'This is how a state should be governed': Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis talks Biden, leadership, midterms
DeSantis pointed out that the Republicans had 300,000 fewer voters in 2018 when he was elected to lead, but now, 'Florida Republicans now outnumber Democrats by over 100,000 registrants.'
Speaking to Fox News Radio host Guy Benson on Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis brought the hammer down on President Joe Biden, referring to the geriatric commander-in-chief as a “doddering, quasi-senile president who has to have his press team clean up his remarks after every time he opens his mouth versus somebody like me who’s out there — I’m very direct, I say what I mean, I mean what I say, I lead and I get things done.”
Speaking to Benson, the governor pointed out that the Republicans had 300,000 fewer voters in 2018 when he was elected to lead, but now, “Florida Republicans now outnumber Democrats by over 100,000 registrants.”
“So you’re looking at close to a 400,000-registration swing,” DeSantis stated, remarking on the positive prospects of his re-election.
“And the thing is, I thought we could catch them by my election at the end of this year, in November,” he added. “We caught them in November of 2021. And so then I’m like, man, maybe we’ll be 50,000 to 100,000 up by the election. We’re already at 100,000. So at this pace, we could be 200,000 to 250,000 registrants ahead. “
On the subject of the upcoming 2024 presidential election, DeSantis said: “And I think here’s why it matters for elections in Florida, mid-term elections for sure but even presidential. Registered Republicans turn out at higher rates than registered Democrats. And then a Republican like me, I’m going to get a higher percentage of registered Republicans than the Democrats will get of registered Democrats.”
“You know we still have legacy Democrats who are — who are pretty conservative. And so, functionally it used to be Democrats outnumbered us, we had a turnout advantage, and then you’d kind of fight in the middle. That was why Florida was really a swing state. Well, now, we have a — we’re building a big registration advantage and the turnout advantage. And then I think this —,” he continued, prompting Benson to point out that DeSantis was leading among independents.
Noting that DeSantis won by a mere 40,000 votes in 2018, and his predecessor Rick Scott by 1% before him in 2014, Benson asked the governor what he thought counted as a “blowout” in Florida.
“Oh, who knows … Florida’s a tough state,” DeSantis answered. It’s always a tough state to kind of get your — because there’s many moving parts. And we’ve always been a transient state. But I think now, being able to capture such a rapid change — and it is an ideological migration that is skewing very heavily to Republicans. Like, we don’t really know.”
“Is this state — is your leadership in this state a model, do you think, for other Republicans around the country at the state level and maybe nationally?” Benson asked.
“Well, I certainly think we’ve been willing to lead with purpose and conviction without worrying about whether it was safe to lead or not. Like, I have not conducted a single poll since I’ve been governor. I just do what I think is right,” DeSantis replied.
When asked, DeSantis told Benson that he doesn’t use focus groups to make his decisions, noting that he hasn’t done a single poll.
“I make them based off the facts, the data and my convictions,” DeSantis said, explaining how he makes his decisions.
“And my view is like, you know, if I polled you and like 10 of your friends on an issue, that’s a static analysis,” he explained. “That doesn’t tell me that if I set a vision, and I execute the vision then where will you guys come out.”
“I’m moving people,” DeSantis continued. “I’m showing them that this is how a state should be governed.”
“So I think what we’ve been willing to do is, you know, we do not let corporate media trim our sails,” said the governor. “We’re willing to stand up against woke corporations, which, quite frankly, a lot of Republicans have been more corporate Republicans that defer to some of these corporations.”
“Look, I want a limited government,” he said. “I want a free enterprise economy. But when these big corporations are using their economic power to try and impose leftist ideologies, like in my state, we fight back on that. And then I think we’ve been strong at fighting back against Biden.”
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