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

[GreyhoundFan]

"Four ways to think about Abbott’s and DeSantis’s 2022 prospects"

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Even pre-pandemic, Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida were obsessed with “own the libs” moves that at times broke with core democratic values, mostly notably DeSantis’s efforts to make it harder for felons to regain their voting rights. But covid-19 has shown the serious danger in having America’s second- and third-largest states run by people more interested in attacking Democrats than governing.

Amid the rise of the highly transmissible delta variant, Abbott and DeSantis are not only refusing to take serious actions (such as mandating vaccinations and mask-wearing) to stop the spread, but even worse, they are trying to block cities, schools and businesses in their states from taking such actions. Their governing during the pandemic has made clear that Abbott and DeSantis are essentially Donald Trump without the tweets. If they win reelection next year, expect them to spend 2023 and beyond (A) being even meaner to liberal-leaning people in their states and (B) running for the GOP presidential nomination by emphasizing such Trump-like cruelty to people who aren’t Republicans.

America would be better off if Abbott and DeSantis don’t get that far. But is there any chance of them losing their reelection bids? Maybe. Here are four ways to think about the two Trumpian governors’ prospects:

They will win, because Florida and Texas are fairly Republican. Florida was one of the few states that moved to the right from 2016 (when Hillary Clinton lost by 1 percentage point) to 2020 (when Joe Biden lost by 3). Biden didn’t come particularly close in Texas (losing by 6 percentage points). White voters in Florida and Texas, even those with college degrees, are more Republican-leaning than in Midwestern states such as Wisconsin, in part because so many of them are evangelical Christians. Latinos in both states lean Democratic overall, but are more GOP-friendly than those in states such as Nevada. Democrats may simply not be able to win races in these two states in the near future.

They will win, because they are incumbent GOP governors running in a year favorable to the GOP. Incumbency usually gives a few points to a candidate. Being from the party opposite the president in a midterm election usually helps, too. And while DeSantis barely won (0.4 percentage points) in 2018, Abbott’s margin of victory was 13 percentage points. So it is easy to imagine these conservative-leaning states, with the worst of covid-19 likely past by next November, sticking with their pugnacious governors.

Abbott wins but DeSantis loses, because he faces a particularly strong opponent. U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist was elected statewide as education commissioner, attorney general and governor back when he was a Republican. But he left the GOP as it moved right and is now a Democratic congressman representing the area around St. Petersburg. Crist, now running for governor again, might be uniquely “electable” in the way that Biden was in 2020 — as an older (65) White man with a record that makes it clear that he is not the most left-wing of Democrats. But again, Biden-style politics did not work in Florida (or Texas) last year; would it work for Crist in 2022?

Abbott and DeSantis both might lose, if Democrats take a Stacey Abrams-like approach. The new voting restrictions adopted in both states and the abysmal handling of covid-19 by Abbott and DeSantis create an opening for Democratic candidates to run as normal, pro-democracy, pro-mask-wearing politicians, avoiding the kind of liberal vs. conservative ideological battle that would be hard for Democrats to win in these two states. And Democrats have a model for flipping Florida and Texas in the state of Georgia, which went blue in 2020 in part because of the work of Abrams and other Democrats there to mobilize younger, urban and minority voters.

So perhaps a dynamic young candidate who can spur high turnout while avoiding very left-wing stands could be a winner. The Democrats have one strong prospect to run this kind of campaign in Florida — 43-year-old Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who is already running in the primary against Crist. They have two in Texas: former congressman and presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, 48, who is strongly considering a gubernatorial run; and 30-year-old Lina Hidalgo, the chief executive of Houston-area Harris County.

The safest bet is some combination of my points one and two: Abbott and DeSantis overcome their terrible pandemic governance because Florida and Texas lean Republican and that lean will be heightened with a Democratic president in the White House. “Everything has to go well” for Democrats to win in Texas, said Tory Gavito, the Austin-based president of the progressive group Way to Win.

But maybe everything will go well for Democrats. Because it’s essential that they figure out a way to stop these mini-Trumps next year, before Abbott and DeSantis can spend another four years “owning the libs” in their states and, potentially, across the country in the White House.

 

[Cartmann99]

[GreyhoundFan]

Freedumb indeed:

 

[Cartmann99]

 

[Cartmann99]

 

[Cartmann99]

 

[front hugs > duggs]

On 10/22/2021 at 7:28 PM, Cartmann99 said:

 

Walt Disney World is one of the largest employers, if not the largest, in the state. It's deadline for all employees to be vaccinated has passed. Not sure it's wise to go up against one of the state's biggest revenue makers over Public Health responsibility.

[Cartmann99]

There's never a lightning bolt around when you need it.

 

[Cartmann99]

[Cartmann99]

 

[Cartmann99]

Trump whines about Ron DeSantis to Mar-A-Lago guests -- who think he’s trying to scare governor out of 2024 race: report

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The twice-impeached one-term president has complained to members and guests that DeSantis, who's seeking re-election as Florida governor, has not publicly said he would not seek the 2024 Republican presidential nomination if Trump decides to run, reported Politico's Playbook.

"One guest suspects that Trump's gripes are so frequent because he is planting them in hopes that they'll get back to DeSantis," the website reports. "Trump has told his advisers that DeSantis privately assured him that he won't run if Trump does, but that's not enough for the former president — he wants DeSantis to say it in public."

Trump is apparently so bitter that he has suggested that DeSantis could lose to his Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, whom he calls a "killer."

Aides are feeling pressure to choose between Trump and DeSantis as the governor raises money out of state for his 2022 re-election campaign, and Trump has made it clear that he's not happy that former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows attended a pair of fundraisers for DeSantis in California.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

[Cartmann99]

 

[Cartmann99]

Honda's not happy about this:

Spoiler

 

 

[Cartmann99]

Spoiler

[Cartmann99]

Spoiler

 

[AlmostSavedAtTacoBell]

On 12/10/2021 at 1:09 PM, Cartmann99 said:

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The only thing “criminal” I see here is how “criminally” subpar the critical thinking skills must be of the people who will inevitably give over their money to him without even thinking through the basic fact that DeSantis has absolutely no power in his role as Governor to charge or prosecute Dr. Fauci for any purported federal Congressional perjury.  I can’t even side-eye DeSantis because he certainly knows his supporters are not even bright enough to understand basic state versus federal powers.  

[SassyPants]

I would think that with his very young wife fighting breast cancer that the Gov would stop all his anti-science, anti medical establishment BS. I hope is wife is getting credible care and returns to full health. And if the Gov is just playing a Trumpian , political game, I hope it bites him in his backside.

[Cartmann99]

 

More from this event:

Spoiler

 

 If Mrs. DeSantis contracts Covid, the risk of severe illness is higher due to her cancer diagnosis.

Edited January 2, 2022 by Cartmann99

[SPHASH]

On 1/1/2022 at 5:56 PM, Cartmann99 said:

 

More from this event:

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 If Mrs. DeSantis contracts Covid, the risk of severe illness is higher due to her cancer diagnosis.

Like Melania, DeSantis really doesn't care.

[Howl]

From the WaPo article linked upthread by @GreyhoundFan

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 Latinos in both states [Florida, Texas] lean Democratic overall, but are more GOP-friendly than those in states such as Nevada. Democrats may simply not be able to win races in these two states in the near future.

I was gobsmacked to hear that TX Latinos in The Valley were leaning GOP in the last election.   The Valley is comprised of three heavily Hispanic counties along the lower Rio Grande,  the Texas/Mexico border near the Gulf Coast.  This area has ALWAYS been reliably Democratic.  It has also historically been rife with political graft, corruption, and the use of paid  campaign workers called politiqueras.  The graft and corruption seems to have been focused more on local races and primaries but I have to wonder how entrenched that remains and how it's playing out in current politics. 

This is a Ron de Santis thread, but let me dwell for a minute on Gregg Abbott. If you'd asked me three years ago about Abbott going full blown Trump MAGA, it wouldn't even have crossed my mind.  I think the first manifestation came with the very early days of covid, with footage of Abbott in an outdoor bar drinking a beer and making fun of people who were worried. 

 Watching it unfold to its current extreme form the last few years has been sickening.  He's supposedly a staunch Catholic, but has totally sold his soul to the Devil. 

Abbott rolling out anti mask mandates in lock step with criminal asshole AG Ken Paxton to further his political ambitions?  Sickening AND infuriating. 

[Cartmann99]

 

[WiseGirl]

Oh he's doing such a swell job managing COVID. Floridians should care and vote his ass out of office.

Record breaking COVID cases in Florida. 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-florida-hospitals-essential-services/

[Cartmann99]

 

[GreyhoundFan]

DeathSantis doesn't want actual education in schools:

 

[WiseGirl]

WTF? Trying to suck up to TFG? Thought overwhelming hospitals was a good idea? Trying to kill more people? Pander to his audience? I can't with him.

"DeSantis says he regrets not speaking out 'much louder' against Trump's recommendation to stay home"

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/14/politics/desantis-trump-covid-response/index.html