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Not Everyone Hates DeSantis
The war has already begun. Even before DeSantis announces his candidacy for President, the hate speech and accusations are ramping up. The irony of all these efforts is that those attacking him don’t really understand his goals and motives, and don’t realize that many people have already seen through the rumors. But efforts to tarnish his reputation continue. I’d like to suggest that those who hate him (including Republicans and Democrats) are misjudging not only DeSantis but those who already are, and who could become, his supporters. We’re not as stupid as some assume.
This post was inspired by an article titled “DeSantis Further Right Than Trump?” My knee-jerk reaction was, “I hope so!” (Unfortunately, the article is behind a paywall.) Many of us knew that Trump lacked pure Conservative credentials, but we were satisfied with most of the work he did. In the case of DeSantis, the key attributes he demonstrates are that he acts and legislates like a Conservative, but he rarely relies on the label:
Brian Ballard, a lobbyist and former Trump adviser, agreed that DeSantis was no moderate.
‘What the national media might miss is that Ron DeSantis is an authentic conservative,’ Ballard said. ‘It’s not learned, it’s not something where he looks at the polls to see what a conservative does or believes. … Anyone who says Ron DeSantis is a moderate doesn’t understand him, probably has never met him, certainly, or spent time studying him.’
DeSantis’ ultra-conservative agenda could help him win the Republican primary for president, just as it did for Trump in 2016, but DeSantis would then face the dilemma of whether to move back to the middle for the general election, one analyst said.
I believe that DeSantis is not going to move back to the middle at all. Instead, he is going to stand on his track record and not abandon his conservative agenda.
People may very well try to compare him to Trump, saying that he has demonstrated that he’s more conservative than Trump. Again, I don’t think people are going to be as concerned with the labels as with his actions.
To show how his track record drove his last election in Florida, Democrats turned out to vote for him in great numbers:
It’s unclear how many DeSantis Democrats there are: DeSantis’ vote count jumped from roughly 4 million in 2018 to 4.6 million in 2022. Lots of those voters are presumably independents or Republicans who didn’t vote last time.
But some are disaffected Democrats alienated from the party they once belonged to. That’s evident from the longtime Democratic strongholds that DeSantis flipped, including Hillsborough, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade, where DeSantis skyrocketed from a 21-point loss in 2018 to an 11-point win in 2022—a net gain of more than 30 percentage points.
But the comment from this DeSantis Democrat is telling:
Democratic Palm Beach County Commissioner Dave Kerner says he identifies as a DeSantis Democrat, ‘and I can tell you I’m not the only one.’
‘As I traveled around the state and throughout my county over the past several years, at first it was quiet, you know, ‘This governor is doing a great job’—and this is amongst my Democratic colleagues,’ he told me. ‘Then I started hearing it more and hearing it more. And then I saw my own county—which has been majority blue throughout probably its entire history—we saw more people vote for the Republican candidate over the Democratic candidate.” [bold is mine]
This is one more demonstration that the Democrats were looking for results, not following party affiliation.
If he runs for President, his campaign should focus on his bi-partisan support from citizens; how he focuses on results that work; he doesn’t concern himself about stepping on toes but on serving the needs of the citizens; and treats citizens with respect.
He also is difficult to challenge because he’s one of the rare governors who has based his decisions on facts and science, not on lies and rumors. Dr. Jay Battacharya often commented on how well-versed DeSantis was regarding Covid-19 and admired his determination to make wise, rather than popular, decisions.
DeSantis also treated Florida’s citizens as adults. When they needed to decide what was best for themselves, for their children and families, he often left the decision-making up to us. Whether it was getting the vaccine or booster shots, wearing masks, meeting in large groups, taking care of their children, the grown-ups could decide for themselves. And when he needed to step in, whether banning Critical Race Theory, teaching gender-affirming curricula, or closing businesses for Covid-19, he didn’t hesitate to take a stand. When he made mistakes (like some early Covid-19 decisions), he admitted his errors, made the appropriate changes without excuses, and moved forward.
* * * *
Of course, Florida citizens will be only a fraction of the population deciding whether to choose DeSantis as the next President. He will also be up against the Republicans in Congress who have proven to be feckless and prefer the status quo, Progressives who will demonize him, and the media. But DeSantis understands his enemies well. He served in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and wasn’t afraid to buck the status quo and so knows the lay of the land. He knows that the establishment will attack his actions against Critical Race Theory, is not afraid of the unions, and will protect children against sick and progressive agendas whenever he can. And he’s had plenty of practice fighting the media in Florida.
I suspect the media will be so over-the-top in their criticism of him that people will have second thoughts about where the truth lies. Here are one “journalist’s” comments about DeSantis:
What he shares with Trump is a vindictive and demagogic streak, unquenchable ambition and a refusal to be weighed down by political norms or democratic traditions. Like Trump, his time in office would be marked by repeated attempts to pit Americans against each other. But unlike Trump, DeSantis has the proven ability to follow through on divisive rhetoric. The complete package, DeSantis represents a terrifying future for America, and by 2025 it could become a reality.
I think this writer has the wrong guy. Let’s hope the rest of our citizens figure that out.
Published in Politics
Given Gary’s record of credulity toward the liberal media — a few hundred unarmed yokels and cretins constitutes a “coup” — it’s likely that, two years from now, he will be solemnly informing us that, yes, DeSantis is worse than Trump (who is, of course, worse than Hitler).
I don’t see you very often on my posts, Taras (which is fine), but you might not know that I try to make my posts, as much as possible, a “Trump-free” zone. Gary ignores that request, but I hope you won’t.
Have you considered that you may be a Reagan Democrat after all? I know a lot of people who were Reagan voters who went back to voting democrat for most other offices once the Gipper was gone. That’s why he was able to win so decisively the second time – he won over a lot of the other side while keeping his base.
Back on topic, I think GOP voters tend to react to defeats by voting for the opposite of what they ran before. Maverick McCain lost, so let’s pick the squeaky-clean candidate Romney who looks like a president out of central casting. Romney didn’t seem to have the fire necessary, so let loose the rampaging Trump. Trump was like a QB that throws almost as many interceptions as touchdowns and long yardage plays. His hiring/personnel practices were one of the aspects people almost universally acknowledge as bad. DeSantis offers the iron will and dedication alongside excellent personnel. He’s been building his own team for a while.
I’m not saying don’t do it. I’m saying we can take away that source of propaganda but the saved children won’t reach voting age for a while before they can make an impact. At least they won’t be lost. Blue state kids won’t be saved.
How long will my way take? Won’t see success in my lifetime, I fear people waited too late to start. I suspected that in 2020 and 2022 confirmed my fears. I think we have already crossed the tipping point. No, I am not depressed, just resigned to it. People voted for it. They deserve it. Human nature has built in weaknesses and the politicians played them to the max. God has a built-in punishment for societies that are seduced by evil ideas.
Dems use Repubs as long as they are useful, then turn on them.
I have voted for a Democrat for President only once every 48 years; at that rate, my next vote for a Democrat would be in 2068, when I am 116 years old.
A more accurate term might be me being a “Biden Republican.”
No. Hitler is worse than Trump. Trump is worse than DeSantis; actually, DeSantis is bad at all.
Susan, I will be more alert to negative things said about DeSantis and try to see what is going on.
Nope, that’s not you.
That’s okay. You just took him seriously.
Clearly worse.
Oooh! Freudian slip: “actually, DeSantis is bad at all.”
Like a crack baby, this post was born contaminated: the “President before Biden” is all over the original. In fact, his name appears at least seven (7) times.
You mean — no you can’t mean — the T-person!?
It was an unrealistic idea to never mention Trump on a political website. :) I did try to tell Susan that when she proposed it. :)
Just rub it in,Marci? :-)
Susan, you have set a fiendish trap for the lot of us. Your stated goal is not succeeding so much, but our repeated failures speak volumes to the spirit of the age. Peace be with you.
. . . and with you!