My dad used to tell me that it's better to be lucky than good. And now that I've exceeded five decades on this earth, I understand exactly what my dad meant. My mom would often respond by suggesting there's no substitute for brains.

One of my hobbies is reading biographies. I recently finished Dave Grohl’s (of Foo Fighters fame). I've also read the biographies of Woody Allen, Peter Falk, and Jack Kemp, to name a few more. 

People who’ve achieved tremendous success in life seem to all have one thing in common, and that's an almost unshakable belief in themselves. Another is a commitment to hard work. Another, which is beyond their control, is something that, in retrospect, can seem a lot like plain old luck. 

What some might choose to call destiny, or fate, can sometimes just be luck dressed up as matters beyond our ability to control. 

In an interview with Larry King, Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger, when asked by Larry to what he attributes his remarkable success, had enough humility to say a big part of his success was luck. Needless to say, he also had a lot of talent.

And talent is good, but a lot of people have talent. A strong work ethic is also important, but a lot of people work hard. However, if you combine talent, hard work, and luck, you can be unstoppable. 

The point of all of this is sometimes fate has a way of lending a hand to those individuals who are talented and work hard. One of those individuals today is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the small-town kid with a well-known work ethic and a world-class intellect. 

Of the 10+ people running for President, it is DeSantis who has found himself at the center of the events in the Middle East. 

Turn on cable news, or many or many of the popular podcasts, and it is DeSantis who is rising to the occasion to meet the crisis head-on.

“There are 2.3 million people living in Gaza. Collective punishment is something you support?”

DeSantis: “It’s not collective punishment — Hamas is the one creating this predicament.” pic.twitter.com/wy2H1wxHey

— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) October 17, 2023

The man thrives in a crisis — whether it's a Cat-5 Hurricane, his nearly flawless response to COVID-19, or now today, with Israel defending itself against a vicious terrorist cartel. 

The candidate, on both sides of the partisan divide, who is being called upon by the media to weigh in on the Israeli crisis — and who has done so with clarity — is Ron DeSantis. And he has also done so intelligently. There's no substitute for brains...

This latest Middle East crisis has, in this writer's opinion, elevated DeSantis to the point of being head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. He has used his machine-like skills for logistics and rapid response to remind the country why an effective chief executive is so important.

The @RonDeSantis chief executive project is a master class in organizational planning, logistics and strategic management. Keep this guy away from the White House lest he neuter the Leviathan.

— Manic Contrarian 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 (@ManicContrarian) October 17, 2023

When the Biden Administration created a gap in leadership by telling Americans they're essentially on their own in the Middle East, DeSantis stepped into that gap and announced he would charter airplanes to fly to Israel and rescue Floridians and other American citizens.

I respect the invisible hand of the market, including in political markets. And I discern an invisible hand moving pieces around that will accrue to the political favor of @RonDeSantis’ candidacy.

— Manic Contrarian 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 (@ManicContrarian) October 17, 2023

Reporters on the left and the right have asked him why he has chosen to do this. His response, very simply stated, without any sense of self-importance, is that this is what they do in Florida. They rise to the occasion in a crisis, and they get the job done. No talking, no bragging, no excuses. Just get it done.

LEADERSHIP: 270 Americans — including 91 children — were brought home from Israel last night in rescue operations organized by the DeSantis Administration.

Listen to the stories of those rescued: pic.twitter.com/wCNvO6Jx6A

— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) October 16, 2023

Ninety-one children rescued? One family had 10 children! In an age when most people just understand in the marrow of their bones that government isn't a good buy, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has reminded us that when you put the right people in charge of the institutions we pay for and rely on, like government, it can be a force for good. 

And if there's anything Americans yearn for during chaos, it's calm, competent leadership. DeSantis has these attributes in spades because when the chips are down, DeSantis is a force of nature. 

Talent and hard work, as important as these things are, sometimes aren't enough. Sometimes it is the events beyond our control that define an age — and can define an individual.