Is Ron DeSantis a Paper Tiger?
Announcing it on Twitter this evening, Ron DeSantis has thrown his hat into the presidential ring.
On paper, he is a formidable candidate. Backed by many wealthy corporate donors, and the governor of the 3rd largest state in the union — one which has 30 electoral votes in 2024 or 11% of the 270 electoral votes needed to become President of the United States — he is, by some accounts, the most likely candidate to defeat Donald Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
But, will he succeed?
In spite of several advantages, DeSantis has never played all that well on the national political stage. As you can read in the three articles I have linked below, his critics point out his awkward social skills as a major political handicap. Others accuse him of lacking charisma and being extremely uncomfortable in retail politics. His desire to “Make America Florida” simply shines the light on his draconian anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice, and anti-immigrant policies — even as he received the support of 58% of Florida Hispanics in his re-election gubernatorial campaign in 2022. Not many are convinced that his Florida act will play well across other parts of the country.
His biggest challenge would be to convince a healthy portion of the Trump Republican base to support him — and not Donald Trump — in the 2024 GOP Primaries. That in itself may seem like a gargantuan task. If the anti-Trump vote is, not unlike 2016, divided among several “Never Trump” candidates in 2024, then, the path to the nomination is a very narrow one. If it even exists at all.
Finally, no candidate from Florida has ever been elected President of the United States. Will DeSantis defy history or, is he indeed a paper tiger?
We will find out in the coming months.
I’ll try to post 10-20 more editorial cartoons either in the comments section or as updates to this diary. Thanks.
- Final Update #9 - 12:45 am
I received an email late tonight from Vote America. They dissect the DeSantis Record in the State of Florida.
The DeSantis Record
Objectively, Floridians are having a rough go of it:
- Only 87.9% of the state has health insurance — one of the lowest rates in the country.
- Nearly 10% of families live below the federal poverty line.
- Florida is in the bottom third of the US when it comes to median household income.
Governor Ron DeSantis is a government employee. His job, literally, is to work to improve the lives of Florida citizens. But instead of doing his job, Governor DeSantis spends his time fomenting hate and waging war against some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens.
Under DeSantis’s tenure, Florida has:
- Enacted a six week abortion ban, fundamentally banning abortion throughout the entire state.
- Attacked trans and queer kids, making it harder for them to get life saving healthcare and be treated with respect at school.
- Led an assault on freedom expression with laws targeting drag shows.
- Gone to war against Disney, one of the state’s major corporations.
- Banned award winning books from Florida schools.
Ron DeSantis’ policies are wildly unpopular. Which makes sense because Ron DeSantis was elected by a small minority of Florida constituents.
The View from Austria
The German Point of View
Less Filling, Tastes Bad
Ha!
It is Goofy!
You’ll Regret It
Idiot
What We Have Here is a Failure to Launch
Ron’s Big Announcement
Meatball Ron
A Shaky Beginning
Humaning With Ron DeSantis
Demonizing Teachers
Of Course
Caught in the Act
Rocky, He Ain’t
No One’s Walkin’ in These Boots
Just Not Up For It
DeSantis Enters the Fray
Attribution for the above cartoon: Ted (Edward) Littleford @tedlittleford
Can He Overcome This in the GOP?
Loser
Will It Work? Doubtful.
Dwarfed
Draconian Immigration Measures in Florida Under DeSantis
Voters in other states have mobilized against severe penalties for migrants, but Florida may prove different.
In Florida today, activists who oppose the immigration law are fighting on multiple fronts: against Florida’s six-week abortion ban; against anti-L.G.B.T.Q.+ and anti-trans bills; and against the so-called Stop woke Act, which sought to bar the instruction of critical race theory in schools and employee-training workshops, and which a federal judge blocked from taking effect in higher education last November. Also, unlike California and Arizona, where Mexican Americans have a long history of opposing anti-Latino legislation, Florida’s Latino communities are more ideologically diverse.
Even after DeSantis flew migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, which his opponents called a cruel stunt, he was reëlected with fifty-eight per cent of the Latino vote.
The Long Road Home
See the article’s author — New Yorker magazine contributor and Northwestern University Professor of History and Latino Studies Geraldo Cadava — being interviewed by Amy Goodman of “Democracy Now” — Florida's "Terrifying" Anti-Immigrant Crackdown Sets Stage for Gov. Ron DeSantis's Presidential Run.
They were joined by Andrea Reyes, an immigration advocate and lawyer based in Jacksonville, Florida.
Isn’t It Obvious?
Charisma Deficit
Tara Palmeri: “On television, DeSantis can come across as savvy, reasonably well media-trained, and sometimes aggressive. (His wife, Casey, is a former local news anchor.) But in person, I immediately sensed a very different potential candidate: a guarded politician who had no interest in actually engaging with other humans, and was perhaps even a little scared of the spotlight. He had trouble making eye contact with people in the crowd. After five minutes of unmemorable remarks, we were quickly ushered out of the room…”
“As our small pool rushed over to the diner, however, DeSantis quickly bypassed the press… He immediately showed off his very limited retail skills. He asked one patron, ‘What’s your name?’ The man responded, ‘Tim Anthony.’ DeSantis just responded: ‘Ok!’ and moved on… It was my first personal observation of what DeSantis’s critics mean when they call him a paper tiger…”
“It’s one of the few conclusions I could draw after witnessing his poor performance at the Red Arrow diner, a low-wattage stage brimming with sycophants; or after his meeting with New Hampshire legislators, where, I heard, he apparently rambled on about his own Florida delegation, which is overwhelmingly Republican and less complicated to handle than New Hampshire’s. He was, I hate to say it, sanctimonious about his record, according to people in the room.”
A Serious Deficit
DeBoring
Houston, We Have a Problem
Is Anyone Ready for This Crusader?
Mickey and Pals Strike Back
Taking On Ron
Don’t Mess With Mickey
If You Do, You’ll Pay a Heavy Political Price
The Dopey Response
Mickey is Keeping Score
Mickey Mouse — 1, Ron DeSantis — 0
His Record as Florida Governor
[H]e got a lot done in the recent legislative session which just wrapped up. Many of the measures were controversial, very much part of the culture wars. He signed a law banning abortions after six weeks. He's taken aim on issues involving race by banning programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion at public colleges and universities. He also signed a law allowing parents to challenge the types of books that are in school libraries. DeSantis says he believes teachers and schools have been, using his word, indoctrinating students.
And so I expect all those issues to be part of his campaign pitch as he looks to a national audience.
The “Make America Florida” Plan
Tainted Education
Don’t Know Much About History
What You Can’t Teach in Florida Schools
Anti-Intellectualism in American Life
Race to the Bottom
Only in Floriduh
“Florida Republicans on Wednesday approved two bills that will restrict the use of preferred pronouns in schools and ban diversity programs in colleges, building on key priorities of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis ahead of his expected White House candidacy,” the AP reports.
“The proposals were given final passage by the Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate. The governor is expected to sign the bills into law.”
Trouble Down South
The Future for DeSantis
What He is Up Against
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