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Opinion Beware, DeSantis is as much a threat to America as Trump

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
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at to America as Trump​

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By Jennifer Rubin
Columnist |
November 21, 2022 at 7:45 a.m. EST



If you believe Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis would be a less dangerous presidential candidate than former president Donald Trump, take a moment to consider the recent ruling striking down DeSantis’s “Stop WOKE Act.” That opinion — as well as other rulings against his attempts to inhibit dissent — makes clear that DeSantis is just as willing as Trump to embrace the GOP’s authoritarian element and use state power to punish his enemies.


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To recap, the Stop WOKE Act — also perversely known as the Individual Freedom Act — is the Orwellian scheme that DeSantis signed into law earlier this year to muzzle the candid discussion of race and racism in classrooms and the workplace. As U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker explains in his opinion, “The law officially bans professors from expressing disfavored viewpoints in university classrooms while permitting unfettered expression of the opposite viewpoints.” He dryly continued, “Defendants argue that, under this Act, professors enjoy ‘academic freedom’ so long as they express only those viewpoints of which the State approves.”
DeSantis, in attempting to curtail the discussion of political positions of which he disapproves, followed in a long line of authoritarians who have attempted to paint dissent as dangerous and, therefore, unprotected.







The law, for example, bars discussion of the concept that a person “by virtue of his or her race, color, national origin, or sex should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment to achieve diversity, equity, or inclusion.” During oral arguments, when asked if this would bar professors from supporting affirmative action in classroom settings, attorneys for the state government answered, “Your Honor, yes.”
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Walker cited that admission, finding:
Thus, Defendants assert the idea of affirmative action is so “repugnant” that instructors can no longer express approval of affirmative action as an idea worthy of merit during class instruction. … What does this mean in practical terms? Assuming the University of Florida Levin College of Law decided to invite Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to speak to a class of law students, she would be unable to offer this poignant reflection about her own lived experience, because it endorses affirmative action.
The law so blatantly violates the concept of free speech that one wonders if remedial constitutional education should be a requirement for Florida officeholders.
Walker tore into DeSantis and the GOP legislature, holding that the law “is antithetical to academic freedom and has cast a leaden pall of orthodoxy over Florida’s state universities.” He declined to mince words: “In this case, the State of Florida lays the cornerstone of its own Ministry of Truth under the guise of the Individual Freedom Act, declaring which viewpoints shall be orthodox and which shall be verboten in its university classrooms,” he wrote. “The First Amendment does not permit the State of Florida to muzzle its university professors, impose its own orthodoxy of viewpoints, and cast us all into the dark.”



That is the essence of authoritarianism. DeSantis’s willingness to back such a monstrous violation of free expression should send up warning flags about his commitment to uphold the Constitution.
Walker is the same judge who struck down another DeSantis assault on the First Amendment — his vague anti-riot law to quell demonstrations. In that opinion, Walker recalled, “In 1956 and 1961, Florida’s anti-riot laws were used to suppress activities threatening the state’s Jim Crow status quo.” DeSantis apparently considered such efforts commendable.
“What’s past is prologue,” Walker wrote. “Now this Court is faced with a new definition of ‘riot’ — one that the Florida Legislature created following a summer of nationwide protest for racial justice, against police violence and the murder of George Floyd and many other people of color, and in support of the powerful statement that Black lives matter.” He added, “The question before this Court is whether the new definition is constitutional.” Spoiler alert: It’s not, just as Jim Crow-era laws to prevent civil rights demonstrations were not constitutional.






As the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida explained, the anti-riot law “risks criminalizing peaceful protest and shields those who injure or kill protesters — for example, by ramming their vehicles into protesters — from civil penalties.” DeSantis all but admitted as such when he boasted the measure was “the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country” and vowed that “a ton of bricks [will] rain down on” those who violate it.
DeSantis seems to have no fondness for the basic rights our Constitution confers on Americans. Instead, he delights in using state power to demonstrate his contempt for the expression of views he dislikes. This forms the core of his political brand, underscored by his “don’t say gay” law, his statute banning “critical race theory” in schools and his firing of a county prosecutor who criticized his abortion policies. DeSantis has also regularly flexed his power as governor: excluding media from events, taking public proceedings behind closed doors (including the selection of the University of Florida’s president) and exacting revenge on supposedly woke corporations such as Disney.
DeSantis’s contempt for dissent and his crackdown on critics should not be discounted. This is the profile of a constitutional ignoramus, a bully and a strongman. Voters should be forewarned.

 
And and there it is. Stick your dumbass head in the sand, Bin. Because pride. Your prideful SOB.

DeSantis does so much shit, openly, that is truly concerning regarding the use of power, and the levering towards greater consolidation of power. Y’all were all scare of butteremails, thinking this is who she was/is… but her record doesn’t show anything of the sort of the type of shit Ron does.

Y’all really do want some tinpot wannabe dictator types running shit. Freaking crazy. Ron may not be as outwardly insecure small-dick syndrome as Don, but, man, there’s a lot of similar psychosis on display.
 
Nah. He might have aspirations but he doesn't have the cult of personality to be as dangerous as trump. Other than ihhawk...

I agree with this. He’s just too…I don’t know what the word is…smarmy(?) to be the cult leader Trump is. Cancun Ted kind of has the same thing. I just can’t put my finger on it.

Sure, there are a few like @ihhawk that have a serious man crush on the guy, but he’s not going to get the masses roped in like that.
 
Y’all were all scare of butteremails, thinking this is who she was/is… but her record doesn’t show anything of the sort of the type of shit Ron does.
She never saw a war she didn’t like, or thought the US should sit out.
Her ‘record’ of dragging the US into multiple wars should be disqualifying on its own.

Did you watch that clip posted here recently of her and Condi extolling the virtues of nation building to Jon Stewart?
 
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Same shit different candidate. There's not a candidate the gop could nominate the dems won't anoint the next Hitler, so instead of worrying about it, the gop just needs to nominate someone who can win. DeSantis is likely that guy.

I forgot, when was the last Dem candidate the MAG-turds didn’t frame as a baby killing, gun grabbing, Obama-phone giving, socialist happen?

I actually agree with your sentiment and the height of my disgust was when they did it to Romney.

But the lack of self awareness that this isn’t a two player game is silly.
 
I agree with this. He’s just too…I don’t know what the word is…smarmy(?) to be the cult leader Trump is. Cancun Ted kind of has the same thing. I just can’t put my finger on it.

Sure, there are a few like @ihhawk that have a serious man crush on the guy, but he’s not going to get the masses roped in like that.
There is a reason he murdered Christ. Phenomenal leader.

Ron 2024
 
And and there it is. Stick your dumbass head in the sand, Bin. Because pride. Your prideful SOB.

DeSantis does so much shit, openly, that is truly concerning regarding the use of power, and the levering towards greater consolidation of power. Y’all were all scare of butteremails, thinking this is who she was/is… but her record doesn’t show anything of the sort of the type of shit Ron does.

Y’all really do want some tinpot wannabe dictator types running shit. Freaking crazy. Ron may not be as outwardly insecure small-dick syndrome as Don, but, man, there’s a lot of similar psychosis on display.
I feel like I need to get a restraining order or something :)
 
He's not as dangerous as Trump. I'm no fan of the laws ment to target those who dare to disagree with him, and it very much is in line with Trump's petty politics.

But Trump tried to steal an election and projected it the whole time. Tried investigating for voter fraud in 2016 because he didn't win by enough and came out in 2020 saying he would only accept the results of the election if he won.

DeSantis hasn't done anything like that as of yet.

He's also a good deal smarter than Trump too.

So no he's not as dangerous as Trump. Democrats cheapen their own words by saying so.

Again the petty politics the Republicans use are dangerous overall. But Trump would do the same stuff and there are a lot of aspects about DeSantis that are better for America than Trump. The main one would be he hasn't really projected attempts to steal elections.
 
The only reason RDS gets pub is because of how bad the other option is.

RDS is young enough that 2024 does not have to be his year.

Actually gives him 4+ years for fundraising.
 
The only reason RDS gets pub is because of how bad the other option is.

RDS is young enough that 2024 does not have to be his year.

Actually gives him 4+ years for fundraising.

True but the issue when you are looking at running for president is that you have to keep yourself in the news.

Trump makes the news easily but RDS can't do that so easily. So Ron is governor of FL from now to 2026. Problem is if he skips this election he then has to look at running in 2028. Ron has to find a way to keep himself in the news from 2026 to 2028.

Also some polls are coming out putting RDS ahead of Trump. If that remains the case I can't see him not taking advantage of it and running.

His biggest problem is if Trump runs as an independent because his ego wouldn't let the Republicans go un-punished for snubbing him.
 
He's not as dangerous as Trump. I'm no fan of the laws ment to target those who dare to disagree with him, and it very much is in line with Trump's petty politics.

But Trump tried to steal an election and projected it the whole time. Tried investigating for voter fraud in 2016 because he didn't win by enough and came out in 2020 saying he would only accept the results of the election if he won.

DeSantis hasn't done anything like that as of yet.

He's also a good deal smarter than Trump too.

So no he's not as dangerous as Trump. Democrats cheapen their own words by saying so.

Again the petty politics the Republicans use are dangerous overall. But Trump would do the same stuff and there are a lot of aspects about DeSantis that are better for America than Trump. The main one would be he hasn't really projected attempts to steal elections.
He paraded arrestees of “voter fraud” publicly. Pretty authoritarian stunt, there. That, alone, should tell you a lot. Even Trump/Kris Kobach didn’t do shit like that.
 
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You forgot Romney and his binders.

Yep,.. Doesn't matter who it is, the current Republican poll leader will always be the devil, and the current Republican dem sympathizer will always be a saint,.. Mitt has played both roles.
 
He's not as dangerous as Trump. I'm no fan of the laws ment to target those who dare to disagree with him, and it very much is in line with Trump's petty politics.

But Trump tried to steal an election and projected it the whole time. Tried investigating for voter fraud in 2016 because he didn't win by enough and came out in 2020 saying he would only accept the results of the election if he won.

DeSantis hasn't done anything like that as of yet.

He's also a good deal smarter than Trump too.

So no he's not as dangerous as Trump. Democrats cheapen their own words by saying so.

Again the petty politics the Republicans use are dangerous overall. But Trump would do the same stuff and there are a lot of aspects about DeSantis that are better for America than Trump. The main one would be he hasn't really projected attempts to steal elections.
I look at how the man speaks to others and how he responds to challenges on issues. I have zero trust in him...no more than I have trust in my governor.
 
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Same shit different candidate. There's not a candidate the gop could nominate the dems won't anoint the next Hitler, so instead of worrying about it, the gop just needs to nominate someone who can win. DeSantis is likely that guy.
Agree with everything you said except the last sentence. I hope that’s not the case, but I’m not holding my breath and we’ll probably end up with another Biden/Hillary/Trump crap show.
 
California, Michigan, New York

You are so brainwashed, Murdoch must be so proud

Here are the 10 states with the highest prison populations:

Texas - 135,906 Prisoners (2020)
California - 97,328 Prisoners (2020)
Florida - 81,027 Prisoners (2020)
Georgia - 47,141 Prisoners (2020)
Ohio - 45,036 Prisoners (2020)
Pennsylvania - 39,357 Prisoners (2020)
Arizona - 37,731 Prisoners (2020)
New York - 34,128 Prisoners (2020)
Michigan - 33,617 Prisoners (2020)
Virginia - 31,838 Prisoners (2020)
 
You are so brainwashed, Murdoch must be so proud

Here are the 10 states with the highest prison populations:

Texas - 135,906 Prisoners (2020)
California - 97,328 Prisoners (2020)
Florida - 81,027 Prisoners (2020)
Georgia - 47,141 Prisoners (2020)
Ohio - 45,036 Prisoners (2020)
Pennsylvania - 39,357 Prisoners (2020)
Arizona - 37,731 Prisoners (2020)
New York - 34,128 Prisoners (2020)
Michigan - 33,617 Prisoners (2020)
Virginia - 31,838 Prisoners (2020)
Well thanks for posting prison numbers for no reason.
 
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