to more serious conduct (although extremely divisive), might not pose a much bigger risk to Mr. Trump. That remains to be seen.

Mr. DeSantis, who has not yet announced his candidacy, certainly cannot be counted out. Among other reasons, he is running far ahead of the third and fourth place candidates in the polls, Mike Pence and Nikki Haley, each with about 6 percent. Once the field is cleared of nonviable candidates, it is entirely possible that Mr. DeSantis could end up becoming the coalition choice of Republicans who for strategic, personality or other reasons, simply do not want Donald Trump as the nominee. It is also possible that one of the other candidates will catch fire with the GOP electorate.

Still, you have to say that Donald Trump, and even without threatening frequently to run as a third party candidate, is more than holding his own in his quest to win the Republican nomination a third straight time.

John Ellis Kordes