In an alternate reality, the prime-time showdown between California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday could have been a preview of a 2024 general election debate. Instead, it was a hard-to-explain 90-minute clash that pitted one struggling Republican presidential hopeful against a Democratic rival who may or may not seek the presidency in four years. But for a night, at least, the big-state governors were eager to represent their parties on the national stage as they battled over the economy, pandemic restrictions and President Joe Biden’s leadership in a Fox News faceoff peppered with fiery policy disputes and personal insults. “This is a slick, slippery politician whose state is failing,” DeSantis said of Newsom. FULL STORY: https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/desantis-and-newsom-lob-insults-and-talk-some-policy-in-a-faceoff-between-two-white-house-aspirants/509-81b64861-e133-4091-9820-710ba831bf60