Democrats don’t seem to realize how much they are helping Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other prominent Republican politicians. In fact, their tendency to melt down whenever he cuts a wet fart has done wonders for his political standing.
In a political environment in which Democrats have not accomplished much in the way of meaningful legislation or policy, they have resorted to deflecting from their failures by constantly pointing and screaming at Republicans. The Washington Examiner noted:
The White House’s public clashes with prominent Republicans risk elevating 2024 GOP presidential contenders.
But the political mudslinging also benefits President Joe Biden and Democrats before the 2022 midterm elections and the next presidential cycle.
Republican strategist Doug Heye told the Examiner that this is “mutually beneficial” because Democrats are “demoralized and depressed.”
President Joe Biden’s performance in the White House has been an utter disaster. He has failed to deliver viable solutions to issues like inflation, the migrant crisis, Ukraine, and other problems Americans are facing. His botched withdrawal from Afghanistan isn’t helping him either, and all of these issues are being reflected in his horrible approval ratings. It is not surprising that he and the rest of the Democrats are looking for political squirrels with which to distract the public.
“So how do you rally the Democratic base? You do so with Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz and everyone else down that line,” Heye said. “It helps you raise money, and it helps identify a political opponent in a way that can help rally the base.”
The Republicans can then point to Biden, White House aides, or the Democratic National Committee and say, “They’re scared of me,” He added.
Other than former President Donald Trump, there is no Republican politician who has benefitted from the Democrats’ hysteria than Gov. DeSantis. Over the past year, he has established himself as the left’s worst nightmare and positioned himself for a potential White House bid – especially if Trump decides not to run. Indeed, the left-wing chattering class has had DeSantis on the mind for quite a while.
From the Washington Examiner:
At the same time, Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis has become the prime political foil for the White House after former President Donald Trump, mentioned by staff and reporters by name in approximately 28 press briefings and three gaggles, which are more informal Q&A sessions, since the start of the Biden administration, according to a Washington Examiner analysis of transcripts.
A close second is Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, whose name was mentioned in “26 briefings, four gaggles, and even a statement issued by White House press secretary Jen Psaki last week,” according to the report.
White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre chimed in on the ongoing feud between DeSantis and Disney. She took issue with his decision to strip the company of its self-governing status because it criticized the Parental Rights in Education law.
“It’s wrong. That’s our view,” she argued. “We oppose the governor taking action against a company because [of] their opposition to that bill.”
But DeSantis’ clash with Disney is only the latest kerfuffle that has rankled feathers on the left. The fact that he championed the parental rights law, which prohibits teachers from instructing children younger than seven years old on sexuality and gender identity, also enraged the progressive crowd, which claimed the legislation was discriminatory against members of the LGBTQ community. Leftists dubbed it the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” in the hopes of deceiving the public into thinking it was about LGBTQ individuals.
DeSantis has also been a vocal critic of concepts related to Critical Race Theory (CRT) being introduced in the K-12 public school system. Earlier this week, he signed the Stop WOKE Act, which is designed to prevent teachers from presenting far-leftist progressive ideas on race to children. This move garnered criticism from all over the progressive spectrum.
To put it simply, Democrats have made DeSantis the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination if Trump calls it quits. Indeed, they are terrified of him, and they aren’t concealing their fear very effectively. It makes sense, given that he is a more politically-savvy version of the former president. He has eagerly adopted a more pugnacious attitude towards Democrats, and their close friends and allies in the activist media. He has Trump’s strengths, but not his weaknesses.
Unfortunately for the left, they don’t seem to realize they are the primary ones elevating him. By using him as their foil, they are ensuring he will become the right’s next anointed one. Even if he does not run in 2024, DeSantis will have an even better chance of winning in 2028 — assuming no other prominent figure emerges in the GOP.
As it stands currently, DeSantis is on track to become the leader of the party, and he owes much of his popularity to the left. Perhaps when he’s sitting in the Oval Office, he could send a fruit basket and thank-you card to the left-wing media outlets that helped him get there.
