Behold Ron ‘culture war’ DeSantis: The Florida emperor with no clothes
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Behold Ron ‘culture war’ DeSantis: The Florida emperor with no clothes
In Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Free State of Florida,” a charter school principal was forced to resign after sixth-grade students were shown images of Michelangelo’s notably nude sculpture, “David.”
Apparently the horrors of art and anatomy were too much for some parents, and because DeSantis has empowered adults dippy enough to consider Renaissance art “pornography,” the principal was — in the spirit of freedom — shown the door.
David’s man-bits might be visible, but as DeSantis tries to raise his national profile ahead of a likely GOP presidential primary campaign, it’s becoming apparent the Florida emperor has no clothes.
Things haven’t gone well for Ron DeSanctimonius’ expected presidential run
Consider the recent stumbles by the man GOP presidential primary frontrunner and former President Donald Trump has labeled “Ron DeSanctimonius” and, somehow more insultingly, “Rob.”
DeSantis referred to Russia’s deadly invasion of Ukraine as “a territorial dispute” and was then admonished by Democrats and Republicans alike. So he flip-flopped in an interview with Piers Morgan and called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal.” Then on Friday he flop-flipped back to saying: “I care more about securing our own border in the United States than I do about the Russia-Ukraine border.”
The Daily Beast ran a lengthy story citing former DeSantis staffers and GOP operatives who painted the governor as someone who “struggles with basic social skills.” That story included an anecdote about the governor’s allegedly messy eating habits, claiming he once devoured a chocolate pudding dessert with three fingers.That’s dumb, of course, but it yielded this chyron when the Morgan interview was aired on Fox Nation: “RON: I DIDN’T EAT PUDDING WITH 3 FINGERS.”
And despite Trump’s increasing legal problems and consistent “badger-on-bath-salts” behavior, the former president is leading DeSantis by 15 points in the most recent Real Clear Politics polling average.
Most Americans disagree with DeSantis’ policies
A recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll showed most of DeSantis’ key Florida policies and goals — from banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy to cutting diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses — are opposed by a majority of Americans. It’s not hard to conclude — and I say this as someone who was born and raised in the Sunshine State — that Florida ain’t like the rest of the country. And being a popular governor there doesn’t make DeSantis the political juggernaut Republicans hyped him up to be.
The revenge of ‘woke Disney’
Perhaps the most clear evidence that DeSantis’ culture-war-centric hollering has become white noise, literally and figuratively, was the news last week that Disney World will be hosting the Out & Equal Workplace Summit, one of the world’s largest LGBTQ conferences. DeSantis boasts incessantly about his battles with “woke Disney,”which started when the company spoke out about the governor’s law prohibiting teachers from talking about gender identity or sexual orientation in school classrooms up through third grade, known broadly as the “Don’t Say Gay” law. He recently signed a law giving the state control over the previously corporate-run district that encompasses Disney World and made it sound like he — Ron DeSantis, Slayer of Wokeness — now calls the shots at the company. That’s not true. Disney maintained the tax breaks and most of the power it previously had, but, you know, go ahead and wish upon a star, governor.
After signing the Disney bill into law, DeSantis crowed: “Today, the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end.”
You do you, Gov. DeSantis, the rest of us are going to just keep living
With the announcement of the Out & Equal conference, which focuses intently on the same diversity, equity and inclusion issues DeSantis’ has been railing against, the Disney corporate kingdom’s response was, essentially: “Whatever, pudding fingers. We’re just gonna move along with the rest of the world and not act weird about stuff.” The Miami Herald reported: “Dozens of iconic American companies — including Apple, McDonald’s, Uber, Walmart, Hilton, Amazon, Boeing, Cracker Barrel and John Deere — are sponsoring the Out & Equal Workplace summit, which over 5,000 people are expected to attend. Several agencies, including the State Department and the CIA, are listed as government partners and will have booths at the conference.”
So it’s not just Disney ignoring DeSantis’ anti-DEI, anti-woke, anti-Renaissance-statue ramblings. It’s the Walmarts and John Deeres and Cracker Barrels and, generally speaking, most of corporate America and the global companies that Florida kids will one day turn to for jobs. So, as Trump might say, “Good job with all that, Rob.”
Maybe ‘Rob’ DeSantis isn’t the conservative savior some imagined
The belief in more mainstream Republican circles seemed to be that DeSantis was “The One,” the tough, lib-lambasting conservative who could take the MAGA crown from Trump and lead the party back to the White House.
The naked truth is DeSantis looks more and more like a paper tiger each day. He’s a Florida version of Michelangelo’s “David.”
A wannabe emperor proudly parading about the country, sans clothes.
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DeSantis, we hardly knew ye.
Is every liberal op ed attacking DeSantis news? The level of obsession with DeSantis is like nothing I've ever seen. It's all hands on deck for Trump in progressive circles.
but I do find it amusing that "that Disney World will be hosting the Out & Equal Workplace Summit, one of the world’s largest LGBTQ conferences" somehow sticks it to DeSantis. Are people really that dumb? .
Don't be ridiculous. You mean that you are surprised when Ds attack DeSantis? This is so different from the routine partisan criticisms (Ds and Rs) that we see every election year? Look around, this has been going on for as long as we have been alive.
If the Ds are obsessed with DeSantis then the Rs are obsessed with Biden. But, of course, you will deny the R side of this.
Yeah, it's weird when there are 5 seeds a day about a governor who hasn't even declared for the Presidency and when Democrats attacks groups that are supposedly anti Trump like the Lincoln Project are laser focused on defeating him for Trump.
Tell me, were conservatives obsessively posting about Joe Biden on this site in 2019?
But, of course, you will deny the R side of this.
Lol. Just count up who's seeding the DeSantis focused seeds.
Been around social forums for about 15 years and I see nothing strange about this. Given the extreme circumstances surrounding Trump, you should not be surprised to see the activity around him.
Do you pay any attention whatsoever to this forum?
Then you don't pay much attention. To claim people here were posting multiple seeds daily attacking Joe Biden in 2019 is gaslighting.
Given the extreme circumstances surrounding Trump, you should not be surprised to see the activity around him.
Right. That explains the daily seeds about Gavin Newsome because Joe Biden generates so much news.
Do you pay any attention whatsoever to this forum?
More than you, obviously.
I never made that claim. Attempt to be at least somewhat honest.
It would be nice of. you do so. That would be much better than you making weaselly declarations that you immediately refuse to defend the implications of.
If Ron DeSantis actually were a "breath of fresh air" instead of the Christian nationalist weirdo he is , maybe he wouldnt draw so much "leftist" attention. He wants to have his Trump cake and eat it too.
It is a losing argument for you to claim that this forum is obsessed with Trump but not obsessed with Biden. (Biden ≅ "Brandon" in case you missed this too.)
I of course was hoping the GOP might gravitate towards someone who would appeal to the general electorate rather than to the MAGA crowd of the GOP.
Biden(s). plural
Your conservative friends are the ones that have been anointing DeSantis, someone who has never proven he can be competitive in an election outside of Florida. He has an inherent awkwardness to him that rarely works in so called "retail" politics.
His entire appeal is based on the assumption that a majority will vote for someone who says "woke" every other sentence. I doubt that was ever true.
The Republicans should nominate someone like Mitt Romney. I hate to say it, but I think he could probably beat Biden.
But what would MAGA do? Stay home? or vote for a third party candidate like Trump?
Hillary didnt run around saying that the rest of the country needed to be made over in the image of New York state.
Right. That never works. Obama, Clinton etc won so many national elections before running for President.
He has an inherent awkwardness to him that rarely works in so called "retail" politics.
does he smell women's hair? Does he lie, compulsively about his family, education, career, arrest record etc? Does he lose the ability to finish sentences?
umption that a majority will vote for someone who says "woke" every other sentence
The advantage he has is that he would be running against an 80 year old man who has trouble stringing two coherent sentences together.
I wish.
Odd how Romney was so dissed by his 47% comment and his religion yet Trump comes along with the worst behavior and abysmal character (and entirely unpresidential demeanor) and wins the election. Some think that Romney's loss was primarily due to the Hispanic vote and based on the GOP's positions on immigration. So then we have Trump with his wall and seemingly no problem. Of course another key factor is that Romney was up against Obama whereas Trump only had to beat Hillary.
Looks like telling people what they want to hear is indeed the most effective factor in US politics.
I dont think Romney SHOULD ever be president, but he would look like a good alternative to a lot of people looking for a "moderate" not named Joe Biden.
Yeah, way to illustrate the standard, obsessive talking points that you seem to not recognize for over two years.
I know you are not a Romney supporter. I am just telling you that I would vote for Romney in a heartbeat over any of the other names mentioned thus far.
You say that but we see President Biden almost every day serving capably, being able to control of his message and making perfect sense despite his age. He certainly is as capable a public speaker as Trump. Desantis has a line of bullshit down but nobody outside Florida is buying it yet...
If the gop nominates Trump, Biden wins his second term!
You betcha, fer sure! But that only works for awhile, until the voters figure out that your party can't live up to its promises, and gets weary of the lies and deceit.
But it won't nominate Trump, and that's why the Democrats are running scared.
The D nominee wins (it is not necessarily Biden although I am sorry to say that it looks like he will run again).
You seem to disregard Trump's ability to spoil the GOP nominee's opportunity to win in the general. That has been my biggest complaint ... that GOP members seem oblivious to the damage Trump continues to inflict on the party.
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I dont think DeSantis can beat Trump. Trump will squash him. Its dog eat dog political combat at some point and DeSantis cannot differentiate himself from Trump the way a Biden can. DeSantis will always look like Trump's little brother.
Despite what some people may think, I would not be worried if DeSantis gets the GOP nomination. He is an extremist with ties to Trump and MAGA that cannot be dissolved or explained away. The Democrats can beat him.
America will not get back to normal until trumpism is gone and DeSantis is not that guy.
Some people have something to say and others are just the peanut gallery of bitchers.
I can see why you think that. I am going to hold my predictions until I see DeSantis in the race and dealing with Trump.
If DeSantis wins the nomination, he will need to somehow mitigate the Trump spoiler ... that means he MUST win over most of the MAGA so that they do not stay home and pout. And if Trump runs third party, I suspect that would pretty much kill DeSantis' general election chances.
If Republicans nominate anyone besides Trump Biden will bow out sighting "health reasons" Trump is the only candidate Biden can beat, the democrats know it and they will force Biden out.
Mirror Mirror on the wall.
I think, at this point in time, if Biden want to run for a second term the Ds will support him. If we see the economy turn south again or something else major that affects the everyday lives of voters then that could indeed encourage the D party to seek another nominee.
You are making JR's point.