Not so long ago, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was seen as a legitimate contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, one of the rising GOP stars who even had the blessings of failed, one-term former President Donald Trump.
But that was before COVID-19 hit and DeSantis mishandled the pandemic in the Sunshine State. Seniors began dying by the tens of thousands and the Florida governor allegedly sold vaccines for the deadly disease to the highest bidder as elderly Floridians struggled to take their next breath.
MSNBC host Joy Reid noted recently that DeSantis is in one hell of a pickle, especially since his newly-announced lax health standards are scaring away businesses, most notably the cruise ship industry, which is a major financial force in Florida. Here’s what Reid posted on Twitter:
DeSantis recently signed a very harsh voter suppression bill, but while he’s counting on that to keep minority participation in the 2022 election down, the courts still have to weigh in on the matter, and voters could be angry enough to send the Florida GOP a loud message about what happens when you try to take away people’s right to cast a ballot.
Granted, DeSantis is the incumbent, and that’s a major advantage in any election. But as we saw in 2020, an unpopular incumbent president can indeed lose an election.
