Opening salvos for 2024: possible Biden v DeSantis. Both have plenty on the record for past votes, administration, and public statements. The question: will DeSantis's Florida record translate to winning public policies nationwide. Assuming public policy issues are the deciders and DeSantis is the GOP candidate, not Trump, we need to educate ourselves. Wikipedia (I know...it is a problematic site) did catalog DeSantis' record and footnoted sources. It is a beginning to start the conversation, however, as the matchup looks more and more possible. What grabbed me was the anti-women's choice on abortion history that DeSantis has of record that may sell well in Florida, but it was the public policy issue aside from saving democracy from autocracy that undercut the predicted red wave in 2022. Not in the Wikipedia article is where DeSantis stands on cutting Medicare and social security. At best, his record is squishy. Obviously, he has pussyfooted on this issue since most in his party want to privatize social security. Since there are so many retirees in Florida, he has been. making sure whatever he proposes does not change current policies for retirees and near-retirees. https://www.politifact.com/.../putnam-ad-exaggera-about.../
The most potentially explosive issue DeSantis brings to the table is his anti "woke" crusade and his rejection of teaching critical race theory. It has been a crusade of right wing southern white conservatives who think teaching history from the Black perspective is discriminatory and DeSantis has signed legislation banning such teachings in both K-12 and now in universities. Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Legislation to Protect Floridians from Discrimination and Woke Indoctrination (flgov.com) Who is he protecting? Who is he claiming is the victim of discrimination? It appears to me it is White people who are a majority in Florida. It certainly is not the African American minority. The implications of this are bound to hit a raw nerve outside of Florida in most quarters trying to be inclusive, who fear the violence of white nationalism, while it gains him strength from the white nationalist movement that had been supporting Trump. It is also disturbing that he supports the suppression of African American studies at the college level by advocating for and signing legislation that flies in the face of the first amendment that supports freedom of speech. In November 2022 a judge issued a temporary restraining order against enforcing the legislation aimed at colleges because of the freedom of speech restraints, calling it "positively dystopian". A federal judge blocks Florida's anti-'woke' law in universities : NPR
His anti-woke crusade is a position that will increase racial strife, not calm any waters.
Another controversial action was his support of "don't say gay" legislation.
Both these positions show his support of the use of legislation to control both thought and speech to conform with his ideology, Once again, this may be popular with the Trump wing of the GOP and it played well in Forida, but it could be a hot button issue when he takes his record of advocacy of "don't say gay" and anti woke legislation national.
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