Ron DeSantis’ Magical Authoritarian Kingdom The impetus for DeSantis’s presidential candidacy is the belief that Trump is a liability, and a desire for a replacement who can marshal the same coalition more effectively. What DeSantis is building in Florida is his blueprint for the country. https://portside.org/2022-04-21/ron-desantis-magical-authoritarian-kingdom Some observers of Viktor Orban’s slowly tightening grip over Hungary have wondered what response would ensue if a sufficiently determined reactionary implemented the same methods here in the United States. Based on the evidence from Florida, where Ron DeSantis is test-driving his brand of “competent Trumpism,” the answer is, very little. After DeSantis signed an anti-gay measure, Disney issued a statement condemning it, and suspended its political donations, which had previously included generous support for DeSantis. In retaliation, DeSantis rushed through a measure targeting Disney’s legal status. He is establishing a new norms in Republican politics: Corporations that publicly question the party’s preferred policy, or withhold donations in protest, will be subject to discriminatory policy. If they enjoy favorable regulatory or tax treatment, they can continue to do so on the condition that they stay in the GOP’s political good graces. This is one way rulers like Orban and Putin hold power. It is a method that, until quite recently, would have been considered unthinkable in the United States. That bright line has been obliterated. Trump and DeSantis have now made it almost unremarkable. Here is how the New York Times reported DeSantis’s latest maneuver: “In a move widely seen as retaliation, Gov. Ron DeSantis asked Florida lawmakers on Tuesday to consider the ‘termination’ of self-governing privileges that Disney World has held in the Orlando area for 55 years.” A move widely seen as retaliation is quite a way to put it, given that DeSantis himself has advertised the measure as retaliation. DeSantis said he was “fighting back” against Disney. (“Fighting back” is a synonym for retaliation.) First he floated a completely different provision targeting Disney (a social-media carve-out he had designed himself) before turning to the current version. To make his intentions even more obvious, he appeared on Fox News to confess. Brian Kilmeade presented his intentions plainly: “You basically said, ‘Hey Disney, I don’t like your stance against this bill, this parents rights bill, so maybe we’ll go into revisit your special status in Florida.’ Do you want to expand on that?” DeSantis did not deny this. Instead he made a case on the merits for the retaliation, before saying, “Six months ago, it would have been unthinkable” that Republicans would have taken this step. The response from the conservative media has been more instructive. One foundation of DeSantis’s governing style is that he has calculated he does not need mainstream media at all. He can rely on support from party-controlled media to obtain sufficient public approval to meet his goals, and his non-party-controlled media as a punching bag. The conservative media has raised almost no objection to DeSantis’s thuggery. The Wall Street Journal editorial page, Washington Examiner, and Washington Times — all of which would be publishing front-page editorials calling protesters into the streets if a Democrat had tried something like this — have no commentary on it. Republican legal mind Hugh Hewitt approves. National Review has two stories, one approving, one disapproving. The latter is the only dissent I have seen in the conservative media. It is exceedingly mild. Its author, Charles C.W. Cooke, notes his overall support for DeSantis and the anti-gay measure, but chides him for “an ugly and ill-conceived mistake” they are undertaking “inexplicably,” given that the anti-gay law already passed. Cooke calls the move a “tantrum,” one serving no purpose at all. But of course there is a point to it. The point is to send a message to any other corporation that they will be punished by the state if they oppose DeSantis on anything. National Review’s opposing column supporting DeSantis’s retaliation makes that explicit: “These corporations assume that it’s still 2010, and that our genteel Marquess of Queensberry norms will prevent conservatives from retaliating against their many political campaigns and rhetorical posturing against us.” It seems the principle that the government should not coerce private firms into supporting the regime was devised by Marquess of Queensberry, who was probably a communist. In any case, it doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that the only conservative who publicly opposes DeSantis’s move is also the only one who doesn’t seem to be (or wish to be) aware of why he is doing it. The impetus for DeSantis’s presidential candidacy is the belief that Trump is a liability, and a desire for a replacement who can marshal the same coalition more effectively. What DeSantis is building in Florida is his blueprint for the country.
DeSantis' war on Disney is how autocrats —and some Republicans — handle critics https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/...d-some-republicans-handle-critics/9532770002/ Whatever people think of Florida’s new “Don’t say gay” law, a side debate should chill the spine of anyone who understands the dangers of abuse of government power in service to ideological fervor. Disney has had the audacity to oppose the law — to which Gov. Ron DeSantis has responded by threatening to hinder the entertainment company’s operations in Florida. It’s but one example of GOP extremists’ rejection of their own limited-government ethos in the party’s slide toward authoritarian thinking. The new law prohibits teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in ways that are not “age appropriate” for students. Critics say that standard is so vague that it will effectively scare educators away from any such discussion at all, even when it’s appropriate. The law itself is one debate. But DeSantis’ threats of official action against Disney for merely opposing him on a policy issue should strike any freedom-loving American as an outrageous and unacceptable infringement on free speech rights. In essence, DeSantis has announced that in punishment for Disney’s disobedience, he will change state statutes to remove long-standing benefits for the company, including limited autonomy from state laws within the confines of its storied Orlando theme park. DeSantis didn’t exactly put it that way, of course — instead, he claimed, implausibly, that he was shocked to recently discover (right after Disney opposed his legislation) that those decades-old benefits were in the law. But the message came across loud and clear: Nice little theme park ya got here. Shame if somethin’ was to happen to it. DeSantis is nurturing a brand of Trumpism without the incompetence, but he has certainly kept the thuggishness. His attack on Disney is reminiscent of then-President Donald Trump denying a Pentagon contract to Amazon to punish owner Jeff Bezos for unflattering coverage from The Washington Post, which Bezos also owns. This is how autocrats act — and DeSantis has clearly absorbed the lesson. Complicating matters is the fact that Disney, in addition to criticizing the law, has vowed to withhold future political contributions from state politicians, of which DeSantis himself was a significant beneficiary. So a governor is using his power to punish a company right after it announced it would stop giving him money. What could possibly look shady about that? In Missouri recently, Republican lawmakers seriously discussed making it illegal to even provide information to Missourians about abortion services in other states. At the height of the pandemic, multiple red states threatened privately owned businesses with government sanctions if they followed the advice of medical experts regarding precautions. And now Florida’s governor is using his official powers to strong-arm Mickey Mouse for ideological obedience. There are lots of words to describe the kind of governance this crowd seeks for America. “Conservative” isn’t among them.
Ron DeSantis' Immigration Crackdown Could Prove Costly A new directive could impose a hefty financial burden on state taxpayers and reduce community trust toward police. https://reason.com/2022/06/22/ron-desantis-immigration-crackdown-could-prove-costly/
DeSantis’ Authoritarian Impulses Align with His Campaign Donation Strategy https://grabien.com/story.php?id=375457
Florida’s new thought police law stirs echoes of authoritarianism https://lasvegassun.com/news/2021/jun/27/floridas-new-thought-police-law-stirs-echoes-of-au/
Ron DeSantis continually harps on parents rights --- then does not allow them to make health decisions for their children. Having the government impose the DeSantis administration views -- how authoritarian of him. Florida's vaccine stand infringes on parental rights https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story...nce-against-covid-vaccines-absurd/7687578001/ Leave it to Gov. Ron DeSantis to turn parental rights on its ear. The DeSantis administration intentionally missed the federal deadline to pre-order COVID vaccines for children five years and under, a healthcare policy that plays more to rabid anti-vaxxers and right-wing fanatics than to parents hoping to protect their children. "We're not going to have any programs where we're trying to jab six-month-old babies," he said this week, rationalizing an approach that can politely be called "dubious." Once again, Florida promoted its odd-duck character when it became the only state in the nation not to pre-order or distribute the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines. The decision has hindered what should be easy access to a drug approved by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physicians and hospitals that typically relied on the state's supply network for COVID vaccines have ordered them on their own, as have drug store chains. Supplies should become available, even as the state continues to drag its feet. The Governor's decision may not help parents but is consistent with the politics of turning coronavirus into a culture war issue. Gov. DeSantis and Dr. Joseph Ladapo, his choice for Florida's Surgeon General, have spent months fighting mask and vaccine mandates during the height of the pandemic, punishing local communities like Palm Beach County for taking measures that ran afoul of state mandates. They even refused to recommend COVID vaccines for healthy children, even though they remain susceptible to the virus. So, why should this latest decision be seen as a stretch? It shouldn't take a trip to Merriam-Webster to understand the important roles parents play in raising their offspring. No mom or dad worth their salt would ever pass on an opportunity to keep their young children safe from sickness or disease. Governments usually stand in the forefront of ensuring that parental right. Not so with this one. In this case, parental rights have become synonymous with government infringement, by conservatives who once wanted big government whittled down. "Gov. DeSantis" and "government infringement" now find themselves in the same sentence. How times have changed.
School board members shocked that they were pulled into DeSantis' promotion of his authoritarian regime. Can anyone name another example of a governor endorsing school board members in local races? School board members 'quite shocked' as they get sucked into DeSantis' complex political arena https://www.rawstory.com/school-boa...sucked-into-desantis-complex-political-arena/
Just weeks ago -- the re-election of Ron DeSantis in November as governor was a given -- now his missteps are laying the grounds for a Florida Democratic surge of support in the election. The most recent poll shows Charlie Crist up by a point over DeSantis. This also demonstrates why Authoritarian Ron is taking measures to undermine the fall election -- including his "election police". He is running scared of real democracy being part of elections. Surging in Polls Nationally, DeSantis Struggles at Home The Florida governor could find himself in a situation reminiscent of Jeb Bush, who had his presidential hopes quashed by losing a gubernatorial race in 1994. https://www.nysun.com/article/surging-in-polls-nationally-desantis-struggles-at-home Even as Governor DeSantis surges in polls pitting him against President Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, his Democratic gubernatorial challenger, Congressman Charlie Crist — a former governor himself — looks poised to give Mr. DeSantis a run for his money this fall in Florida. The most recent data suggest Mr. DeSantis is at risk of repeating history: In 1994 another conservative rising star, Jeb Bush, saw his momentum toward the Republican presidential nomination halted when he lost the Florida gubernatorial race. Early polling on the 2024 presidential primaries suggest Mr. DeSantis is beginning to pull ahead of Mr. Trump. A McLaughlin and Associates national poll released Friday showed Mr. DeSantis is the preferred presidential candidate of about 32 percent of Republicans compared to Mr. Trump’s 17 percent. “Trump slipping in pre-primary polls is part of a typical pattern," the director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, Andrew Smith, said. “A party’s losing candidate in the prior election is typically the best-known person in their party.” Polling in New Hampshire, a key early voting state, put Mr. DeSantis ahead of Mr. Trump as well: The Florida governor has 39 percent support to 37 percent for Mr. Trump among state Republicans, a recent University of New Hampshire poll shows. “As the primary gets closer, new candidates emerge and attract more media attention, and therefore more voter attention, than the losing candidate from the previous election,” Mr. Smith said. The New Hampshire numbers are a complete turnaround from a year ago, when Mr. Trump enjoyed a nearly 30-point lead. They also demonstrate Mr. DeSantis’s growing prominence on the national stage. A professor of political science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Brian Arbour, tells the Sun that Mr. DeSantis’s record as governor appears to be a boon for him electorally. “Between polarization and the national trend, Republicans are slight favorites in just about every swing-state race,” he said. “They’ve got some candidates I’m skeptical of, but DeSantis has a much better track record than some of the rest of them.” So far, Mr. DeSantis’s national prominence isn’t helping him much at home. The latest nonpartisan polling, conducted by the Political Matrix/the Listener Group in Florida, shows Mr. Crist up by about a point against Mr. DeSantis in a general election faceoff. Although that election is still months away, the results line up with what Mr. Arbour said he would expect: that voters are slightly favoring Mr. Crist rather than straddling the fence. “The biggest thing to look for would be, ‘Do the numbers for the Democrat go up?’” Mr. Arbour said. “If the undecideds are increasing, I think that’s soft DeSantis supporters and he should be able to get them back.” Mr. Arbour argues that some of the sagging support for Mr. DeSantis in Florida could be tied to his presidential aspirations, though he urges caution in hastily declaring Mr. Crist the frontrunner. “While there does seem to be some dislike for a governor or congressman facing more nationally than they do in their district or state, my guess is that it’s unlikely to hurt him that much in the end,” he said. Mr. DeSantis’s situation is reminiscent that of Mr. Bush in 1994, when Governor Chiles narrowly beat him. Mr Bush did go on to win another race for governor, in 1998, but his potential 1996 presidential bid was quashed. Although Mr. Bush has pushed back on the notion, many said at the time that he was the natural heir to the political legacy of his father, President George H. W. Bush. If the latest polling from Florida holds, Mr. DeSantis could find himself in the same situation as the younger Mr. Bush. The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics rates Florida as a “likely Republican” win in the 2022 gubernatorial race, a characterization that Mr. Arbour ultimately agrees with. “He’s in a swing state that’s more favorable to Republicans than the rest,” he said, noting national trends on voter enthusiasm. “Republicans are going to be more likely to vote than Democrats.”
So the impact of DeSantis's authoritarian move to boost people he views as personally loyal to him in local school board elections --- will likely ensure conservatives will lose the seats. Many of the existing conservative long-term school board members that DeSantis is trying to take out are much more aligned to his values of no-CRT, etc. What a complete fiasco -- but this is the chaos that authoritarians sow. DeSantis meddling in Florida school elections turning Republicans against each other https://www.rawstory.com/ron-desantis-school-board/ Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken an interest in local school board races in Florida, which has been pitting Republican against Republican in typically sleepy primary elections. Political committees with ties to Florida conservatives are pumping thousands of dollars to candidates who are campaigning against anti-racism lessons, pandemic safety measures, and other DeSantis priorities, which seems aimed at energizing parents ahead as the governor seeks re-election in November, reported Politico. “People are frustrated with the business-as-usual on these school boards,” said Christian Ziegler, vice chair of the Florida GOP and husband of a DeSantis-endorsed Sarasota County school board member. “Payback is coming in August." DeSantis and the state GOP are looking to defeat incumbent school officials and take control of school boards, even where Republicans are already serving. “I just don’t understand,” said Marta Pérez, a conservative who has served 24 years on the Miami-Dade County school board. “Because I have never had a conversation with the governor and he’s supporting someone whose agenda seems to be my agenda.” Pérez, who has put $100,000 of her own money into her race, said she was “very puzzled” to see the governor endorse challenger Monica Colucci, an elementary language arts teacher with 26 years of experience who has raised less than half of what her incumbent opponent has raised. “I know the challenges that parents are facing and teachers are facing day in and day out,” Colucci said. “You can be on a board for 24 years but if you’re not day to day facing the challenge yourself, you get a bit removed.” Although Pérez has a substantial fundraising lead, and conservative activists all over Florida are showering cash on school board races, she and other school board candidates around the country understand the governor's endorsement might be crucial in their primary races. “Funding for me is like I’m a pariah,” Pérez said. “I’m working like I’ve never worked in my life.”
DeSantis’ Collateral Damage? Floridians and Conservatism. Conservatives believe in small government and self-governance. Republicans like him believe in bullying and whatever they think their base wants. https://www.thedailybeast.com/desantis-collateral-damage-floridians-and-conservatism