Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis made it clear this week that she wholeheartedly supports the right-wing culture wars her husband Ron has made the centerpiece of his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, despite polls showing that such an approach is not the least bit popular with most voters.
Mrs. DeSantis even went so far as to launch what she calls “Mamas for DeSantis,” MSNBC’s Ja’han Jones reports.
Casey DeSantis, wife of Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is set to relaunch a group focused on portraying her husband as a friend to “mamas” everywhere, as his presidential campaign struggles with severe image problems.
She first launched “Mamas for DeSantis” — which appears to be a Moms for Liberty knockoff — to aid her husband’s gubernatorial re–election bid in 2022. At the time, Casey DeSantis claimed her goal was to sign up “a million mamas across the state of Florida.” She’s slated to relaunch the group at an Iowa campaign stop on Thursday — her first solo appearance on the campaign trail.
But as former Florida congressman David Jolly noted Saturday during an appearance on MSNBC, all Casey DeSantis is managing to do is reinforce why so many people will never cast a ballot for her husband.
“Casey DeSantis is a fairly compelling political figure in Florida and now nationally. For many, she’s the brighter side to Florida’s angry governor. For others, she’s become America’s Karen. And I think that’s the ultimate disconnect here with a campaign that needs to embrace more constituencies to get to the White House.”
Jolly added:
“Look, she is a more effective messenger than Ron DeSantis, but if all she is doing is amplifying the wrong message, she’s actually clarifying Ron DeSantis’ weaknesses. And so this, this ideology — the DeSantis doctrine, if you will — that our culture wars are the most pressing moments, and we are going to invent these culture wars to terrify voters? That’s simply not a message that resonates. So as I like to say, it doesn’t matter if it’s presented in heels or boots, the DeSantis doctrines are losing one. We’re gonna learn that the more Casey DeSantis gets out there.”
Conservative commentator Tara Setmayer echoed Jolly’s remarks.
“I called her, I called her this, you know, ‘Serena Waterford wannabe’ needs to cut it out. We see you. So there’s all kinds of names for her. She needs to stop trying to measure the drapes in the White House and think that she’s some kind of Jackie O. reincarnate. I mean, Casey DeSantis. Keep an eye on her though. She’s a wiley figure.”
Casey DeSantis is America’s Karen, and that’s one nickname that’s going to stick.