The Miami Herald Editorial Board has published a haunting op-ed about what the next three years in Florida could be like under Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) now that he has dropped out of the Republican presidential race.
After what many consider an embarrassingly poor campaign performance, DeSantis still has three years left to govern Florida – and he has already made it clear that his insecurities will manifest in his intense desire for revenge and power.
Trump’s success means that being evangelical is now an ideological identity, not a theological one.
The Editorial Board was particularly disturbed by a muscle-flexing post from DeSantis on X in which he responded to Politico headline stating that some Republicans in Florida want taxpayers to cover Donald Trump’s legal bills – referring to a bill that would have allocated taxpayer money to do just that.
“But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen…” DeSantis wrote.
The editorial board pointed out that killing the “ludicrous bill” was the right decision, but that DeSantis did it for the wrong reasons: “revenge politics.”
“His response on social media seemed designed to snap back Florida legislators who might be disinclined to listen to a governor who once had an iron grip on lawmakers but is now a lame duck — though he has three more years to serve,” the board wrote, also pointing out that his threat worked. The sponsor of the bill withdrew it after the post on X – “a signal that legislators know they have to work with DeSantis for a long while still,” the board surmised.
DeSantis’s power play also came against Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who publicly supported the bill and also publicly supported Trump over DeSantis in the presidential race.
“It’s no secret that DeSantis can bear a grudge,” the Board noted. “His penchant for paybacks and vindictiveness is well known in Florida, with Disney as an example.”
The editorial concluded by lamenting that Florida is now stuck with “a wounded, grudge-bearing governor who is out to prove he still can exert power” and remains the home state of “an insurrectionist ex-president intent on revenge for losing the seat four years ago.”
“In other words, it leaves Floridians right in the cross-hairs, for three interminable years,” the board wrote.
“DeSantis ran a campaign that was a disaster from start to finish,” wrote LGBTQ Nation commentator John Gallagher. “His announcement on Twitter was a glitch-filled flop. Staffing changes and stories of infighting dogged the campaign. DeSantis’ strategy of capitalizing on a strong showing in Iowa began to erode almost from day one.”
But Gallagher also pointed out that “the biggest problem [with DeSantis’s campaign] was the candidate himself.”
I am an older gay guy in a long-term wonderful relationship. My spouse and I are in our 36th year together. I love politics and news. I enjoy civil discussions and have no taboo subjects. My pronouns are he / him / his and my email is Scottiestoybox@gmail.com
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2 thoughts on “Florida paper dreads three more years under a “wounded” & “grudge-bearing” Ron DeSantis”
Hi Scottie;
In Florida there was a law that required a government official to resign from their position in order to run for a different position. I hate to say it, but it was a Florida law that really made sense; you can’t do your job if you are spending all your time trying to get a different job. But our hero deSantis managed to get that law revised just before announcing his president bid. Interestingly enough, all the really spectacular bullshit he pulled was just before, during, and after that revision of the law. Go Figure. But, tell me again how he’s going to be a whiny pain in the ass now that he got said ass handed to him?
Hi Randy. Oh so true. Just like the federal congress / senate that refused to convict TFG because they did not want the political consequences and so kept saying let the civil justice system take care of it. Now that the civil justice system is, they are screaming bloody murder how unfair it is while most of the old stream republicans hope desperately that TFG would go away.
The Florida state legislature had a way to be rid of DeathSantis who they knew fully who he was, just like the federal Senate knew who TFG was. But they were too busy being them on their knees to the republican strongman, or they would have seen the future.
All they had to do is look at tRump, who basically created the idea of being the constant victim strongman who takes revenge on everyone he even thinks ever slighted him.
DeathSantis is going to use the next three years to be as vicious as possible to anyone who disagrees with him, to any modern social standards in hopes that it will rekindle his next run for higher office. He will attack any republican that doesn’t support his agenda 1000% and he will triple down on trying to return the state of Florida to the 1940 / 1950s with massive hate campaigns against the LGBTQIA, blacks, and anything considered progressive in schools, businesses, and especially in the state government.
But Randy … And everyone else. Here is the thing to watch. Already the state legislature has been standing up to DeathSantis showing they don’t fear him as they once did. Plus the majority of the state has woken up and is more progressive than oppressive, so they are taking back school boards and even winning state legislature seats.
See when Republicans were just super pro business it was acceptable, but when republicans went for these people’s kids, for their movies, for their entertainment, went for their personal lives … They have become activated and getting involved. The republican fundamentalist Christians far overreached, they snuck into the school boards and into the state legislatures, but the majority of the people don’t like what they are pushing, even in red Florida. If they had gone slower, but they went whole hog, the entire thing right away because they understood the majority doesn’t support their regressive oppressive revert to the 1950s ideals.
So here we are the majority struggling to undo what the minority forced through when no one was looking. But the good news is people were looking at what affected them and reacted, so the minority fundies did not get their entire agenda enacted, and their golden child DeathSantis got his ass handed to him, and had to run home.
If the republicans had any sense, they would see just how unpopular they are and change their ideas. But far too many of them are “god” driven so that is not anything they can do. The Republican Party is dying. Their ideas are so unpopular to the majority that they have to do everything they can to win elections, gerrymandering, lie, cheat, and often run third party or ghost candidates. All because what they want is so unwanted by the majority. That should be a wake-up call. But it is not. Hugs, and loves Randy. Thanks for the comment. Scottie
Ron DeSantisPhoto: Shutterstock
Scottie's Playtime 
Hi Scottie;
In Florida there was a law that required a government official to resign from their position in order to run for a different position. I hate to say it, but it was a Florida law that really made sense; you can’t do your job if you are spending all your time trying to get a different job. But our hero deSantis managed to get that law revised just before announcing his president bid. Interestingly enough, all the really spectacular bullshit he pulled was just before, during, and after that revision of the law. Go Figure. But, tell me again how he’s going to be a whiny pain in the ass now that he got said ass handed to him?
Hugs;
randy
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Hi Randy. Oh so true. Just like the federal congress / senate that refused to convict TFG because they did not want the political consequences and so kept saying let the civil justice system take care of it. Now that the civil justice system is, they are screaming bloody murder how unfair it is while most of the old stream republicans hope desperately that TFG would go away.
The Florida state legislature had a way to be rid of DeathSantis who they knew fully who he was, just like the federal Senate knew who TFG was. But they were too busy being them on their knees to the republican strongman, or they would have seen the future.
All they had to do is look at tRump, who basically created the idea of being the constant victim strongman who takes revenge on everyone he even thinks ever slighted him.
DeathSantis is going to use the next three years to be as vicious as possible to anyone who disagrees with him, to any modern social standards in hopes that it will rekindle his next run for higher office. He will attack any republican that doesn’t support his agenda 1000% and he will triple down on trying to return the state of Florida to the 1940 / 1950s with massive hate campaigns against the LGBTQIA, blacks, and anything considered progressive in schools, businesses, and especially in the state government.
But Randy … And everyone else. Here is the thing to watch. Already the state legislature has been standing up to DeathSantis showing they don’t fear him as they once did. Plus the majority of the state has woken up and is more progressive than oppressive, so they are taking back school boards and even winning state legislature seats.
See when Republicans were just super pro business it was acceptable, but when republicans went for these people’s kids, for their movies, for their entertainment, went for their personal lives … They have become activated and getting involved. The republican fundamentalist Christians far overreached, they snuck into the school boards and into the state legislatures, but the majority of the people don’t like what they are pushing, even in red Florida. If they had gone slower, but they went whole hog, the entire thing right away because they understood the majority doesn’t support their regressive oppressive revert to the 1950s ideals.
So here we are the majority struggling to undo what the minority forced through when no one was looking. But the good news is people were looking at what affected them and reacted, so the minority fundies did not get their entire agenda enacted, and their golden child DeathSantis got his ass handed to him, and had to run home.
If the republicans had any sense, they would see just how unpopular they are and change their ideas. But far too many of them are “god” driven so that is not anything they can do. The Republican Party is dying. Their ideas are so unpopular to the majority that they have to do everything they can to win elections, gerrymandering, lie, cheat, and often run third party or ghost candidates. All because what they want is so unwanted by the majority. That should be a wake-up call. But it is not. Hugs, and loves Randy. Thanks for the comment. Scottie
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