* Whether it’s taking on Disney or school districts or the Biden Administration, the manifestly obvious, overriding agenda for Gov. Ron DeSantis is to play up his cherry-picked appropriations of “liberty” and “freedom” and double down on his anti-“woke” brand. It’s about much more than his gubernatorial re-election; it’s about a way to take advantage of the Trumpian political energies still rippling throughout his base. It’s about DeSantis’ presidential hopes if 2024 legal scenarios–or a gobsmacking epiphany of right-wing nuts–thwart a Trump comeback. DeSantis already knows his way around the Fox News green room.
What’s particularly worrisome for America is that DeSantis could be more dangerous—and maybe even more loathsome–than Trump because he’s better educated, better informed and smarter. His prevarications, for example, aren’t a matter of pathology; they’re a matter of calculated self-interest. In short he knows better, but it doesn’t override ambition.
* “The state of Florida is the darling of every investor because of the beaches and leisure travel.”–Lou Plasencia, founder and CEO of the Plasencia Group, a hospitality sales and consulting service firm.