Governor Ron DeSantis: You Sick and Dying Floridians Better Not Derail My POTUS Dreams!!

[GreyhoundFan]

Boy, his popularity is overwhelming. /s

[Flossie]

16 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Boy, his popularity is overwhelming. /s

Where's my 'yawn' emoji?

[Dandruff]

21 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Boy, his popularity is overwhelming. /s

I expect the debate will be interesting but so are earthquakes and insect infestations.

I wouldn't want to be anywhere tf near it or him.

Way to build up support, Ronald.

[GreyhoundFan]

"‘Fully expected the downfall’: Inside DeSantis’s brawls with Fla. Republicans"

Quote

TALLAHASSEE — When Joe Gruters arrived at Donald Trump’s presidential campaign kickoff at Mar-a-Lago last November, Florida’s then-GOP chairman startled even some of Trump’s top aides.

“You’re the bravest man in Florida for being here,” Susie Wiles, Trump’s top aide, told Gruters at the November event.

Gruters — who served as chairman of Florida’s GOP for four years under Gov. Ron DeSantis and was then leading Florida’s party — said backing Trump wasn’t a difficult decision. DeSantis had backed Gruters for party chair but treated him poorly while he was chairman, speaking to him “infrequently” and rarely inviting him to meetings or events, he said. The governor tried to purge his staff, Gruters said. The governor didn’t trust many, he said, and would not even let ostensible allies like Gruters inside his orbit.

Gruters said in recent interviews that he knew DeSantis was going to have difficulty in the presidential race because of his previous experiences with the governor.

“The more he is met by people, the more they are not going to like him,” said Gruters, who is also a state senator. “The more he’s out there, the more his numbers go down. It’s not a good long-term scenario for him. I fully expected the downfall of his campaign a long time ago.”

TALLAHASSEE — When Joe Gruters arrived at Donald Trump’s presidential campaign kickoff at Mar-a-Lago last November, Florida’s then-GOP chairman startled even some of Trump’s top aides.

“You’re the bravest man in Florida for being here,” Susie Wiles, Trump’s top aide, told Gruters at the November event.

Gruters — who served as chairman of Florida’s GOP for four years under Gov. Ron DeSantis and was then leading Florida’s party — said backing Trump wasn’t a difficult decision. DeSantis had backed Gruters for party chair but treated him poorly while he was chairman, speaking to him “infrequently” and rarely inviting him to meetings or events, he said. The governor tried to purge his staff, Gruters said. The governor didn’t trust many, he said, and would not even let ostensible allies like Gruters inside his orbit.

Gruters said in recent interviews that he knew DeSantis was going to have difficulty in the presidential race because of his previous experiences with the governor.

“The more he is met by people, the more they are not going to like him,” said Gruters, who is also a state senator. “The more he’s out there, the more his numbers go down. It’s not a good long-term scenario for him. I fully expected the downfall of his campaign a long time ago.”

Paul Renner, the speaker of Florida’s House of Representatives, said he endorsed DeSantis partially because he believed DeSantis could win the presidency — and Trump could not. He cited DeSantis’s championing a strict abortion law and a constitutional carry gun measure, while also pushing schools to reopen during the pandemic and raising the salaries of teachers, as among the reasons he endorsed DeSantis.

“He’s delivered like no other governor has on both policy and elections. I’m less concerned about having my ego stroked,” Renner said.

He added: “You can’t look at him and his leadership on covid, his leadership through hurricanes and his record-setting election and say he’s not someone who doesn’t connect with people and is not a leader.”

Some of his sharpest critics agree that he has been ruthlessly effective at times and has run a mostly disciplined governor’s office. Allies say there is still time to run a successful campaign — he picked up the endorsement of influential Iowa radio host Steve Deace on Friday — and note that he remains in second place and that Trump could falter under multiple indictments.

“We’re in August, and Iowa isn’t for another six months,” said state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, a top DeSantis ally. “There’s a lot of time between now and when the Iowa caucuses happen, and you don’t want to peak too soon. You want to do things methodically, constantly get your messages out, and I think the campaign is on the path to do that.”

Still, in interviews, Florida Republicans described an aloof governor who believed in “sticks and no carrots,” according to a senior Florida official, and whose idea of negotiating was “my way or the highway,” in the words of another. An insular governor who infrequently talked to some senior members in his own Cabinet, including his top law enforcement officials, or other leading Republicans. A congressman who seemed to avoid any opportunity to make friends with others in the delegation. A politician who rarely tried to connect with donors and supporters and seemed to not enjoy being around crowds or attending events. A governor who sometimes declined to participate in a lot of the customary niceties in politics, such as thank you notes and calls to donors.

“It’s kind of what I expected to see,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), whose backing of Trump stung DeSantis, according to people close to the governor, said of the DeSantis campaign. He added: “In presidential politics, you have to be able to engage and connect with people. It’s through TV, it’s through interviews, it’s charisma. You know it when you see it … I never felt like it was something the governor would be able to do or accomplish.”

Most members of the Florida congressional delegation have endorsed Trump — and many traveled with him on Saturday to the Iowa State Fair. Trump’s team paid to fly a banner over DeSantis with the message “Be Likable, Ron!” At a dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., earlier this year, members discussed in scathing terms how he had treated them, people familiar with the dinner said.

Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), once a prominent DeSantis backer, said at the dinner that when he suffered a serious injury, DeSantis never called to check on him, but Trump did. He then decided to back Trump.

“In terms of building relationships with other members, it wasn’t his strong suit. He just doesn’t do that,” Donalds said.

Florida Lt. Gov. Jeannette Núñez, who supports DeSantis for president, said there were other factors at play with Trump’s congressional endorsements. Donalds, she said, “had a relationship with the governor and he chose to go in an opposite direction.” She noted that DeSantis had more than 100 endorsements from state lawmakers.

“They were scared Trump would primary them,” she said. “There are plenty of members of Congress who endorsed Donald Trump for expediency.”

Several people supporting DeSantis publicly told The Washington Post in interviews that they had to be supportive because of Florida business interests but had little affection for him.

“People in Florida, even his public supporters, are not feeling exactly sorry for him,” said one person who has been publicly listed as a prominent supporter. “There’s a sense of, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”

When his predecessor, Sen. Rick Scott (R), would call or text DeSantis about events in the state, such as hurricanes, his calls were not returned, according to people close to Scott. The two men have not spoken in years other than brief interactions at official events, the people said.

In Florida politics, one incident is repeatedly discussed — and was confirmed by people with direct knowledge of the matter to The Post. At a Florida airport with former congresswoman Gwen Graham, a gubernatorial candidate in the 2018 election cycle, Graham came up and spoke to DeSantis. He stared ahead, leaving his earphones in and acted like he did not recognize her, according to three people familiar with the incident. Graham later told people it was one of the most bizarre moments of her political career.

When DeSantis has visited parts of the state, he has sometimes not invited the Republican leaders of the local areas, typically a courtesy extended by governors, said Francis Suarez (R), the mayor of Miami and a recent president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

“He did multiple events in the city of Miami where we were not given an invitation,” said Suarez, who is now running for president. “There was a period of time where we were not invited to things, and this was not uncommon for mayors of Florida.”

Núñez, the lieutenant governor, said DeSantis and the governor’s office always sought to invite legislators from districts where they were visiting to events, and she said the governor had met with Suarez and invited him to events as well. She described Suarez as a wannabe rival of DeSantis.

“He has been included in things,” she said. “It doesn’t mean we have to include him at every time. It doesn’t mean he has to be at every single one of our events.”

Suarez — who launched his long-shot bid for the presidency in June — said that many of his colleagues often felt like DeSantis wasn’t interested in hearing from them.

“With him, he’s a bit of a monologuer,” Suarez said. “It’s not really a conversation. It’s him telling you what’s happening. There’s no opportunity to talk back to him.”

While the Florida legislature passed much of the governor’s agenda, the governor sometimes frustrated lawmakers who believed he was more interested in his own ambitions than governing, according to multiple Republicans who work in the statehouse.

The state’s two top Republican lawmakers came to appear with DeSantis when he signed the budget in 2022. The men, Wilton Simpson and Chris Sprowls, had helped DeSantis secure his agenda. But according to people close to the men, DeSantis vetoed some of their biggest priorities with little warning that year — leaving them in the undesirable position of standing and clapping behind him as he signed the state’s budget.

Sprowls and Simpson did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

In another episode, according to people familiar with the matter, the two legislative leaders put together an extensive initiative on flooding and resiliency. When the bill was signed, DeSantis suggested he instructed the lawmakers to do it — which was not true, the people said. “He was always taking credit for ideas that weren’t his,” one person with knowledge of the dynamics said.

When lawmakers proposed their own congressional redistricting plans, DeSantis sent word through his office that they would either back his plan or he would publicly flay them, according to people familiar with the discussions. Eventually, they reluctantly agreed to go along with the governor’s plan.

“It was always, go along with us or else,” a state official said of DeSantis’s office.

Ingoglia said that was an unfair criticism. Ingoglia said lawmakers would often seek meetings with DeSantis through him, and the governor had an “open door policy.” Renner described his relationship with DeSantis as “highly collaborative.”

Ingoglia said DeSantis often made decisions on “gut,” which left lawmakers unhappy. “I wouldn’t put any credence in the spin that the governor is aloof and not approachable,” Ingoglia said.

“He values the partnership he’s had with the legislature,” Núñez said.

Former senior officials in the state government said he largely avoided conversations with them, instead sending diktats through his chief of staff or senior advisers. Two former government officials familiar with his security detail said he often did not speak to members or know their names — and would leave food wrappers and other items in the back of the state car. A photo reviewed by The Post confirmed that.

Successful executives, some of his defenders say, often govern with brute force. And some lawmakers say other Florida governors exhibited similar traits. “Every governor has a giant ego,” said state Sen. Ed Hooper (R), one of the few who did not endorse DeSantis. “I’m not sure he’s that different.”

Earlier this year, many state lawmakers said they felt pressure after DeSantis and his team demanded presidential endorsements before he officially entered the race and before the state budget was signed. The governor has strong powers in influencing the state budget and can veto individual items without recourse in Florida.

DeSantis ultimately secured about 100 endorsements from Republicans in the state legislature — an impressive feat before even entering the race. A DeSantis campaign official said dozens of Florida legislators are meeting in Tampa next week for a fundraising telethon to boost DeSantis.

But some Republicans in the state said the lobbying left them unnerved.

Gruters and two other lawmakers — who spoke on the condition of anonymity so as not to alienate the governor — said many Republicans felt they had to endorse DeSantis or else. The former state party chairman said at least five lawmakers told him they feared they would lose projects in their district if they did not, as endorsement calls were being made by at least one prominent DeSantis governmental aide.

“It wasn’t a tit-for-tat, but in conversations about endorsements, they were mentioning projects that people wanted in the budget. There’s no question there is a general fear of projects being vetoed,” Gruters said.

Hooper said some of his colleagues endorsed out of fear.

“There were several House members who were worried a primary House candidate would pop up against them,” he said. “Maybe they were worried about budget items and a candidate opposing them.

Núñez said the governor supported “many” projects that were not backed by members who endorsed him — and that he wielded the veto pen often because he carefully scrutinized projects. “He doesn’t look at it through that prism,” she said. She added: “Joe [Gruters] is on the opposite side. That’s fine. I think it is not necessarily rooted in reality.”

Ingoglia said he talked with about 40 lawmakers about endorsing DeSantis and that most were happy to do so immediately. Ingoglia said the notion that there was untoward pressure put on lawmakers to endorse was “ridiculous.” Renner said his endorsement of DeSantis was “organic.”

Since endorsing Trump, Gruters said he had not spoken to DeSantis’s team in months. Many of his projects were vetoed this year, far more than other lawmakers, Gruters said.

“In the past, you’d get a call saying what was going to be vetoed and why,” Gruters said. “This year, I haven’t heard a word.”

 

[GreyhoundFan]

I can't believe the taxpayers in Florida aren't complaining loudly:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Whoops!

 

[Audrey2]

2 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Whoops!

 

Ronald, did your real bus driver quit?

[Xan]

I guess driving and parking on a level surface was just too woke for Ronnie.

[GreyhoundFan]

[Dandruff]

16 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Since Donald won't attend the debate I imagine Ronald may be the one who other candidates want to beat (up).  I doubt any are afraid of him.  How many sideways references to meatballs or pudding might it take to set him off?  I hope someone mentions the transit of migrants across state lines.

Disney ads before, during, or after the debate would be amazing.

[Xan]

2 hours ago, Dandruff said:

Disney ads before, during, or after the debate would be amazing.

If I were Christie, I'd show up wearing mouse ears.

[GreyhoundFan]

The level of support is overwhelming. /s

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Casey thinks it is cute that they let their three year old run wild.

 

[Becky]

1 hour ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Casey thinks it is cute that they let their three year old run wild.

 

If you want your husband to be presidential, you might want to skip the jokes about his inability to manage your kids without assistance.  IN fact, it sounds like neither one of them is up to controlling their family.  First Lady material, she is not.

[Audrey2]

2 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Casey thinks it is cute that they let their three year old run wild.

 

She sounds like she's trying to do stand-up or a relatable mom YouTube channel. That does not sound like a stump speech.

[Dandruff]

20 minutes ago, Audrey2 said:

She sounds like she's trying to do stand-up or a relatable mom YouTube channel. That does not sound like a stump speech.

I think she's trying to present him as a warm, devoted family man...as if it would extend to the rest of the US population and the world in general.  Little or lot late for that to work, imo.

[GreyhoundFan]

I agree this hat is fugly.

 

[SPHASH]

Apparently Casey forgot there were kids occupying the WH from 2009-2017. Yes Malia and Sasha were older but still.  Sounds like the DeSantis kids are just like the Trump kids and Mango Mussolini his whole life...loud, spoiled, rotten brats.

Edited August 29, 2023 by SPHASH

[Xan]

DeSantis is making his appearances today.  It's pathetic.  Every mayor or county official has to start out by saying how wonderful it is to have the governor's assistance in disaster relief.  It wouldn't surprise me if he made them work from a script.  After a while, I started expecting them to grovel at his feet.

[Dandruff]

54 minutes ago, Xan said:

DeSantis is making his appearances today.  It's pathetic.  Every mayor or county official has to start out by saying how wonderful it is to have the governor's assistance in disaster relief.  It wouldn't surprise me if he made them work from a script.  After a while, I started expecting them to grovel at his feet.

He's getting increasingly hard to watch.  The nonstop bobbleheading makes me feel seasick, and strikes me as inappropriate during what's truly a non-bullshit situation.

[47of74]

An associate professor at my law school wrote this article calling out the racist DeSatan

Quote

On Saturday, three Black lives were stolen in Jacksonville, Florida, at a dollar store just blocks away from Edward Waters University, a historically Black university. Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr, 19; Jerrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29; and Angela Michelle Carr, 52, were assassinated by a 21-year-old white supremacist who “hated Black people”, in the words of the local sheriff.

This intentional murder – like the many which came before it – was not only experienced by those whose lives were stolen and their families, but by every Black person in America. This murder and those like it are a constant reminder that Black people are nowhere safe. It is reminder that our presence, our absence, our movement, our stillness, our attempts to enjoy basic citizenship or complete the routine duties of human life – like grocery shopping – are liable to result in our death.

Though he was not on hand for the murders, Governor Ron DeSantis and his innovative anti-Black dog whistles should be understood as unindicted co-conspirators. Throughout his tenure as governor, DeSantis has successfully attempted to criminalize or eradicate the rights and experiences of Black folks, sowing fear and stigmatizing the community as criminal, dangerous and unworthy of citizenship.

The butt hurt conservative alumni and other P01135809 supporters who complain about anything the school does as being "woke" are already whining about the school being "political" on the school's LinkedIn post.  Since it was a LinkedIn post I didn't respond to these butt hurt idiots with my thoughts regarding what sorts of acts they could go perform on themselves.  

[GreyhoundFan]

Ronnie is continuing to improve the lives of Floridians. /s

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Sigh.

 

[Audrey2]

1 minute ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Sigh.

 

And that, folks, is what happens when you have abstinence only ed instead of sex ed. You don't realize that women don't know immediately that they've conceived. Ronald, you sound dumber everyday. Better quit while you're behind.

[Xan]

And he thinks making men pay early child support will decrease abortions?  That would cause an increase in abortions.  How many men have to be taken to court now to pay their child support?  Ronnie has lost his mind.