An 'angry, humiliated Ron DeSantis' is 'very bad news' for Florida: columnist
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign is sinking into oblivion – and that's filling Floridians with dread, columnist Fred Grimm writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
“Somehow, DeSantis has failed — so far — to captivate Republican voters despite his relentless exploitation of crafted-for-MAGA issues like race, abortion, immigration, guns, gender dysphoria, gay rights, drag queens, the Disney Company," Grimm wrote.
Grimm notes that despite DeSantis’ efforts to project a “tough guy” image of Trump without the baggage, MAGA voters are sticking with what they know.
“Poor Ron sold his soul for nothing," he said.
“It must seem so unfair to the governor. After all, he could have hardly been any meaner to transgender children or immigrant workers or Black voters. He even signed a flurry of death warrants, knowing how the Republican base loves executions.”
But, he said, the almost inevitable return of the governor's focus to Florida is "very bad news for the folks back home."
Grimm asserts that this “portends dark times for Florida. If DeSantis behaved so odiously while his career was on the upswing, what can we expect when the governor slouches back to Tallahassee as a sullen reject?
“Heaven help us. He’ll be governor until Jan. 5, 2027, and there’s no chance that an angry, humiliated Ron DeSantis will moderate his venomous ways.”
Grimm contends that a tanking campaign should give DeSantis pause, but is more likely to compel him to double-down on his expression of far-right views.
Grimm cites a recent video described as homophobic by fellow Republicans as an example of DeSantis doubling down on his anti-woke campaign.
Grimm writes “So be mindful. Our pissed-off loser-governor will be raging after anyone or anything with the faintest whiff of woke.”