- Keep an eye on the press.
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Over the last few months, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been at the forefront of national news, even eclipsing President Biden and his old friend and confidant President Donald Trump. This came about through sweeping Florida legislation, some of which may seem rather insignificant on the surface, but of importance to his constituents.
To illustrate, consider some of the initiatives he signed into law within the last few months:
* He beefed up anti-riot laws, collectively known as the Combating Public Disorder Act (HB1). Florida may not have suffered the riots and destruction as other states experienced last year, but the Governor made it clear he would not tolerate it in Florida.
* He outlawed vaccination passports which came into being due to the Covid-19 epidemic and was perceived as a threat to personal freedom. Florida was one of the first to pass the law, which was followed by other states. Interestingly, the World Health Organization advised against the use of such passports for travel, citing ethics concerns.
* He banned transgender women from participating in women's school sports.
* He also banned teaching Critical Race Theory, a highly controversial subject as taught in Democrat-led states. DeSantis is also promoting teaching the U.S. Constitution in the classroom.
* He signed into law a moment of silence in the classroom at the start of the school day, thereby giving students a moment to meditate and pray if they so desire.
* The Governor signed a $101.5B budget for the state after vetoing $1.5B in perceived pork from it. he budget adequately supports education, workers, and other internal programs. Even Democrats supported it.
There is also legislation in the wings to take on Big Tech to protect privacy and freedom of speech issues for Floridians.
It is true a lot of this was driven by a GOP controlled state house, but DeSantis is perceived as its guiding light. Frankly, the people love him and applaud his efforts. Issues like the anti-transgender bill in women's sports and "a moment of silence" may seem irrelevant, but they are subjects that have been gnawing away at people in recent times and want this instituted as part of Florida's culture.
As a result, Governor DeSantis now overshadows his Democrat counterparts in other states, particularly New York, Michigan, Illinois, New Jersey and California. As the governor's popularity rises, so does the cause for alarm among Democrats. The governor is up for re-election in 2022, but the Democrats cannot seem to find a legitimate contender to unseat DeSantis, particularly former Governor (and former Republican) Charlie Crist. All of this means Governor DeSantis will soon come under attack by the news media as he is perceived as too large a threat. It will be interesting to see how they come after him. Undoubtedly, he will be misquoted and misrepresented by the press. However, DeSantis appears to be unflappable and is willing to push back when he is wronged by the media.
DeSantis is also not afraid to take on President Biden in an argument, as exemplified by the Covid-19 rollout shortly after Biden's inauguration in January.
Because of his popularity, people are hoping he will run in the 2024 national election, either as a presidential candidate or as the running mate for Donald Trump. Frankly, it is unlikely he will run against the former president as DeSantis regards Trump as his mentor who has likely offered advice to him as Governor.
In the CPAC straw vote for president held last February, Donald Trump was the top vote getter with Governor DeSantis in a solid number two position. Therefore, a Trump/DeSantis ticket would make sense and would probably be unstoppable. The only problem is, the Governor is loved in Florida and people will miss him, but if it is good for the country Floridians know it will be worth it, particularly in 2028 as Trump's successor.
Either way, there is no stopping Governor Ron DeSantis now. Get ready for the ride.
Keep the Faith!
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Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com
For Tim's columns, see: timbryce.com
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