Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, A Potential Front Runner?

 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appears to be emerging as a potential front runner for the GOP in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. His rise to the governorship in Florida had gone mostly unnoticed by anyone outside of Florida who was not an astute political observer. However, over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, DeSantis’ popularity, among both supporters and critics, has grown to become nation-wide. The governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, resisting the most stringent lockdown recommendations and rather focusing efforts on protecting the most vulnerable Florida residents, such as the elderly living in long-term care facilities, has drawn fire from critics and support from those opposed to stringent COVID-19 lockdowns. Critics cite his disregard for certain advice from public health officials, but supporters applaud him for his efforts to keep Florida as open as possible, allowing children to return to school sooner than most states and for preserving Florida’s businesses by permitting them to stay open. However, as DeSantis has grown in popularity, he has also caught the attention of the mainstream media who associate him with the divisive and brash former president, Donald Trump, who supported DeSantis’ campaign for governor. Just recently, perhaps in the most notable attack on DeSantis to date by the mainstream media, CBS’s 60 Minutes accused the governor of running a pay to play operation with popular Florida supermarket chain Publix. In a press conference, 60 Minutes reporter Sharyn Alfonsi accused DeSantis of favoring Publix for a contract to rollout the COVID-19 vaccine because Publix had donated to DeSantis’ campaign. 60 Minutes then cut out substantial and relevant portions of DeSantis’ answer, making it appear as though DeSantis had rudely and abruptly cut off the reporter and had avoided answering the question. In reality, the Governor provided a detailed answer of how and why Publix was chosen, only cutting the reporter off after she continued to accuse him of corruption. The obviously misleading cutting of DeSantis’ response by 60 Minutes was so egregious that even Democrat officials in Florida came to the governor’s defense. Democrat Mayor of Palm Beach, Dave Kerner, stated that “The reporting was not just based on bad information - it was intentionally false. I know this because I offered to provide my insight into Palm Beach County's vaccination efforts and 60 Minutes declined.” Another former Democrat state representative now serving as the director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, also criticized 60 Minutes’ accusation and depiction of the situation as “just absolute malarkey.”

          Obviously, the ire of the mainstream media has now turned to Governor DeSantis as he is rising in popularity and presents a threat to Democrat control of the White House is 2024. The 60 Minutes story will likely not be the last dishonest reporting targeted toward DeSantis as the election draws closer. DeSantis’ firm no-nonsense approach to the media is also likely not creating much warmth in his relationship with them. DeSantis’ brand is starting to be termed “competent Trumpism,” and if there is one thing we know the media will resist with all there power, it is a return of someone with the backbone of Trump but with intellect and self-control to boot.

Follow my Twitter for weekly updates and alerts for new blog post.