Conversations with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

 

 

I interviewed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on July 26, 2021.  We spoke about the decision to lockdown in March 2020, the science on kids and COVID, the harms from lockdown, the ethics of panicking the population, the reform of public health, and censorship of public speech by big tech companies.

To learn more about the harms lockdowns, visit collateralglobal.org.

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  1. Gazpacho Grande' Coolidge
    Gazpacho Grande'
    @ChrisCampion

    Thanks Jay!  Definitely be listening to this one.

    • #1
  2. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Gazpacho Grande' (View Comment):

    Thanks Jay! Definitely be listening to this one.

    What he said.

    • #2
  3. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    I watched this all the way through and was not disappointed.

    • #3
  4. Eugene Kriegsmann Member
    Eugene Kriegsmann
    @EugeneKriegsmann

    What a superb interview. I wish there was some way to get this out to as many people as possible. DeSantis is remarkable. He has all of the best attributes of Trump with none of his deficits. Additionally, he is well-spoken, obviously well informed, able to respond in complete sentences that actually make sense. The difference between a real statesman like DeSantis and our last president and current president are so marked as to be, as Hamlet would say, Hyperion to  satyr, or a couple of them. DeSantis’s only drawback is that the media are doing everything they can to destroy him. If more people could see this video, it would be nearly impossible to stop his rise. 

    It was interesting to see Jay as the interviewer. I have long been a fan of his when in the other chair. My vote is for DeSantis as president, Bhattacharya for Surgeon General.

    • #4
  5. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    Great discussion by two people who seem to actually understand that of which they speak. I especially appreciate Gov. DeSantis pointing out as an executive he has to consider more aspects of public health and well being than just one particular disease. 

    • #5
  6. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    I live in FL and have been following DeSantis on his decisions. It’s amazing how even the local media has attacked him on nearly every decision he’s made. It was also helpful to hear from him directly about his timeline of the changes he was making, as well as his rationale. I’m proud to call him my governor!

    • #6
  7. drlorentz Member
    drlorentz
    @drlorentz

    This DeSantis guy is amazing. He has a good command of the WuFlu epidemiology, which he used to make his decisions based on the science, by which I mean real science and not fearmongering Twitter ‘science.’ He’s also fearless, likely because he knows the facts are on his side.

    I’m only about 20 minutes into the interview and clearly the whole thing will be worthwhile. We’re in Florida scouting out the real estate situation (and enjoying the Gulf coast). All I can say is, DeSantis had better stay in Florida instead of going to the Imperial Capital in 2024 because otherwise some weirdo gay drug addict or the like might become Florida’s next governor. Last time was a close call.

    • #7
  8. drlorentz Member
    drlorentz
    @drlorentz

    I didn’t mean to slight Dr. Bhattacharya in my previous comment. Not only did he do a great job as interviewer but, of course, he’s done the Lord’s work in leading the way with rational, science-based discussion of COVID and the measures taken in response. Like Mr. DeSantis, he has been fearless and firm in the face of withering attacks from all directions. They both have my sincere admiration and gratitude. 

    • #8
  9. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    DeSantis’s media skills are in a whole different category from anybody else. I’m not an expert, but I don’t think he’s deficient in any area. I can’t see why any Republican would want anybody else for POTUS. 

    • #9
  10. Jay Bhattacharya Member
    Jay Bhattacharya
    @bhattacharya

    Thanks for the kind words, everyone.  I definitely have more experience being interviewed than interviewing, but Gov. DeSantis was a great sport, and quite impressive.

    • #10
  11. Brian Clendinen Inactive
    Brian Clendinen
    @BrianClendinen

    As my Governor I have mixed feelings about him. The last year when it comes not his Exepective order and not the Laws he has signed, he has been great. Laws much more mixed bag with one that is Fascist to the core.

    The  Florida Republican Party deserves a ton of criticism for its hypocrisy and for not believing in free speech and separation of power. They legalized and gave the governor the power to enact lockdowns, with zero restrictions. I read the law there is BS about how asking advice from medical “Experts” first.  however, you can always find an “Expert” to tell what you to want to hear. There was nothing about the Evidence itself or the legal standard of proof. It should be a crime to have any executive orders for lockdown or any statewide medical mandate by mandiate. Nope, if we get a Democrat Govorner (which is a high possibility). They can use that law to impose whatever restrictions they want and its in state law. Where in 2019, it was not legal or I should say vague.  The only good part about the laws is the Florida legislator can overrule the Governor via the resolution process. Which is better than nothing and for none medical Executive decisions, a good step in the right direction,  but still falls short of basic classic liberal principles. This same law made Vaccine passport illegal so it was not all bad. But it was on the net a massive power grab in the name of public safety by the government and for the executive branch, we did not have in Florida before.

    The Florida Republican Party took the opposite lessons from COVID. Instead of checking the Governors emergency power and insuring they had checks and were limited to short time periods, they vastly increased the power which can still go on indeffently by legislative silence.

    The law puts no time limits only any executive order before needing approval from the courts or the legislator. So the legislator can be cowards and say we did not vote for that but due to nothing to prevent tyrannical power by the executive branch (very typical political behavior, inaction to deflect blame and is Republican SOP). Giving more power to the executive branch. Proving yet against the Republican party is the Socialist part. Better than the Communist Democratic party, but still. We no longer have a classic liberal party only a minority in both parties. With Republicans having a much larger minority versus Dems.

    You mostly don’t know this because the Conservative media does not have real journalists at the state level. They are just Republican party proxies. All they do is Trust people whose side they are on take the PR releases at state value.  Let alone have any nuance and praise and criticize elements of law. They are binary (its either good or bad) when it comes to laws which is just laziness at best.

    • #11
  12. Richard Easton Coolidge
    Richard Easton
    @RichardEaston

    Jay Bhattacharya (View Comment):

    Thanks for the kind words, everyone. I definitely have more experience being interviewed than interviewing, but Gov. DeSantis was a great sport, and quite impressive.

    We’re glad that you are here. You’ve been a rare voice of sanity throughout the pandemic. When the CDC advised that people wear masks outside, I concluded that they were untrustworthy quacks.

    https://youtu.be/edIi6hYpUoQ

    • #12
  13. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    Eugene Kriegsmann (View Comment):

    What a superb interview.

    Yes.

    I wish there was some way to get this out to as many people as possible.

    Yes.

    DeSantis is remarkable.

    Yes.

    He has all of the best attributes of Trump with none of his deficits.

    Yes.  Thank goodness.

    Additionally, he is well-spoken, obviously well informed, able to respond in complete sentences that actually make sense.

    Cruz and Hawley seem like kindergarten students compared to DeSantis.  He is as smart as Sasse and Christie.  DeSantis needs more polish, but he can pick that up.  You can teach a smart person how to speak better, it is harder to have a good speaker become smart.

    The difference between a real statesman like DeSantis and our last president and current president are so marked as to be, as Hamlet would say, Hyperion to satyr, or a couple of them.

    Yes.  Especially as to Trump, but also as to Biden.

    DeSantis’s only drawback is that the media are doing everything they can to destroy him.

    They tried to destroy Reagan too.  DeSantis needs to learn how to talk with a sparkle in his eye and a smile on his face.

    If more people could see this video, it would be nearly impossible to stop his rise.

    I agree.  

    It was interesting to see Jay as the interviewer. I have long been a fan of his when in the other chair. My vote is for DeSantis as president, Bhattacharya for Surgeon General.

    DeSantis would be better than Biden, and way better than Trump.

    • #13
  14. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gary, nobody is more skilled and informed in any way than Ron DeSantis. Any “improvements” he makes aren’t going to make any difference. He won a very tough election and he’s been the same man since that day. There is nothing keeping him from being the candidate except for some power moves that aren’t under his control.

    For some reason, you have a lot fewer reservations about him now than you did a month ago.

    • #14
  15. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary, nobody is more skilled and informed in any way than Ron DeSantis. Any “improvements” he makes aren’t going to make any difference. He won a very tough election and he’s been the same man since that day. There is nothing keeping him from being the candidate except for some power moves that aren’t under his control.

    For some reason, you have a lot fewer reservations about him now than you did a month ago.

    I listened to DeSantis talk intelligently about issues for 51 minutes.  Trump speaks at a 6th grade level, full of insults for others who aren’t in 100% agreement with him.  (“What does Trump call someone who agrees with him 100% of the time?  A traitor.”)

    I still prefer Sasse, Hogan and Christie.  But I am willing to follow DeSantis as my leader, something that I could/would not do with Trump, despite trying to do so.

    • #15
  16. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    Trump speaks at a 6th grade level, full of insults for others who aren’t in 100% agreement with him.  (“What does Trump call someone who agrees with him 100% of the time?  A traitor.”)

    This has nothing to do with what I’m talking about.

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    I still prefer Sasse, Hogan and Christie.

    On what? For what? Why? 

    None of those guys have a balance of executive ability and good policy like Ron DeSantis.

    Ben Sasse is really into theory and he buckles under inquiry. Way too idealistic.  Not enough Republicans like him for good reason. All he does is write books. I suppose Christie has potential.

    • #16
  17. Eugene Kriegsmann Member
    Eugene Kriegsmann
    @EugeneKriegsmann

    RufusRJones (View Comment):
    I suppose Christie has potential.

    I don’t think that Christie will ever live down that photo on the beach or the one of him hugging Obama. Also, as a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment, I find Christie very unpalatable.

    • #17
  18. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    Cruz and Hawley seem like kindergarten students compared to DeSantis.

    Ted Cruz might not have the optimal electoral skills and tactics, but he is incredibly well spoken and knowledgeable about public policy and the constitution etc. His podcast is just exceptional.

    • #18
  19. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    lol

     

     

     

     

     

     

    • #19
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