FREAK OUT: Racist meltdown proves Ron DeSantis isn’t ready for prime time
The secret is out on Gov. Ron DeSantis.
His popularity hinged on protection from tough questions from people who have genuine concerns and disagreements.
His ratings plummeted when he had to venture out into the real world unguarded.
On Thursday, an Air Force veteran confronted the governor about whether his policies, which are stuffed with racial animosity, along with very loose gun laws, set up an environment where the race-based shooting in Jacksonville was inevitable.
“You have allowed people to hunt people like me,” the Black vet confronted the governor.
DeSantis recognized early on that the question was not coming from some fawning Floridian like Kayleigh McEnany but from someone with real concerns that his state is getting increasingly dangerous for people like the black veteran.
Despite the question’s legitimacy — it was only last weekend that white nationalist Nazis organized and marched in an area near Orlando, praising DeSantis, an event that DeSantis has yet to denounce — DeSantis’s anger was apparent only seconds into the question.
DeSantis repeatedly interrupted the man and used the “friendly crowd” to help drown out the question, freeing his inner ass to yell at a black citizen feeling legitimately terrified in Florida.
As you watch the video, note how DeSantis’s handlers move in as the conversation gets more heated, as if it is obvious that the man must leave after challenging and angering DeSantis.
Ron relies on a strictly controlled environment to appear normal. Everyone gets uncomfortable when challenged, but pay attention to how quickly DeSantis attacks this man.
DeSantis is not “defensive”. He is “aggressive” because it’s his only tool when challenged.
Report continues below video:
“You have allowed people to hunt people like me”:
A Black audience member gets into a back and forth with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) at a Jacksonville news conference after questioning state policies he says have led to violence against Black people. pic.twitter.com/7G99npsvZ8
— The Recount (@therecount) September 7, 2023
Atrocious.
I find it particularly important to note how quickly DeSantis starts to point at the man asking the question, and he continues to point at him in an incredibly aggressive manner. “Excuse me… ” he says angrily while pointing at him.
No one wants to be blamed for an act one didn’t commit, no doubt. But there are ways to win over both the person who asked the question and the audience.
The shooting was just two weeks ago.
DeSantis could have immediately bonded with the veteran by merely stating, “So soon after such a tragedy, I can understand why you feel threatened. Let’s talk about that.”
Now, the person asking the question would likely listen, hearing that his governor at least understands why someone might be angry and respects that anger.
DeSantis even had a legitimate point when saying that the shooter was supposed to have been flagged and involuntarily committed. But DeSantis made that point while aggressively pointing and yelling like a petulant child.
Had he said almost the exact same words but with sadness, still respecting the man’s anger and fear, DeSantis could’ve used the question to say, “And I’m angry that the system broke and allowed ‘our community’ (bond) to be attacked and I’m going to demand some answers from people… ” The crowd would have applauded that answer, too.
But DeSantis doesn’t have that club in his bag because he doesn’t have the character. He has one tool, anger, the hammer, and thus, every “problem” — like someone challenging him — becomes a nail, and that person gets hammered.
The secret is out. DeSantis “lost” the GOP primary because no one likes him. Floridians may have liked him enough, but, it is due in large part to the secret that DeSantis’s Floridian events have always been strictly controlled, and his people watch for media personalities who might challenge DeSantis — not rudely, but with a tough question.
It took a national campaign for the “secret” to get out.
One really wonders if DeSantis would win another term as governor right now.
More from Occupy Democrats: OPINION: Ron DeSantis just made my vote meaningless
I can be reached at jasonmiciak@gmail.com and on Twitter (X) @JasonMiciak.
Editor’s note: This is an opinion column that solely reflects the opinions of the author.
