If you want to know how to move forward in Republican politics today, look no further than Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Whether it’s enacting a controversial policy or managing a natural disaster, DeSantis – unlike Donald Trump – is efficient, disciplined and effective. The only problem? This is not what his fan base is demanding. So it gives them a lot of culture war work as well.
Consider his recent handling of Hurricane Ian as a prime example of how DeSantis treads that tightrope brilliantly.
“What really amazes me, in part, about DeSantis’ response is that he really leans into the bureaucratic administrative part of this, not so much into people-pleasing and [the] Kind of a softer side to post-storm leadership that you often see from lawmakers.” CNN’s Abby Philippe said: earlier this week.
TRUE. A gentle governor would not play well in a Republican Party today who does not prioritize kindness and meekness. Still, DeSantis looks professional, which is a big move from Trump. “Mr. President, welcome to Florida. We appreciate working together across various levels of government,” DeSantis told Joe Biden at a joint appearance in Florida on Wednesday.
To his credit, Joe Biden said DeSantis “did a good job” and that his response was “pretty cool.”
The two men said all the right words, and their unity was refreshing, especially four years after Trump. However, DeSantis’ body language toward Biden wasn’t exactly warm. I would rank it with William and Harry walk behind Queen Elizabeth’s coffin. Respectful but routine.
“A gentle governor would not play well in a Republican Party today who does not prioritize kindness and meekness.“
In this regard, he did not He’s making the same political mistake that then-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie made when he was continuing Praise grows for Barack Obama’s handling of Hurricane Sandyjust days before the 2012 presidential election. (Many Republican voters have never forgiven Christie for her spirited collaboration with a Democratic president who was about to be re-elected, even if it was for natural disaster relief for his devastated state. This is blood sport politics, after all.) .
Speaking of Sandy, it has been noted that DeSantis Vote against funding for Hurricane Sandybut now Asking for Federal Funding for Hurricane Ian. Hypocrites are located equally on both sides of the aisle; The list of Republicans includes disaster financing, but that shouldn’t surprise us. In today’s Republican Party, no one will be drowned out by hypocrisy (see How the GOP is embracing Herschel Walker, amid allegations he paid for an abortion). Moreover, in today’s most popular Republican Party, taking government money is no longer a fundamental sin – as long as that money supports truly People.
It would be the biggest mistake to get caught lavishing too much praise on Biden or to look weak hugging him. And no, you won’t DeSantis who – which Error.
On the other hand, DeSantis couldn’t exactly stand in front of the cameras and thanked Joe Biden for his work one minute and then beat him up the next. That would seem cowardly. So what is the alternative?
Hurricane Ron blew. To maintain an appropriate balance between competence and the demagogic culture of war, DeSantis will have to engage a different objective: The media. And he hit that target even before he appeared on stage with Biden.
DeSantis claimed that “Quite frankly, you have National System media… they wanted to see Tampa, because they thought it would be worse for Florida. That’s how these people think.”
They want to use the storms and the devastation from the storms as a way to advance their agenda. They do not care about any destruction in their wake. They don’t care about life here. If they can use it to pursue their political agenda, they will do so,” Follow DeSantis.
These words were irresponsible and dangerous. But I doubt DeSantis said what he did, at least in part, because the victim and grievance rhetoric is De Rigoire An ambitious Republican politician who wants to reach the top.
Sure, politicians have always had to pander, but what tells us is how pimping has changed. Paul used to kiss children. But DeSantis, to paraphrase something conservative writer David Froome told me, punch them (figuratively, of course).
Hey, Don’t hate the player, hate the game. DeSantis is merely a response to perverse incentives that are deeply rooted in the political culture of the Republican Party.
I’m not suggesting that DeSantis doesn’t summon his inner idiot. But I recently spoke to a former member of Congress who worked with DeSantis for a few years and couldn’t remember a single time he said a word at a committee meeting. DeSantis was, according to memory, nonexistent.
To the extent that all of this is accounted for, DeSantis’ strategy reminds me of actor George Clooney, who was famous for “One for them, one for me“A movie roles approach. For every big studio production, yes,” Clooney says, he’s gaining influence to make a smaller movie he loves.
In Florida, DeSantis appears to be taking a similar path (and yielding even greater successes than Clooney). He must prove to standards like me that he is competent and sane, but at the same time indicates to MAGA that he is a fighter who hates their enemies.
I don’t know how much of this is for display, but I doubt very much. Performance honors are the only way a non-crazy Republican can reach the top in the Republican Party today. Any example of competent judgment must be balanced by some contradictory evidence of cuteness or insanity.
So it’s one for them, and one for me.
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