Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis slammed the Biden administration during a press conference this week, warning that kids will “not go back in [this] school year” under the Biden administration’s current plans and “may not even go back in the fall.”
DeSantis specifically highlighted the newly released CDC guidelines for reopening schools. The Washington Post reported that the Biden administration’s new guidelines effectively would do away with full in-person learning for the foreseeable future, even as cases drop around the country, because to have full in-person learning the rates of community transmission would need to be “quite low,” which The Post notes does not exist almost anywhere in the U.S.
When you’re a sitting Governor, you don’t attack the President publicly unless you’re trying to make a name for yourself. And not only is he attacking the President, he’s touting his successes.
“We have been open, they will remain open and we are not turning back,” DeSantis continued. “We’ve been open the whole time since August. We had kids doing camps and athletics and all that over the summer. And we’ve been in person as much as anybody in the country. And yet, we’re 34 out of 50 states and DC for COVID-19 cases on a per capita basis for children. Thirty-three states have more cases per capita than than Florida, for children per capita.
Huh. I’m not the only one noticing.
Ron DeSantis Gets 2024 'Tier One' Designation From Party Insiders (pjmedia.com)
Politico spoke to Republican veterans across the country who give DeSantis a lot of runway going into 2024. Many say they hear his name in unexpected places, like Texas, where he seems to be gaining popularity. The author notes that he is probably popular with Republicans because he defies experts and spars with the media. A shallow assessment, to be sure.
DeSantis is gaining in popularity for several reasons. He has an authenticity about him that is not boorish. He can handle himself with the media, knowing when to crack a joke and when to get serious. DeSantis holds people accountable, like firing Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel after his failures during the Parkland shooting. He also defends Floridians by committing to taking on Big Tech to protect free speech and showing a willingness to take on the new administration when it threatened Florida with travel restrictions.
Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio, who worked for Trump and DeSantis, told Politico:
“Any serious handicapper would have to put DeSantis in tier one for 2024. And tier one is not big,” he said. Fabrizio puts the governor in the same class as Pence and Cruz, even though they’re far better known at the moment.
I’m not sure I would put Pence in tier one. He’d be a GOP Establishment pick, but he’s Jeb! all over again. I don’t think the base follows him, even if he was Trump’s VP. And whoever the candidate is in 2024, they will need the base. It won’t be a coronation. We learned that in 2016. Or at least I hope “we” learned it (talking to you, GOP Establishment—I certainly learned it).
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