On what was essentially a campaign trip to the early caucus state of Iowa , still-undeclared presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) blasted the " culture of losing " that has plagued the Republican Party in the last three election cycles.

"I think the hope is both Florida and Iowa show [that] strong leadership and a bold agenda can defeat the Left in this country," DeSantis said speaking at Dean Family Classic Car Museum on Saturday. "But there's no substitute for victory. We must reject the culture of losing that has infected our party in recent years."

No sober-minded observer could disagree that Republicans have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory time and time again in recent years. From President Donald Trump losing to an octogenarian who refused to campaign to Dr. Mehmet Oz coughing up a Senate seat to a nearly incapacitated John Fetterman, these losses, regardless of who you would like to blame, are unacceptable, and we are feeling the consequences at the grocery store, gas pump, and beyond.

With the economy teetering, the Biden administration pushing the country closer to war with nuclear-armed Russia, and confirmation that the FBI is, at our current juncture, nothing more than the enforcement arm of the Democratic Party, the stakes are simply too high to squander another golden opportunity . History is written by the victors, and it will require a Republican president with majorities in both chambers of Congress to bring accountability and reform to the so-called deep state.

How does the GOP break this cycle of failure? For starters, perhaps Republican candidates could withhold criticism of John McCain while campaigning in John McCain’s backyard . Candidates could try encouraging their supporters to show up to the polls instead of astonishingly doing the opposite . At the very least, Republican primary voters should take a page out of the Democrats’ book and nominate candidates who are likely to win general elections.

Do you really believe that in the 2020 presidential primaries, the base of the Democratic Party preferred a candidate suffering from obvious mental decline and with a long history of making racist remarks over a true leftist believer such as Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) or Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)? Of course not, but Democratic voters were laser-focused on defeating Trump, and that focus paid off.

Republicans have some choices to make. The architect of three straight crushing losses or the young governor who just won a swing state by nearly 20 points. A former football player with baggage rivaling Santa Claus on Christmas Eve or someone with half a chance of saving a crucial Senate seat. The retread who tells you what you want to hear or the person who tells the truth even if he or she does not go viral on Twitter as often. It is time that Republicans get serious about winning. Their political opponents are committed to victory to a repulsive degree .

Brady Leonard ( @bradyleonard ) is a musician, political strategist, and host of The No Gimmicks Podcast .