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DeSantis Must Be Over the Target
You might know that I am President of the Ron DeSantis fan club (or at least I should be). He has been fearless in fighting for the rights of Floridians in multiple areas of the state: the economy, health, education, and gender issues, just to name a few. You can read more of my writing about his work if you’d like to by going here, here, here, here, and here.
The current onslaught of attacks from the media (and yes, I am writing an opinion piece so I can be as outraged as I wish) appeared in this article of the Orlando Sentinel, which is usually behind a paywall. But for now, it can be found on an internet search.
The reason I’m writing today is the hysteria has reached a new fevered pitch. The writer of the article does a decent job of trying to demonstrate some objectivity about the governor’s actions; I suspect he believes that gives him permission to use hyperbole and distortion when telling his story (and I assure you that it is his story, not mine). This article was on the front page, top half of the Sunday newspaper, although it sounds nearly as frenzied as the opinion page. If you are curious about his particular style, that I think exceeds the bounds of respectable journalism, I’ll give you a few examples. In case you think I’m overreacting, I’m putting in bold those words or phrases that I think are inappropriate or extreme:
Gov. Ron DeSantis has mounted an all-out assault on what he calls “trendy ideologies in education, vowing to defund programs designed to increase minority enrollment and retention at the state’s universities and colleges as he considers a run for president in 2024. . .
This agenda and other new Florida measures he has pushed through. . .
Florida has become this petri dish of policies that other conservative states are looking at. . .
DeSantis has demanded from universities an accounting of all money spent on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, training and classes and critical race theory, promising that they would “wither on the vine” without state money. He has directed the Legislature to prohibit schools from funding such programs.
DeSantis escalated his attack by making an example of New College. . .
The frenzy of the last several weeks prompted Black lawmakers and civic leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, to march on Tallahassee on Wednesday in protest of not just DeSantis’ educational decisions, but also his administration’s steps to ban medical treatment for transgender youth.
There were more examples, but you can see where this writer was heading. He repeatedly left out key information and made no secret about what his preferences were.
The reasons I wanted to highlight this latest article are multifold: (1) they demonstrate that the state of journalism continues to skid off the rails; (2) there is no discernable distinction between the news sections and the opinion page; and (3) the attacks on DeSantis have increased in number and intensity in their tone, and yet he is not deterred. The bad news is that the general population, even in Florida, may believe the distortions presented.
On the other hand, the increased frenzy on the part of the media may reveal an anxiety, maybe even a panic, about what is transpiring in this state. My hope is that he continues to be successful with only minor setbacks, that more and more Floridians come on board, and more state Governors, particularly in red states, join the movement.
He is most definitely over the target.
Published in Politics
I’d be happy to introduce you the one in the pond behind our house. Although he’s kinda shy . . .
Oh, what the heck. Why not?
Susan, I wouldn’t get too upset over ranting newspaper articles. One gets the illusion while reading a newspaper in private that every single other reader must believe these words as if they were sent from on high. But public trust in the news media is at an all-time low. Newspaper readership is down by something like 75%. Only the last few hold-outs who believe the left wing stuff still subscribe. I’ve seen varying survey results that show that only about 20 – 36% of Americans believe news media in general. Be encouraged that The Wall Street Journal is by far the largest circulating newspaper in America. (I think more than double the 2nd-place competitor New York Times)
No surprise. Ron DeSantis won the governorship by the widest margin in Florida history. Lefties must be having hissy fits. I would expect them to lash out and flail around like stranded fish on a beach. That is their nature.
Trump is contributing in his own special way:
He’s harder on RDS than Biden, about whose SOTU speech he said nice things.
He’s been on this for a few days now. This word salad is supposed to mean something to constant readers, I guess – “Uninspired” Koch? What?
The ad link goes to freedonaldgold.com,if you’re curious. It’s a promo run by a “tactical armor” supply company and you have TEN MINUTES to give them your name, address, email, and your consent to receive promotional offers.
Some people still operate on the thinking that he is a terrible person. To many, that his greatest and only real flaw.
Corporate Media vilified Mitt Romney – the blandest person to run for president.
Thanks for the reassuring words, Steve. In spite of the public’s disdain for the media, I can’t help worrying. We read the WSJ, which is much better and has an excellent Opinion page; I didn’t realize their numbers had gone up so much! I mainly get the digital Sentinal for its puzzles! And then peek at the articles.
The media’s goal is voter suppression. If you don’t vote (because you don’t like anyone) then you won’t be curious about how your (or anyone else’s) vote was recorded. Pretty soon our leaders will be getting 90% of the vote count.
The purpose of progressive politics is to turn legitimate debate into mere theatre; to teach everyone the dance steps and call the tune.
The threatening “This Is Your LAST Chance” style of money demands is just obnoxious and cheep. President Trump just might make the decision much easier if he continues on this path.
I think Amy Jo Clark (Mock of the Mock and Daisy podacst) has that position. She has a full-sized cardboard cutout of him where she does her podcast. Whenever Mock says his name, she says “Governorrrrr Rrrrrrron Desantisssss” while Daisy makes cat sounds and clawing motions. It’s a hoot!
And in these times, we need her levity! We can take ourselves–me included–so seriously!
I resemble that remark.
And if you stay home, because the Republican candidate is too conservative, or not conservative enough, they don’t care. As long as you stay home.
You’re right to worry. People may tell pollsters they don’t trust the media, but it still influences their thinking. Take a look at comment #27, which repeats the left-wing canard that Trump inherited his money.
Or all the talk about how Trump is “horrible”. Many Democratic Presidents are more horrible, in terms of their personal life. After all, the rape allegations against Trump are probably false!
Lee Zeldin, too. His strong showing in the New York gubernatorial race wasn’t enough to beat the Democratic ballot generating machine, but he swept in several Republican congressman on his coattails.
@jameslileks — Beware of Samson. His locks may have been shorn in the 2020 election, but they have grown back. If he is disrespected he will pull down the temple.
Maybe I missed something here, too, and I usually pride myself on being well-informed. I thought that Trump received approximately $400 Million from his father, Fred Trump. Is that false?
There are not now and have never been any rails for journalism skid off, because the admixture of ‘fact’ and ‘opinion’ is what journalism has always been about. While I sort of admire your ever-fresh outrage that the press isn’t living up to an (impossible) ideal to which they don’t aspire, it does get a bit exhausting seeing you miss the target each time: bend all your energy to disabusing the ‘general population’ that reporting is about truth – constant surprise that lies are being told does not help this endeavour.
Well, “sort of admiring” me is better than despising me, genferei. But I disagree with your characterization of my position. First, I don’t expect the press to live up to any ideal; they are, and have always been, so far away from that possibility that I would be an idiot to wish for that (now, don’t go there). I do expect “journalists” to show some integrity in their reporting; people like Mollie Hemingway and Kim Strassel are the kind of writers I respect and the kind of writing I expect, and they also demand it of their colleagues, whether they are providing it or not. Since their writing (and the writing of a few others) meets my high expectations, I refuse to believe that some degree of truth and integrity isn’t possible. And the last thing I’m going to do is let these liars get away with their extreme renditions of events and actions. They can continue to spout their disinformation, and I will continue to call them out.
So I’m not surprised about what is happening. But I won’t stop railing about them and criticizing them. I’m sorry if that exhausts you; it invigorates me because I’m fighting for ideas and practices I believe in.
He’s supposed to be here in Ststen Island today! Can I be your VP of the fan club? 😎
Edit: He’s already made the news here!
https://www.silive.com/politics/2023/02/gov-ron-desantis-visits-staten-island-courts-law-enforcement-is-this-florida-north.html
The job is yours! You even get to carry a scepter!
Zito wrote the book explaining Trump’s 2016 win. I understand his anger over losing but not his current tactics.
The Ricochet Podcast has two excellent interviews. I especially appreciated the interview with Mark Bauerlein who is one of the new trustees at New College. He gives us a good overview of their plans for change. Administrators and faculty must be shaking in their boots!
Before Donald Trump entered politics as a Republican, subjecting him to a tsunami of smears that reduced the value of the Trump brand, his net worth was somewhere north of $4 billion, according to Forbes. That’s ten (10) times what he is believed to have received from his father in his lifetime.
Oh, big deal. Hillary turned $1000 into $100,000 in a cattle futures deal and it only took her six months.
RDS was in ILLinois yesterday. Jelly Belly was NOT happy. https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230220/desantis-in-elmhurst-florida-governor-touts-pro-police-policies-knocks-pritzker
It says a lot that the FOP is bringing him into the lion’s den. In my small opinion, Ron is running in ’24. Run, Ron, Run.
DeSantis favors law and order and education. You know who else favored those things? Hitler. just sayin’.
You forgot to mention me. Cdor favors law and order and education also…just sayin’.
Now if he spoke German, I’d really be worried . . .