Ron DeSantis is still trying to say 'Hello' to America. But it's time to say, 'Goodbye.'

The more Gov. Ron DeSantis tries to say, “Hello” to America in hopes of boosting his stumbling 2024 presidential candidacy, the more it becomes clear it’s time for him to say, “Goodbye” instead.

Sorry, but that’s the sole conclusion to take from DeSantis’ performance in the second Republican Party presidential debate – during which the Florida governor literally had the center spot on the stage but was pushed to the periphery once the seven candidates actually started talking.

It wasn’t DeSantis, after all, who offered the most compelling critique of Donald Trump for refusing to participate in the GOP debate – that came from former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, whose forceful, repeated condemnation of Trump reduced DeSantis to offering weak, piggyback “Yeah, yeah, yeah, what Christie said” jabs at the absent former president.

It wasn’t DeSantis who made a persuasive case that he would be prepared to lead from Day One if elected president – that came from former Vice President Mike Pence, who caught DeSantis open-mouthed and off guard when he noted that despite the governor’s image as a fiscal conservative, spending in Florida has increased 30% under his leadership.

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It wasn’t DeSantis who provided any memorable moments of articulate passion and genuine energy – those came from the two South Carolina-based candidates, former Gov. Nikki Haley and current Sen. Tim Scott, who eventually tore into each other during the debate.

And, come on, has anyone had any luck in deciphering DeSantis’ response after being asked to explain why Florida’s percentage of residents without health care remains well above the national average? Is it really because Florida has had a population boom and offers few “welfare benefits”? Yet that was the odd complaint/boast DeSantis finally mustered up after first trying to duck, dodge, bob, weave and stammer his way out of giving an answer.

In fact, it spoke volumes that DeSantis’ best moment of the debate came when the guy flat out refused to answer a question – which he did after the Fox Business moderators stupidly asked the candidates to write down the name of the fellow candidate they'd most like to “vote off the island” and out of the race.

Throughout his run, DeSantis has been a textbook example of the perils of overpromising and underdelivering.

His poll numbers are dropping by the minute.

His general reviews as a national candidate aren’t much better, either.

And after two debates, he’s still had more car accidents during the campaign than inspiring performances.

That's why it's time for DeSantis to realize he doesn't need more donors' checks for his presidential campaign – he simply needs a reality check about its present state.

It’s time for him to accept that America has had enough opportunities to ponder the prospect of a DeSantis presidency, and that it has reached its emphatic one-word verdict on that possibility: No!

It's time for him to understand that the nation has made up its mind about Ron DeSantis 2024, and there's no way he can change it.

It’s time for him to come off the campaign trail and come back to Florida.

It’s time for a “goodbye” rather than a “hello.”

Opinion Editor Roger Brown can be reached at roger.brown@heraldtribune.com. Follow him on X at RBrown_HTOpin.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: America has made its mind up on Ron DeSantis 2024. He can't change it.