Ron DeSantis – Page 4 – Deep Left Field

Sunday evening on “60 Minutes,” Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis was exposed as having potentially broken the law and violated the oath of office he took when he was elected three years ago.

Specifically, CBS News reported that DeSantis allowed wealthy individuals from around the country to jump to the front of the line for COVID-19 vaccines in exchange for money:

“Florida’s rollout started pretty typically. The first doses were given to healthcare workers and nursing home residents in early December. But then, a few weeks later, Gov. Ron DeSantis, breaking from C.D.C. guidelines, announced he would not vaccinate teachers and essential workers next, but instead put ‘seniors first,’ making anyone 65 or over eligible for the vaccine, the first in the country to do that. DeSantis said seniors were at highest risk.”

Sounds good, huh? DeSantis promised he was going to prioritize senior citizens, but then he changed his mind when big money was waved at him:

“The private jets started arriving. Hollywood moguls, New York socialites and tourists from overseas were getting vaccinated in Florida, posting on social media and sparking outrage. Early on, there were no residency requirements to get vaccinated in the state.”

Says Mayor James of West Palm Beach: “But isn’t it funny that these mistakes only happen in communities that have that kind of wealth? They didn’t make a mistake and send a thousand doses to the poorest communities in our county?” https://t.co/gyrW9hYPTg

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 4, 2021

Can you imagine what the Department of Justice can do to DeSantis if it’s proven that he sold vaccinations to the highest bidder while others caught coronavirus and died? Between that and the wrongful death civil actions that will be filed, DeSantis could well be looking at leaving the state of Florida flat broke and himself under criminal indictment.

DeSantis was once considered a leading contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. But he’ll be lucky to get elected dog catcher now that this latest scandal has exposed his reckless actions.

There was a time not so long ago when Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis was seen by many in the GOP as a rising star who might even have a chance at one day becoming president of the United States.

But those days are long gone. DeSantis has repeatedly mishandled the COVID pandemic in his state, causing his support among senior citizens (a key voting block in the Sunshine State) to wane right as he’s gearing up to seek a second term in office next year.

And now more bad news has arrived for DeSantis in the form of a poll from St. Pete Polls which shows him running dead even with the likely Democratic nominee, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.

According to the poll — which was commissioned by Florida Politics — DeSantis looks vulnerable:

“The poll found the incumbent Republican Governor and the potential Democratic challenger both taking about 45% of the vote. A close look shows DeSantis winning 45.2% to Fried’s 44.6%, a difference far smaller than the survey’s 2.2% margin of error.
“The poll finds DeSantis holding 76% Republican support, while Fried has less than 72% among Democrats, showing the incumbent performing better with his own base. But 46% of independents favor Fried, compared to 42% who prefer DeSantis.”

In a closely divided state like Florida, independent voters are the key to winning, and they favor Fried, which is very bad news for DeSantis, who has also been an ardent and vocal supporter of failed, one-term former President Donald Trump. Trump is not seen positively in much of the country, especially among independent voters or the elderly. That raises a larger question: With Trump now calling Florida his home and holed up at Mar-a-Lago, could DeSantis’ connections to the former president be politically detrimental to him as he seeks reelection?

If Fried does indeed announce a run for governor and become the Democratic nominee, she would be a formidable opponent for DeSantis, whose popularity is falling.

Even though the 2022 election is still over a year and a half away, polls are clearly showing that DeSantis can be beaten. And given his own propensity for making the wrong decision no matter the issue, his popularity will likely continue to decrease.

Florida may be on the verge of turning blue. That’s very bad news for the entire Republican Party.