THE BUZZ: Gov. Gavin Newsom loves assailing Gov. Ron DeSantis as the antithesis of good governance — so imagine if Newsom’s constituents make DeSantis the nominee. That distinct possibility framed the visit by DeSantis on Sunday to the Reagan Library, a shrine to the former president and GOP proving ground whose recent visitors have included presidential hopefuls Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo. DeSantis’s visit and a subsequent fundraising dinner presaged a battle for the Republican Party that will run through Donald Trump — and California — as he pitched the Florida model to a subset of California’s 5.2 million Republican voters. Again and again, DeSantis contrasted Florida with California. He cited California’s shrinking population and loss of tourism as evidence of which approach appeals most, and he touted his state’s lighter touch on pandemic restrictions and vaccines. “We had families move from the Pacific coast just for the fact that we had schools open in Florida,” DeSantis said. Newsom was ready for his rival, taunting DeSantis before his arrival that “you're going to get smoked by Trump.” DeSantis swung right back, telling an enthusiastic crowd in Simi Valley that “you guys got a lot of problems out here, but your governor's very concerned about what we’re doing in Florida, so I figured I had to come by.” That echoed his observation to Club for Growth elites last week that Newsom is “preoccupied with me and what we're doing in Florida.” Indeed, Newsom has worked to make DeSantis the villain in America’s narrative arc. But where Newsom sees a dangerous demagogue, some Republicans see a model: The Orange County Republican Party advertised DeSantis’s fundraiser as a chance to hear from the leader of “the Free State of Florida.” His combativeness enthralls some voters. “Lots of people like his playing hardball,” Fresno County Republican Party Chair Elizabeth Kolstad told us — lauding the same confrontation with Disney that Newsom lamented. Donors like him too. DeSantis enlivened a crowd of hundreds at the OCGOP fundraiser, musing on whether he needed to pay California taxes on living in Newsom’s head. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a room with a thousand Republicans in it and not one time did the name Donald Trump come up,” said California Republican Jon Fleischman. “Instead, there were a lot of people interested in ‘when is Ron DeSantis going to declare for president?’” Republicans emphasize the nascent campaign’s fluidity, even as early California polling gives DeSantis a clear advantage over Trump. A core base will support the former president. Some admire Trump but are wary of his down-ballot deadweight or his limitation to a single term. Many are swinging toward DeSantis or former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley. Here’s our story on how California Republicans could be in the rare role of kingmaker, whether it’s for DeSantis or someone else. BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. The March for Life is coming to Sacramento today, offering a rare burst of anti-abortion activism in a state that has led the nation in bolstering reproductive autonomy. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up at jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “California is a different beast. A lot of the campaigns are trying to wrap their heads around how they should think about it.” Republican and 2022 state controller candidate Lanhee Chen after speaking with a GOP campaign manager. TWEET OF THE DAY:
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