Tell me more about Ron DeSantis (2 Viewers)

[BladeRunner]

He made some good decisions when he became governor in 2018. For one, he stopped some of the battles over medical marijuana that Rick


Scott


started, because he noted that 71% of Floridians voted for medical in 2016. He's supported hardening of the coastline due to sea-level rise, minimally, but doesn't want to do "left wing stuff." He prioritized spending of state funds to study red tide, but that was something any governor would've done given the crisis. Pretty much in favor of the Clean Water Act and no drilling off the coast of Florida. Again, thats listening to the citizens and protecting our economy. I'm sure he'd open up drilling and pumping elsewhere. He's with Trump on immigration, even had a commercial while running for governor with his little kids building a wall. Freedom Caucus founder.

He's not a great speaker or debator, Gillum beat him in the debate. Catholic not Evagelical. Yale undergrad, Harvard law. He played baseball at Yale, very good, probably a jock admit, but still smart. Military service for 4 years including Iraq and Guantanamo.


Young


, only 43, 3 kids, wife is a beast cancer survivor. He makes better political decisions than Trump, but that's not saying much.

He checks many boxes for being the next president.

Holy crap.  I had no idea he served.  This makes him even MORE appealing to me than he already is.

You know what branch?  rank?

I suppose I could go look it up.  

 

[GoBirds]

He just won a straw poll, beating out Trump. I’m starting to get the distinct idea that he is going to be our next President. 
 

I admit to knowing very little about him. Some in the press call him “Trump lite”; that seems like  pretty lazy journalism to me. Obviously he’s a conservative. I can live with that. Is he more a traditional conservative or a more nativist type? Is he willing to tackle climate change? 
I know about the trans and Disney stuff but I don’t really care about that because it doesn’t tell us what kind of President he will be. He may have majorities in House and Senate so I’m more interested in what kind of economic agenda he will enact, especially with regard to energy and immigration. 
 

Thoughts? 

Just started to realize this? Better late than never.

 

[BladeRunner]

If more of these polls start to surface, and Trump has plans for 2024, I can't see Trump staying quiet about Desantis.  Wondering what nickname he will give him?

"Winner"? 

 

[djmich]

Holy crap.  I had no idea he served.  This makes him even MORE appealing to me than he already is.

You know what branch?  rank?

I suppose I could go look it up.  

Yah I had no idea he had those credentials, including Yale/Harvard.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Yah I had no idea he had those credentials, including Yale/Harvard.

He's not a dumb guy, he just plays one on TV.

 

[-fish-]

Holy crap.  I had no idea he served.  This makes him even MORE appealing to me than he already is.

You know what branch?  rank?

I suppose I could go look it up.  

Navy JAG then legal advisor to SEAL Commander.

Good way to get those Harvard student loans paid off.

 

[djmich]

He's not a dumb guy, he just plays one on TV.

Haha, there is truth to this.  In a way it is also endearing lol.

I think Ivan's description of him earlier was spot on.  I want to like him and at the end of the day I'll just evaluate each decision he makes like I do everyone and I'm sure I'll agree with some and not some others.  But I wish he toned it down a bit and had a little less of a mini Trump vibe, I like "the fight" but not all of the approach.

 

[Osaurus]

I wouldn't go beyond Central Florida GB 

South Florida is for visiting only and I say that with a TON of family in Palm Beach County...either that or you just go right to the Keys and become a recluse.  THAT would be my preference.

 

[BladeRunner]

I don’t think the Wisconsin GOP convention is a good representative sample of Republican voters.

You're joking, right?

 

[Osaurus]

I know a lot of you don’t live in the Sunshine State, but to me here in Tampa, it feels like he’s been campaigning for President for a while now. 

 

[BladeRunner]

Haha, there is truth to this.  In a way it is also endearing lol.

I think Ivan's description of him earlier was spot on.  I want to like him and at the end of the day I'll just evaluate each decision he makes like I do everyone and I'm sure I'll agree with some and not some others.  But I wish he toned it down a bit and had a little less of a mini Trump vibe, I like "the fight" but not all of the approach.

TBH, I don't get a Trump vibe from him at all.  What makes people say this?  Like, I literally see no comparison between him and Trump.

 

[JIslander]

TBH, I don't get a Trump vibe from him at all.  What makes people say this?  Like, I literally see no comparison between him and Trump.

Wannabe dictator?  you don't get that?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Saw a recent poll (Harvard, I think) that in a hypothetical race DeSantis would lose to Kamala Harris by 4%.   Trump would beat her by 6%.

Here it is

This doesn't seem credible to me.  I have a very hard time imagining DeSantis underperforming by 10 points relative to Trump.  Not that I don't believe the poll, just that I think this reflects Trump being a known commodity and DeSantis not yet having the same kind of national profile.

I think DeSantis, or any halfway reasonable Republican, would beat Harris quite easily after a normal presidential campaign.

 

[BladeRunner]

Wannabe dictator?  you don't get that?

People have said that for just about every recent President we've had. 

You have anything valid?  Or are you just going to list the things you were told to clutch your pearls for?

 

[JIslander]

People have said that for just about every President we've had. 

You have anything valid?  Or are you just going to list the things you were told to clutch your pearls for?

You asked for a "vibe".  I gave it.

 

[djmich]

TBH, I don't get a Trump vibe from him at all.  What makes people say this?  Like, I literally see no comparison between him and Trump.

He can be over the top imo, particularly on cultural issues.  Again, I like the fundamental stance in some cases, but there's a brashness about his replies that is Trump-ish.

Unlike Trump, the man is coherent and doesn't say outright dumb ####.  On the Trumpmeter he's probably a 4 to me.

 

[BladeRunner]

You asked for a "vibe".  I gave it.

I'm not seeing it. 

 

[BladeRunner]

He can be over the top imo, particularly on cultural issues.  Again, I like the fundamental stance in some cases, but there's a brashness about his replies that is Trump-ish.

Unlike Trump, the man is coherent and doesn't say outright dumb ####.  On the Trumpmeter he's probably a 4 to me.

So, previous President's haven't been brash?

You don't remember Obama telling us to sit in the back of the theoretical bus, for example?

Again, I'm not seeing it.  I think we're unfairly applying some recency bias here.  I'm 100% positive they would be saying this about ANY GOP POTUS candidate that's in the front.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

People have said that for just about every recent President we've had. 

You have anything valid?  Or are you just going to list the things you were told to clutch your pearls for?

I think most of the "dictator" stuff with him has been overblown -- don't even get me started on Rebekah Jones -- but Disney/Reedy Creek was the first thing that made me genuinely nervous. Using the power of the state to try punish a company simply because they disagreed with you -- after you had already won the legislative battle! -- strikes me as something right out of the Putin/Orban playbook. He didn't even try to pretend there was a principle at stake. It was just "Disney's getting too woke, so we're going to figure out a way to smack them down." This wasn't a governor refusing to eat at Chick-fil-A or refusing to allow state employees to use Airbnb, this was a governor and legislature teaming up to craft legislation expressly designed to punish a corporation. It doesn't turn Florida into an authoritarian hellhole, but it's a dangerous road to go down, and it doesn't speak well of DeSantis' inclinations.

 

[KarmaPolice]

TBH, I don't get a Trump vibe from him at all.  What makes people say this?  Like, I literally see no comparison between him and Trump.

I think a bit of it is the pettiness with the battle with Disney.   Seems to have that side of him that Trump put on full display all the time.   I disliked several things about Trump, but this was near the top which I why I keep cringing at the popularity of DeSantis.  

Of course I don't like many of his policies either, so of course that has to be taken into consideration too.  

 

[djmich]

So, previous President's haven't been brash?

You don't remember Obama telling us to sit in the back of the theoretical bus, for example?

Again, I'm not seeing it.  I think we're unfairly applying some recency bias here.  I'm 100% positive they would be saying this about ANY GOP POTUS candidate that's in the front.

I don't totally disagree, I've roll-eyes with Obama and Biden but I don't like the approach in any president (hence the roll-eyes).  Will be interesting to see his approach as this progresses.

I think most of the "dictator" stuff with him has been overblown -- don't even get me started on Rebekah Jones -- but Disney/Reedy Creek was the first thing that made me genuinely nervous. 

Agree on the Disney/Reedy Creek approach.  

 

[KarmaPolice]

So, previous President's haven't been brash?

You don't remember Obama telling us to sit in the back of the theoretical bus, for example?

Again, I'm not seeing it.  I think we're unfairly applying some recency bias here.  I'm 100% positive they would be saying this about ANY GOP POTUS candidate that's in the front.

Then you are already convinced, so why ask - also how much of your reaction is that you are also 100% positive that Trump has no control over the GOP.   Of course you are going to gravitate to rejecting comparisons to Trump.  

I don't think people would be saying the same thing for politicians like Chris Christie or others if they were at the top of the GOP list.  

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I think most of the "dictator" stuff with him has been overblown -- don't even get me started on Rebekah Jones -- but Disney/Reedy Creek was the first thing that made me genuinely nervous. Using the power of the state to try punish a company simply because they disagreed with you -- after you had already won the legislative battle! -- strikes me as something right out of the Putin/Orban playbook. He didn't even try to pretend there was a principle at stake. It was just "Disney's getting too woke, so we're going to figure out a way to smack them down." This wasn't a governor refusing to eat at Chick-fil-A or refusing to allow state employees to use Airbnb, this was a governor and legislature teaming up to craft legislation expressly designed to punish a corporation. It doesn't turn Florida into an authoritarian hellhole, but it's a dangerous road to go down, and it doesn't speak well of DeSantis' inclinations.

I totally agree with this take.

 

[BladeRunner]

I think most of the "dictator" stuff with him has been overblown -- don't even get me started on Rebekah


Jones


-- but Disney/Reedy Creek was the first thing that made me genuinely nervous. Using the power of the state to try punish a company simply because they disagreed with you -- after you had already won the legislative battle! -- strikes me as something right out of the Putin/Orban playbook. He didn't even try to pretend there was a principle at stake. It was just "Disney's getting too woke, so we're going to figure out a way to smack them down." This wasn't a governor refusing to eat at Chick-fil-A or refusing to allow state employees to use Airbnb, this was a governor and legislature teaming up to craft legislation expressly designed to punish a corporation. It doesn't turn Florida into an authoritarian hellhole, but it's a dangerous road to go down, and it doesn't speak well of DeSantis' inclinations.

Thanks, I appreciate this response.  I agree with you and IK on the Reedy Creek thing.  Not a good look but I don't know if that is a Trump thing more than it is a politician thing.

 

[BladeRunner]

Then you are already convinced, so why ask - also how much of your reaction is that you are also 100% positive that Trump has no control over the GOP.   Of course you are going to gravitate to rejecting comparisons to Trump.  

I don't think people would be saying the same thing for politicians like Chris Christie or others if they were at the top of the GOP list.  

I'm asking because I want to know what you guys are seeing. 

Also, I did not say he has NO control - I've said that any control he has is waning fast and by 2024 it will be irrelevant.  Polls show this. Recent state/congressional elections have shown this as well.

 

[dkp993]

Just started to realize this? Better late than never.

Unfortunately for DeSantis supporters Tim making this prediction is very bad news for its chance of success.  

 

[the moops]

I don’t think the Wisconsin GOP convention is a good representative sample of Republican voters.

You're joking, right?

WI straw polls in the past have had Fred Thompson, and Herman Cain as favorites on the republican side, and John Edwards, Bernie Sanders, and Howard Dean on the democratic side

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Thanks, I appreciate this response.  I agree with you and IK on the Reedy Creek thing.  Not a good look but I don't know if that is a Trump thing more than it is a politician thing.

I mean, Trump did some stuff like that -- blocking the AT&T/Time Warner merger because he hated CNN, giving a defense contract to Microsoft over Amazon because of Bezos and the Washington Post -- but it was more of a fit of pique. DeSantis' move was more calculated, which IMO makes it scarier.

The one way I would say he is very much like Trump -- in fact, I would wager he learned it from watching him the past few years -- is this attitude of "Always stoke the base, never apologize, always attack the libs". Like, when his Surgeon General nominee refused a state senator's request to wear a mask even though she was being treated for breast cancer, I don't think that was the biggest deal in the world, but he could have just followed the lead of the Senate President and said the guy should have honored her request. Instead, he attacked her as a hypocrite for appearing maskless in a different setting. And this all occurred at the same time his own wife was being treated for breast cancer! I don't know if he's missing an empathy gene -- like I said, he is a bit of a weirdo -- or if he just resolved not to show it.

And that very much is the direction I see our politics heading, especially on the GOP side. Apologies are for p###ies, I guess.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Unfortunately for DeSantis supporters Tim making this prediction is very bad news for its chance of success.  

My friend and I used to have a running joke of cheering on anytime **** Morris made a prediction, since he was guaranteed to be wrong.

 

[Stealthycat]

Saw a recent poll (Harvard, I think) that in a hypothetical race DeSantis would lose to Kamala Harris by 4%.   Trump would beat her by 6%.

Here it is

that's a joke, has to be

Democrats SOUNDLY voted in 2020 they did NOT want Kamala .... they won't want her any more now that she's been a do nothing VP 

 

[BladeRunner]

WI straw polls in the past have had Fred


Thompson


, and Herman


Cain


as favorites on the republican side, and John


Edwards


, Bernie


Sanders


, and


Howard


Dean on the democratic side

Oh - THAT Wisconsin.  I thought you were talking about the other Wisconsin.  Yeah, that's the ticket.

 

[dkp993]

My friend and I used to have a running joke of cheering on anytime **** Morris made a prediction, since he was guaranteed to be wrong.

In fairness to @timschochetIm not saying he’s ALWAYS wrong, but the Mendoza line is in effect.

 

[BladeRunner]

In fairness to @timschochetIm not saying he’s ALWAYS wrong, but the Mendoza line is in effect.

Is it possible that @timschochet is just a #### Morris alias?  **** - is that you?

 

[massraider]

https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-congress-ron-desantis-al-lawson-florida-30df468cc9d3154000f81ea52c706296?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=AP 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A new congressional map drawn by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ staff that could diminish the state’s Black representation in Washington was reinstated by an appeals court Friday, a week after a lower court judge said the map was unconstitutional.

 

[massraider]

Republican Ron DeSantis just picked a new Secretary of State — his wife, who's on the state Board of Education, supported the Capitol riot and defended QAnon theories that the world is run by Satan-worshipping child molesters. https://t.co/7dRbgYtUyp

 

[massraider]

Quick reminder that @GovRonDeSantis was caught in a clear lie. 

DeSantis falsely claimed that math textbook publishers were trying to indoctrinate elementary students with "race essentialism."

In fact, no reviewer found a trace of CRT in those textbooks

https://t.co/HDQHp5mSUQ https://t.co/mN2bEp8SuP

 

[jamny]

He's not a great speaker or debator,

This is a big concern of mine. I hope he's working on improving.

I also hope Trump decides not to run and endorses DeSantis.

 

[BladeRunner]

https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-congress-ron-desantis-al-lawson-florida-30df468cc9d3154000f81ea52c706296?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=AP 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A new congressional map drawn by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ staff that could diminish the state’s Black representation in Washington was reinstated by an appeals court Friday, a week after a lower court judge said the map was unconstitutional.

So, looks like the court agreed that the original districts in question were gerrymandered themselves, which is why DeSantis redrew the maps to begin with and now makes them neutral.

 

[massraider]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Florida law intended to punish social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment, a federal appeals court ruled Monday, dealing a major victory to companies who had been accused by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis of discriminating against conservative thought. 

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/23/1100831545/appeals-court-florida-social-media-law-unconstitutional-desantis 

This was just a silly move from day one. He probably got a few suckers to pony up some donations based on this, however

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Republican Ron DeSantis just picked a new Secretary of State — his wife, who's on the state Board of Education, supported the Capitol riot and defended QAnon theories that the world is run by Satan-worshipping child molesters. https://t.co/7dRbgYtUyp

Just to clarify, DeSantis did not choose his wife Casey to be SoS. He picked a state legislator whose wife is a QAnon conspiracist

 

[Desert_Power]

 I don't know if he's missing an empathy gene -- like I said, he is a bit of a weirdo -- or if he just resolved not to show it.

This, to me, is what he has the most in common with Trump.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

So, looks like the court agreed that the original districts in question were gerrymandered themselves, which is why DeSantis redrew the maps to begin with and now makes them neutral.

I think it's more that when the governor and legislature agree on a map, they're probably going to get their way unless they did something blatantly unfair

 

[massraider]

Just to clarify, DeSantis did not choose his wife Casey to be SoS. He picked a state legislator whose wife is a QAnon conspiracist

Next thing you know, we'll have Supreme Court Justices with QAnon wives

 

[massraider]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/28/desantis-culture-wars/ 

How DeSantis wages his culture wars

 

[JIslander]

I think it's more that when the governor and legislature agree on a map, they're probably going to get their way unless they did something blatantly unfair

Yeah, a District that's half black losing out ....wtf?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Republican Ron DeSantis just picked a new Secretary of State — his wife, who's on the state Board of Education, supported the Capitol riot and defended QAnon theories that the world is run by Satan-worshipping child molesters. https://t.co/7dRbgYtUyp

Why would you post something like this?  It just makes you look bad for no reason.  (You, massraider).

 

[BladeRunner]

Republican Ron DeSantis just picked a new Secretary of State — his wife, who's on the state Board of Education, supported the Capitol riot and defended QAnon theories that the world is run by Satan-worshipping child molesters. https://t.co/7dRbgYtUyp

What the article ACTUALLY said:

DeSantis picks Cord Byrd as secretary of state, husband of QAnon, Capitol riot supporter

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis replaced outgoing Secretary of State Laurel Lee on Friday with state Rep. Cord Byrd, who cursed at Black Democratic lawmakers during the session and whose wife has made comments supporting QAnon and the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots.

DeSantis described Byrd, a Neptune Beach Republican member of the House since 2016, as a “staunch advocate for election security, public integrity, the fight against big tech censorship and the de-platforming of political candidates.”

“Cord Byrd has been an ally of freedom and democracy in the Florida Legislature, and I am confident he will carry that mission forward as Secretary of State,” DeSantis said. “I look forward to his successes ensuring Florida’s elections remain safe, secure and well-administered.”

Y'know, I'm thinking that maybe a Disinformation Board is not such a bad idea after all. 

 

[massraider]

Why would you post something like this?  It just makes you look bad for no reason.  (You, massraider).

To tell you more about Ron DeSantis and the decisions he makes, and the people he surrounds himself with. 

I think it makes Ron look bad. 

 

[JIslander]

What the article actually said:

DeSantis picks Cord Byrd as secretary of state, husband of QAnon, Capitol riot supporter

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis replaced outgoing Secretary of State Laurel Lee on Friday with state Rep. Cord Byrd, who cursed at Black Democratic lawmakers during the session and whose wife has made comments supporting QAnon and the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots.

DeSantis described Byrd, a Neptune Beach Republican member of the House since 2016, as a “staunch advocate for election security, public integrity, the fight against big tech censorship and the de-platforming of political candidates.”

“Cord Byrd has been an ally of freedom and democracy in the Florida Legislature, and I am confident he will carry that mission forward as Secretary of State,” DeSantis said. “I look forward to his successes ensuring Florida’s elections remain safe, secure and well-administered.”

Y'know, I'm thinking that maybe a Disinformation Board is not such a bad idea after all. 

"DeSantis picks Cord Byrd as secretary of state, husband of QAnon, Capitol riot supporter"

"....who cursed at Black Democratic lawmakers during the session and whose wife has made comments supporting QAnon and the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots.

Phew.  This is SO much better than it being his wife and still cra cra 

 

[massraider]

He closely ties critical race theory to LGBTQ culture wars: At the April signing of that critical race theory bill, DeSantis briefly pivoted to LGBTQ issues: “I mean, when you start telling people that men can get pregnant, I mean, give me a break. But that’s what you’re seeing around the country. They crowned the champion swimmer … was a guy that competed for three years as a man, then switches as a woman and wins the championship, and denied opportunities for these other women.”

From the above link.