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You are here: Home / Elections 2024 / 2024 Primaries / Crashing & Burning (Open Thread)

Crashing & Burning (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker|  April 28, 202311:29 am| 119 Comments

This post is in: 2024 Primaries, Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity

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I positively loathe Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with every fiber of my being — maybe even more than I despise Donald Fucking Trump — so I loved the Florida Politics site’s home page this morning:

Home screen of FL Politics with array of negative headlines about Ron DeSantis

Friends, that page has it all. News of more donors fleeing! DeSantis polling badly against both Biden and Trump! DeSantis getting trashed by Trump and bushwhacked by the GOP’s 2024 version of the Dem’s 2020 Andrew Yang! Even dithering Little Marco makes an appearance, as if in a Dollar Store production of Hamlet where the Prince of Denmark is a self-important pol with a bad combover o’ertop his ignoble mind! Heck, there’s a below-the-fold diss from Kevin McCarthy about the Disney feud!

Bad news for Ron DeSantis is great news for America. DeSantis and his authoritarian goons will continue to inflict incalculable harm on Floridians, millions of whom did not sign up for this shit and do not deserve it. But if our horrible governor flames out quickly on the national stage, maybe we can contain the damage. Perhaps Repubs and even the Beltway media will learn that while there’s an alarmingly large plurality of fash-curious Americans, authoritarianism isn’t a winning ticket nationwide.

And maybe we can start to turn things around here in the Mildew State too. Disney is just one of many entities suing the DeSantis administration. The League of Women Voters of Florida filed a suit this week against the extremist DeSantis pal who is the current secretary of state, Cord Byrd, for violating the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. (TPM) The suit alleges that the state hatched a “byzantine statutory scheme” to entrap Floridians with felony records for the purpose of political theater.

I have no idea if the suit has a chance, but it describes exactly what happened. It’s a form of resistance to the governor’s authoritarianism that he can’t ignore, so thank dog for civic-minded groups like the League!

Open thread.

PS: Thanks to all who recommended The Diplomat on Netflix in a recent TV discussion here. I intended to watch one episode in the wee hours when I couldn’t sleep and ended up watching the first four!

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Reader Interactions

119Comments

  1. 1.

    Spanky

    April 28, 2023 at 11:35 am

    the Mildew State

    I dunno, BC. Mississippi is giving you some really competition there.

  2. 2.

    Baud

    April 28, 2023 at 11:36 am

    Even Vivek Ramaswamy is getting in on the action!

  3. 3.

    oldgold

    April 28, 2023 at 11:39 am

    I am still not sure what would be more dangerous for the country, Trump or DeSantis being the Republican nominee for President.

  4. 4.

    Geminid

    April 28, 2023 at 11:40 am

    There is also a lawsuit filed against DeSantis and his minions for using 50 migrants in his Martha’s Vineyard stunt. A Boston based civil rights law firm filed it on behalf of the migrants.

    Maybe the elusive Perla Huerta will show up for her deposition. She may be indicted in Bexar County, Texas for her role in hoodwinking the people.* DeSantis is not a target of that probe, but his public safety director, Larry ____, is. A Bexar County Deputy saw him at the airport, coordinating the loading of the migrants.

    *As witnesses to a possible crime, the migrants have protected status and cannot be deported, at least until these legal proceedings are over and maybe not then.

  5. 5.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    April 28, 2023 at 11:44 am

    Rooting for injuries on this one

  6. 6.

    SuzieC

    April 28, 2023 at 11:44 am

    Jennifer Rubin also recommended The Diplomat in her newsletter.

  7. 7.

    Scout211

    April 28, 2023 at 11:45 am

    Thank you BC, for the Florida updates.

    I actually laughed when I read the latest quote from DeSantis regarding the Disney lawsuit. He stated (quoted everywhere)  that Disney’s lawsuit is “without merit” and “political.”

    He must have been looking in a mirror when he made that statement. 🤣

  8. 8.

    Ruckus

    April 28, 2023 at 11:45 am

    Betty, I have to ask, how did this dipshit get elected gov in the first place, no one else want the job? Could his opposition actually have been worse? Is that even possible? Or is it that he is a bog standard rethuglican?

    Being even minimally exposed to him shows he has zero human skills, the personality of a festering boil, and his political chops seem that they are overshadowed by an actual pork chop.

  9. 9.

    JWR

    April 28, 2023 at 11:45 am

    Wow, Lil’ RonDon even got nicked by Vivek Ramaswamy, the guy who believes that Black people got their Rights following the Civil War. Good!

  10. 10.

    Urza

    April 28, 2023 at 11:45 am

    @oldgold: Probably short term Trump as he’d just go crazy.  Long term though the fascists like DeSantis getting power for any length of time will erode all our institutions and there’s no America out there hanging around with a Marshall Plan waiting to nation build us after.

  11. 11.

    lee

    April 28, 2023 at 11:47 am

    There is a tweet that has DeSantis melting down when asked a non-softball question by a reporter.

    Let’s see if I can find it again

     

    Edit Found it

  12. 12.

    MattF

    April 28, 2023 at 11:48 am

    And DeSantis’s various failures are making him push harder and look worse. Maybe an international tour while Jacksonville was being washed away wasn’t such a great idea. Maybe trying to make an example out of Disney wasn’t such a great idea. Maybe…

    ETA: And I just watched the first episode of The Diplomat… umm… bit of a cliffhanger…

  13. 13.

    Steve in the ATL

    April 28, 2023 at 11:48 am

    @Geminid: when are the hearings on why “Bexar” is pronounced “bear”?  Or maybe it’s pronounced “bare”….

  14. 14.

    lollipopguild

    April 28, 2023 at 11:50 am

    The thing that just flabbergasted me was doubling and tripling down on the attack on Disney. Some of his stooges that he appointed to the Reedy Creek board were openly talking about how they were going to control Disney’s content and tell Disney what kind of movies to make. The Gov and his minions spend way too much time huffing their own farts.

  15. 15.

    Urza

    April 28, 2023 at 11:51 am

    @Ruckus: First election his opponent was an African American with some troubles of his own that I don’t recall, plus Trump working to get him elected.  Last time was against a previous Republican governor who’s inoffensive generally and switched to being a Democrat.  There was no reason to vote FOR him, just against DeSantis and that is not a way to win an election.  Need either lots of for people, or some for and some against the other guy, but all against is not a winning proposition most of the time.  And DeSantis really ramped up the evil after the last election, the general public wasn’t going to be aware of much of it in the first 4 years.

  16. 16.

    Frankensteinbeck

    April 28, 2023 at 11:52 am

    DeSantis was doing great in the primary race until Trump started attacking him and DeSantis wouldn’t hit back.  “Who said I’m running for president?” is a weakass political comeback that should go down in history.  It makes Jeb’s “Please clap” look dominant and powerful.

    For the general election, I think the man would set off every anti-Trump voter just as hard, and energize the voters pissed about Dobbs even more.

    I’ve also really wondered if Dem turnout in Florida wasn’t hit hard by DeSantis making it clear he would arrest anyone for anything that might make their votes even slightly suspicious, like being black.

  17. 17.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 11:53 am

    @lee: I watched that earlier today and I had a completely different reaction than the rest of you.

    I think that the folks who like Trump will LOVE the response from DeSantis – lashing out and putting the lib reporters in their place.

    “Look how strong he is, he showed them!”

  18. 18.

    Ixnay

    April 28, 2023 at 11:57 am

    Similar experience with the Diplomat. Great show, diverse cast. Now let’s get going on the 2nd season to resolve the cliffhanger.

  19. 19.

    MisterForkbeard

    April 28, 2023 at 11:57 am

    @Frankensteinbeck: This, honestly, was the big thing for me. DeSantis has obviously been running for president for years. He should just fucking announce it rather than running out the clock and hoping Republicans voters just decide not to back Trump.

  20. 20.

    Baud

    April 28, 2023 at 11:59 am

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    I suspect when DeSantis officially announces, when Florida makes it legal for him to do so, he’ll do a “reset.” We’ll see how that goes.

  21. 21.

    Baud

    April 28, 2023 at 12:00 pm

    @Urza:

    DeSantis got fewer votes in Florida than Joe Biden two years earlier.

  22. 22.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:00 pm

    @lollipopguild:  That’s how I felt, too, and then I listened to 2 different podcasts last night, and they both had a completely different take.

    They both felt that the fight with a big business like Disney ELEVATES DeSantis.  The first podcast was Majority 54, with Jason Kander telling the story of getting into a fight with the majority leader when he had only been in the state house for 2 weeks.  The majority leader told Kander that if he got in a fight with the majority leader after just two weeks, then Kander was going to lose.

    Kander replies with something like “if I get in a public fight with the majority leader after only two weeks, then I win!”  Because a public fight with the big guy elevates the little guy.  Kander also said that people underestimate how much the people in FL hate Disney for all the power they have, so just taking them on – even for the wrong reason – wins DeSantis points.

    The next podcast to say the same thing about taking on Disney elevating DeSantis (different words, but the same thing) was Pod Save the World.  Dan – whose political takes i respect more than all 3 of the others combined – said that taking on a huge corporation like Disney raises the standing of DeSantis.

    I’m not sure what to think, but with both of them saying that I wonder if there is something to it.

  23. 23.

    CaseyL

    April 28, 2023 at 12:03 pm

    @Ruckus:

    In the first election (2018), the Democratic nominee was Andrew Gillum, and the race was close enough that racism and shenanigans were the determining factors. (Gillum’s arrest on drug charges happened some time afterwards, so his drug use wasn’t known and wasn’t a factor.)

    In 2022, The “Democratic” nominee was GOPer-turned-Dem Charlie Crist, who is without firm positions or principles (other than “I should be elected”).  He did try a spirited campaign against De Santis, but he’s been part of Florida politics for so long as a Republican that, possibly, no one believed he meant any of them.

    Personally, I believe the election was lost when Nikki Fried lost the primary against Crist.  She was and is a better candidate/politician in every way. I just didn’t and don’t understand it at all.

  24. 24.

    Delk

    April 28, 2023 at 12:03 pm

    And WTF is up with that bobble head thing?

  25. 25.

    HumboldtBlue

    April 28, 2023 at 12:05 pm

    Speaking of Hamlet, and that means William Shakespeare (or Billy Shakes as the kids call him these days) Simon Schama has a two-part series about the Bard up on the Tube of Youse.

    And watching DeSantis crumble is rather delightful.

  26. 26.

    smith

    April 28, 2023 at 12:05 pm

    @WaterGirl: I think that the folks who like Trump will LOVE the response from DeSantis – lashing out and putting the lib reporters in their place.

    Whoever the Rs nominate will be like that, and will appeal to those folks. Those aren’t the voters we need to get — hard-core Goobers are a lost cause. It’s the wobbly folks who don’t pay much attention to politics that we need to reach.

  27. 27.

    PJ

    April 28, 2023 at 12:05 pm

    @WaterGirl: I don’t know about that.  He has a thing in his voice which (unfairly, but still) will get marked as effeminate.  The way he wobbles his head when he’s challenged is because he’s uncomfortable (afraid, really), and that marks him as weak.  If he runs against Trump, Trump will absolutely use all of that against him and more.

  28. 28.

    Mike in NC

    April 28, 2023 at 12:05 pm

    We’ve watched the first four episodes of The Diplomat and like it a lot. Another show on Netflix called Florida Man is also worth watching.

  29. 29.

    Alison Rose

    April 28, 2023 at 12:07 pm

    Bad news for Ron DeSantis is great news for America.

    Rotating tag

  30. 30.

    Barbara

    April 28, 2023 at 12:07 pm

    @WaterGirl: ​ I doubt if picking a fight with Disney is the same. Even if it is a net plus for some voters, or some voters in Florida at least, it is such a huge, no holds barred negative for donors that it will ultimately hurt. Not only can a candidate like DeSantis not afford to drive them away, it’s a stance that drives away possible endorsements from other pols who also can’t afford to drive away donors. It might dress him up for a few more voters but it makes him less appealing with some, and positively radioactive with donors and their fellow travelers.

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:07 pm

    Betty, I started watching The Diplomat after that post, too, but I thought it was you who had suggested it, so I was going to thank you.

    I watch streaming shows when I am on the treadmill, and I was totally shocker earlier this week when an episode of The Recruit ended and then suddenly the series was over.  (Well, there will apparently be a season two, but it won’t be for another year or more!)  I was not prepared for the sudden stop.

    But I somehow remembered that people had recommended The Diplomat, so I pulled that up.  It’s very good. I think I’m on episode 2 – don’t call it a kidnapping – and even though I was really glad when my treadmill time was up yesterday I really wanted to know what happened next.

    But the unbreakable rule is that treadmill shows are ONLY watched on the treadmill.  And it has to be moving! :-)

    Not wanting to get caught flat-footed at the end of an episode, I checked just now for a season two.  Not announced yet, but it there is one it could be next summer.  So another 12-15 months!

    Apparently it was just released in early April!

    Move over The Night Agent—Netflix has another political drama on the rise. If you haven’t heard, The Diplomat has fully taken over the streaming platform. Since its premiere on April 2, the new series has held a steady spot on Netflix’s Top 10 list. Haven’t seen it yet? Here’s a quick rundown.

    The Diplomat follows Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), a woman who is hired as an ambassador to the United Kingdom amid an international crisis. As if juggling her career isn’t hard enough, she is also fighting to save her marriage to her husband, Hal (Rufus Sewell), a former political star. After a stunning eight episodes, Season One ended with a chilling cliffhanger. (Which, of course, we won’t spoil here.) Netflix has kept quiet about the future of the show, but The Diplomat’s showrunner, Deborah Cahn, is clearly excited to plan the next chapter.

    I guess I’ll be checking out The Night Agent when I finish The Diplomat.

  32. 32.

    zhena gogolia

    April 28, 2023 at 12:08 pm

    @Baud: Isn’t he the “Andrew Yang” she was referring to?

    We’ve watched 1.5 episodes of The Diplomat. Rufus Sewell makes it worth watching. I never watched The Americans, so this is my first experience with Keri Russell. I’m not terribly impressed. She doesn’t know how to say F-bombs. She emphasizes them too much.

  33. 33.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:09 pm

    @Delk: Is he still bobble-heading?  I thought that was a one-time thing.

  34. 34.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:09 pm

    @smith: Oh, that makes sense.

  35. 35.

    PJ

    April 28, 2023 at 12:09 pm

    @WaterGirl: The assumption, though, is that people hate or dislike Disney.  I’ll grant that it’s possible that there are a lot of Floridians that resent Disney for the power they have in the state, but at the same time, Disney is a huge employer and attraction that generates hundreds of thousands of jobs, which also has to mean a lot to a lot of Floridians.

    But outside of Florida?  Disney is one of the most loved brands in the USA (not by me, but still).  Taking on Disney because they don’t hate gay people enough is not going to fly in the rest of the country.  It just makes De Santis look like the nutjob that he is.

  36. 36.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:10 pm

    @PJ: I agree with all of that.  But his voice didn’t sound high-pitched and effeminate in that clip.

    I didn’t notice the bobblehead thing in this one – I will have to watch it again!

    edit: okay, watched again.  It wasn’t the bobble-head thing where it’s going side-to-side and round again.  But there was quite a bit of bobbing up and down.

    Seems like he is still trying to perfect whatever the hell that is.

  37. 37.

    trollhattan

    April 28, 2023 at 12:11 pm

    Kiddo’s team is running at the Penn Relays in Philly, a first for her school. Sports dad crack, a.k.a. bragging rights.

    Naturally, live coverage is paywalled to the hilt.

    She has set a tourist goal of visiting the bar from “Sunny.” Now that’s what I call prioritizing.

  38. 38.

    PJ

    April 28, 2023 at 12:13 pm

    @WaterGirl: What you’re looking for in a “treadmill show” may be different than what someone watching on their couch is looking for, but, for what it’s worth, I found that, while The Night Agent held my interest (I watched the whole series), it is also deeply stupid.

  39. 39.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:13 pm

    @Alison Rose: Ha!

    I had already made the rotating tag!   As soon as I read those words, I stopped reading, made the tag, and then read the rest of the post.

  40. 40.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:14 pm

    @Barbara:  What you say is logical.  I hope that’s the way it works out.

    They didn’t win me over last night, but they did leave me wondering.

  41. 41.

    Josie

    April 28, 2023 at 12:15 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: ​
     Bexar is a Spanish word that should be pronounced “Behar.” Since we in Texas tend to elide certain pronunciations, it become “Bayer” (sort of). Similar to the name of a town named Refugio but is pronounced Refurio.

  42. 42.

    Alison Rose

    April 28, 2023 at 12:16 pm

    @WaterGirl: Great minds think alike ;)

  43. 43.

    sdhays

    April 28, 2023 at 12:16 pm

    @oldgold: This is the wrong question. Either one would end American democracy. There is no “more dangerous” because there is no “less dangerous”.

    The only question is which one is more likely to be elected, and I think there are arguments to be made on either side. But, personally, I’ve seen enough – DeSantis isn’t going to be the nominee, and I’m not even willing to bet that he actually announces a run at this point. The nominee will be Trump, unless he chokes to death on KFC, and then I think they’ll all just stand around staring at each other for a while (while screaming and flinging poo, because it will be a day ending in “y”).

  44. 44.

    gwangung

    April 28, 2023 at 12:17 pm

    @PJ: It’s WHY you want to take on Disney that makes a difference. Just taking on Disney isn’t enough (and it sorta smacks of horse race coverage—ignoring the substance of disputes to focus on its mere existence).

    Saying you want to take on Disney and dictate their content isn’t going to make you bigger—it triggers the book burning reflex.

  45. 45.

    cain

    April 28, 2023 at 12:17 pm

    @lollipopguild:

    The thing that just flabbergasted me was doubling and tripling down on the attack on Disney. Some of his stooges that he appointed to the Reedy Creek board were openly talking about how they were going to control Disney’s content and tell Disney what kind of movies to make. The Gov and his minions spend way too much time huffing their own farts

    The attack ads one can do from that..  I would be using this to target the Cubans. “DeSantis is just like Castro! If he can do that to Disney, he can do that to you!”

  46. 46.

    HumboldtBlue

    April 28, 2023 at 12:17 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    said that taking on a huge corporation like Disney raises the standing of DeSantis.

    With who? He’s not going to win any new voters with this bullshit, he’s just going to get the dumbasses who already think like him to clap.

    Who is the base for DeSantis? All these brilliant analysts fail to point out just who it is he is winning over.

    People, on the whole in this country, love Disney, whether it’s the kids just being introduced to the universe of characters or their parents who grew up in a Disney saturated world.

    What constituency is now being wowed by this clumsy, ham-handed attempt to look tough while taking on one of the most powerful corporations on the planet? Who is he winning over with hate, petulance and downright assholish behavior?

    Sure, assholes on the right love the optics of him being an asshole to the liberal media, but so what? These are the same people who spend money buying beer they are just going to destroy in some fashion or another in an effort to own the libs and destroy the woke. It’s childish nonsense, but we’re supposed to pretend it’s a winning, cunning strategy on a national political stage that Dems should be wary of because… what?

  47. 47.

    zhena gogolia

    April 28, 2023 at 12:18 pm

    @gwangung: Right. There has to be a reason behind the “taking on,” or it’s just stupid.

  48. 48.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:18 pm

    @PJ:

    it is also deeply stupid.

    Bummer!  I will still try it when The Diplomat is over, but I will definitely temper my enthusiasm.

    it’s a great story so far, well told, and great acting.  I love Rufus Sewell and I really like Keri Russell from The Americans.

  49. 49.

    Baud

    April 28, 2023 at 12:20 pm

    @HumboldtBlue:

    With who?

     

    The people who thought Trump was running to Hillary’s left.

  50. 50.

    Layer8Problem

    April 28, 2023 at 12:20 pm

    SPOILER ALERT!

    Re:  The Diplomat.  That part in episode four, I think, where the ambassador “reacts” to the revelation of her husband’s past fake tears regarding the presumed climax of their relationship troubles had my partner and I laughing hysterically.

  51. 51.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:21 pm

    @cain: Another interesting take in one of the podcasts was when one of them mentioned that Disney isn’t just doing this for Disney.

    (Not sure I agree with that.)

    They felt that Disney was doing this not just for themselves but also so that the next state won’t think they can get away with this shit with the next company in that state.

  52. 52.

    zhena gogolia

    April 28, 2023 at 12:21 pm

    @Layer8Problem: Spoiler alert, please!

  53. 53.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:21 pm

    @Baud:

    The people who thought Trump was running to Hillary’s left.

    Dear god.

  54. 54.

    cain

    April 28, 2023 at 12:22 pm

    @WaterGirl: Yes, it will raise his standing only if he wins. But if he doesn’t win – then he will look weak. In this, he’ll have to appear to be winning even with the lawsuit – eg delay and cover up.

    The other thing though that is alarming is that the GOP is supposed to be business friendly, and pro corporation. The govt telling businesses what to do goes against typical conservative dogma so I don’t know how that works. Then again, conservative voters have shown they can hold multiple conflicting beliefs.

  55. 55.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:22 pm

    @Layer8Problem: SPOILER!

    Come on, the show has only been out for maybe 3 weeks!  And that’s a pretty big plot line.

  56. 56.

    R-Jud

    April 28, 2023 at 12:23 pm

    @trollhattan: Good luck to the kid! My Dad and brother are at the Penn Relays this weekend, too. My brother ran in a couple of the master’s events yesterday. He, my dad, and my grandfather all ran at the Penn Relays when each was in college. It’s an April tradition for our family.

  57. 57.

    eclare

    April 28, 2023 at 12:23 pm

    @PJ:   Interesting stat on Morning Joe,  The Villages and Daytona Speedway also have these special districts, which makes it so obvious this is just political.  Not about taxes, fairness, etc.  Hey companies, come to FL where if Puddin Boots doesn’t like your behavior, he’ll punish you.

  58. 58.

    eclare

    April 28, 2023 at 12:25 pm

    @trollhattan:   Good luck to kiddo!

  59. 59.

    HumboldtBlue

    April 28, 2023 at 12:26 pm

    @Baud: ​ 

    So, the people who thought Andrew Yang had something to offer? Bernie bros?

    Trump rules the GOP at this time because Trump has their base, until that shifts in any meaningful way, DeSantis and Scott and Haley are just shuckin’ and jiving for an ass whuppn’ or being an ass licker.

  60. 60.

    cain

    April 28, 2023 at 12:27 pm

    @WaterGirl: Yeah, I can see this signaling to California not to pull this kind of stuff. I think they want to establish that narrative but I don’t really think it’s beyond self interest. Corporations just aren’t all that noble.

  61. 61.

    PJ

    April 28, 2023 at 12:28 pm

    @sdhays: Yeah, De Santis isn’t going to be the nominee unless Trump croaks in the next year.  As you note, there’s a good chance he won’t even run.  His popularity has plummeted with Republicans, just imagine what will happen once he gets in the ring, and Trump really starts tearing into him.  He won’t stand a chance.  The whole case that he’s built for himself is that he’s a mini-Trump who is more presentable than the original formula, but what Trump follower is going to choose the fake Trump over the real one?

    Beyond that, his political instincts are disastrous.  Right wingers may cheer him on for taking on Woke Disney Productions, but for normal Americans, it just makes him look like a vicious, petty nut.

  62. 62.

    Baud

    April 28, 2023 at 12:29 pm

    @HumboldtBlue:

    To some extent. But there’s a whole ecosystem out there that spins any fact for the GOP, especially when they “take risks” and “act tough.”

  63. 63.

    Layer8Problem

    April 28, 2023 at 12:30 pm

    @zhena gogolia:  Truly sorry, but I have elided so damned much.  Just get to that point, it’s worth it.

  64. 64.

    Dangerman

    April 28, 2023 at 12:35 pm

    @oldgold: I am still not sure what would be more dangerous for the country, Trump or DeSantis being the Republican nominee for President.

    Trump.

    I like the easy ones.

    Dude is already on record as wanting to cancel the Constitution and use the military to force deportation.

    It’s Trump and I don’t think it’s close.

  65. 65.

    PJ

    April 28, 2023 at 12:38 pm

    @WaterGirl: Disney is protecting its interests, just as Dominion did in its lawsuit against Fox.  There is a civil rights dimension to it – De Santis is targetting them because he is angry that they recognize gay people as human beings, which is a violation of the First Amendment.  But Disney isn’t suing on behalf of gay people, or the US public in general; that’s not how civil lawsuits work.  They are suing to protect their own rights.

    But as Disney noted in their suit, they are a huge, well-funded corporation that can afford to respond to De Santis.  Smaller businesses or individuals targetted by De Santis (or similar right wing demagogues intent on suppressing free speech and oppressing non-straight white men) will not have the luxury of unlimited resources to defend themselves from similar attacks, but Disney’s defense can help deter those attacks and provide precedent against these white booted tyrants.

  66. 66.

    delphinium

    April 28, 2023 at 12:39 pm

    @WaterGirl: That was my impression too, sadly. Other clips of Ronnie Dee speaking though are absolutely cringeworthy.

  67. 67.

    PJ

    April 28, 2023 at 12:41 pm

    @cain: Who cares if a corporation, or an individual, for that matter, is “noble” for defending their rights?  Was Larry Flynt noble?  Why should that be any kind of consideration?

  68. 68.

    delphinium

    April 28, 2023 at 12:43 pm

    @Baud: ​
    DeSantis v2.0, now with less head bobbing.

  69. 69.

    Layer8Problem

    April 28, 2023 at 12:45 pm

    @Layer8Problem: . And Michael McKean does a marvelous turn as the President.

  70. 70.

    lollipopguild

    April 28, 2023 at 12:49 pm

    @WaterGirl: Attacking Disney does elevate Desantis to a certain extent, but it can also expose him as someone who really does not know what he is doing. He seems to think that as Gov. of Florida he has a legal right to take over Disney and run it.  The more he tangles with Disney the dumber he is going to look.

  71. 71.

    Bupalos

    April 28, 2023 at 12:54 pm

    @Ruckus: yeah we’re all making fun of Rhonda Sanctus, but I don’t think we should think of his rise as some kind of fluke. He won, did his shitty stunting, and then won by a lot more. I think it’s important to think about why.

    Because I worked for years  in foreign language translation I’m connected to 3 different recent immigrant communities in Florida- Venezuelan, Bolivian, Uruguayan. Across the board I’ve been shocked by how open acquaintances and former colleagues are to this “traditional values/anti-woke” shit. I think especially in Florida these folks are well enough integrated and supported to not feel the push of ethnic minority status as much as they feel the “traditional values” pull. I guess I’d say the same about Croatian immigrants in Ohio, which seems less surprising, because “white.”

    I think we dems do a pretty bad job laying out our positive vision of a more equal and multicultural America. And the void gets filled for a lot of different groups by a baseline of latent racism, virulent capitalism, and a version of “tradition” that just means “rewind the clock 50 years.” I’m afraid we’re badly underestimating the challenge of holding on to ethnic minorities and immigrants. Expecting what we see as Republican grotesquerie to do the work for us. Desantis is a measure for me of how gross Republicans can get without the electorate- especially the immigrant electorate- really noticing.

  72. 72.

    zeecube

    April 28, 2023 at 12:57 pm

    @trollhattan: Interesting trivia:  the building used for Paddy’s Bar is actually located in L.A.

  73. 73.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 12:58 pm

    @Layer8Problem: Can I add SPOILER ALERT to your comment so more people won’t have the relationship plot line spoiled for them, too?

  74. 74.

    Layer8Problem

    April 28, 2023 at 1:00 pm

    @WaterGirl: Please!

  75. 75.

    rikyrah

    April 28, 2023 at 1:05 pm

    @lollipopguild:

     

    The thing that just flabbergasted me was doubling and tripling down on the attack on Disney. Some of his stooges that he appointed to the Reedy Creek board were openly talking about how they were going to control Disney’s content and tell Disney what kind of movies to make.

     

    Like they don’t grasp how a massive corporation like Disney works.

     

    Disney filed their 77 page suit within hours of his Stooge Board clowning. They were that prepared.

  76. 76.

    rikyrah

    April 28, 2023 at 1:06 pm

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    I’ve also really wondered if Dem turnout in Florida wasn’t hit hard by DeSantis making it clear he would arrest anyone for anything that might make their votes even slightly suspicious, like being black.

     

    Black folks were ARRESTED.

     

    White people from The Villages who DELIBERATELY COMMITTED VOTER FRAUD…

    Fines…

     

    Uh huh

    Uh huh

  77. 77.

    rikyrah

    April 28, 2023 at 1:11 pm

    @trollhattan:

     

    Good luck to the team :)

  78. 78.

    JPL

    April 28, 2023 at 1:12 pm

    @WaterGirl: Jennifer Rubins of the WP has a newsletter and today she mentioned The Diplomat.

  79. 79.

    Sallycat

    April 28, 2023 at 1:14 pm

    DeSantis is worse than trump.  He has what seems to have a christianist/fascist  ideology that speaks to him and he is dogged in pursuit of perceived insults.  He’s threatened to defund school districts that have folks who disagree with him.  He’s threatened to defund counties for the same reason.  And so on.  Whereas Trump’s ideology is himself, and he has a short attention span.  Both are poison.

  80. 80.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 1:14 pm

    @Layer8Problem: done!

  81. 81.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 1:15 pm

    @rikyrah: Disney was just waiting for there to be provable damages, and then… boom!

  82. 82.

    Marmot

    April 28, 2023 at 1:15 pm

    @HumboldtBlue:

    … we’re supposed to pretend it’s a winning, cunning strategy on a national political stage that Dems should be wary of because… what?

    Yes! Every time I read “DeSantis is only doing this for political advantage!” I think what you’re saying.

  83. 83.

    WaterGirl

    April 28, 2023 at 1:16 pm

    @JPL: Not surprising.  It’s most excellent!

  84. 84.

    JPL

    April 28, 2023 at 1:18 pm

    @Layer8Problem: He does.   I wish someone had told me that it was Lenny from Laverne and Shirley sooner.

  85. 85.

    MazeDancer

    April 28, 2023 at 1:18 pm

    Is there any company with more copyright/trademark infringement lawyers than Disney? Their “cease & desist” form letters burn to the touch.

    Maybe DeSantis is hoping the Mouse will come after him for these hats.

    Which also seem to be Presidential merch which is, currently, a no-no for him in FL.

    Have no idea what Netflix is waiting on to renew The Diplomat.

    Watching The Night Agent, now. Big ad for the power of plot. As The Diplomat is so beautifully cast, shot, and produced. And The Night Agent is so not.

    But still enjoying the watch.

  86. 86.

    JPL

    April 28, 2023 at 1:20 pm

    @Sallycat: true!  Trump might be a White Nationalist, but he doesn’t have the christian title in front.  If Desantis ever made it to the White House, gays would no longer have rights.

  87. 87.

    Layer8Problem

    April 28, 2023 at 1:22 pm

    @JPL: And David St. Hubbins frim Spinal Tap.

  88. 88.

    JPL

    April 28, 2023 at 1:23 pm

    @MazeDancer: It’s pricey to produce, so probably just dotting all the i’s on contracts.  At least that’s my guess.

    If they don’t renew, I wonder how many will cancel their membership.

  89. 89.

    Marmot

    April 28, 2023 at 1:24 pm

    @Layer8Problem: Hol–ee crap! I thought that was Corbin Bernsen this whole time!

  90. 90.

    Betty Cracker

    April 28, 2023 at 1:43 pm

    @Bupalos: You make a great point about ethnic minorities and recent immigrant communities. Currently, Florida has the most right-wing Latinos in the U.S., and some groups voted for DeSantis at higher levels than white Floridians did in 2022. I wouldn’t assume Repubs can’t make inroads with “traditional values” groups elsewhere, and that’s something Dems have to figure out.

  91. 91.

    cope

    April 28, 2023 at 1:56 pm

    @JPL: He’s also a member of the Christopher Guest stable of very talented actors.

  92. 92.

    Salty Sam

    April 28, 2023 at 2:01 pm

    @Layer8Problem: And David St. Hubbins frim Spinal Tap.

    Hard to top Charles McGill in Better Call Saul…

  93. 93.

    FelonyGovt

    April 28, 2023 at 2:12 pm

    @Betty Cracker: Yes, the number of Latino evangelical churches seems to be increasing all the time (including here in LA) and it’s pretty alarming because they are virulently anti-gay, anti-abortion, etc. etc.

  94. 94.

    Bupalos

    April 28, 2023 at 2:14 pm

    @Betty Cracker:

    I wouldn’t assume Repubs can’t make inroads with “traditional values” groups elsewhere, and that’s something Dems have to figure out

    Right, I’m cautioning I guess that just because this act may not play in national elections doesn’t mean it can’t play in particular regions and have a determining effect both in those regions, and then by extension on national politics. If they can hold Florida and Texas via leveraging “traditional values” with immigrant communities, they’ll continue to wreck those states, and ensure they remain competitive in their efforts to wreck the United States nationally. It’s definitely not something to yawn about just because “anti-woke” isn’t going to win the presidency. We need a counter strategy that doesn’t have “demographics is destiny” at it’s core.

    Personally and annecdotally a message I feel might work is a kind of “don’t lose your own vibrant culture by selling out to the majoritarian (white, angry, lame, boring) culture.” And we need to actively talk about the importance and fundamental American-value of having many distinct cultures rather than one definition of “real American.”

  95. 95.

    PJ

    April 28, 2023 at 2:16 pm

    @Salty Sam: ​
      He was sooo good in that role. Should’ve won an Emmy, but I don’t think he was even nominated.

  96. 96.

    Queen of Lurkers

    April 28, 2023 at 2:18 pm

    @Mike in NC: I found The Diplomat somewhat meh because the whole “ambassador is actually going to be made VP and then have a channel into the Presidency” is so preposterous that I couldn’t take it seriously. This is not to say that I didn’t near-binge — watched all 8 episodes in the course of 4-5 days. David Gyasi (who plays the British Foreign Minister — not sure why they say “Secretary,” which is an American term) is very, very sexy. The ambassador should definitely dump her smug husband and go for the Brit.

    Am currently watching Transatlantic. Much more rooted in history and quite fascinating.

  97. 97.

    Ivan X

    April 28, 2023 at 2:26 pm

    @WaterGirl: I think opiners need things to opine about, and I am not buying this. Maybe if it were something in defense of the “little guy,” but attacking Disney for pure culture war reasons is not going to win hearts and minds. I mean, I’m no Floridian, so what do I know, but even if anti-Disney sentiment is a real thing, I can’t imagine that this particular battle is a winning issue.

  98. 98.

    Shalimar

    April 28, 2023 at 2:31 pm

    I saw a news report earlier that pointed out The Villages are set up with the same type of tax districts Disney used.  This needs to be noted repeatedly.   The Disney fued really is a personal vendetta, nothing whatsoever to do with conservative principles.

  99. 99.

    Bill Arnold

    April 28, 2023 at 2:56 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Dear god.

    “Hillary the Hawk, Donald the Dove”
    I still see people arguing this. Ignoring that, for example, DJT ordered the assassination of the head of a full branch of Iran’s government; that came close to escalating to a full war.

  100. 100.

    Timill

    April 28, 2023 at 3:00 pm

    @Queen of Lurkers: His official title is “The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs“, generally “Foreign Secretary” for short.

  101. 101.

    Frankensteinbeck

    April 28, 2023 at 3:12 pm

    @rikyrah:

    Black folks were ARRESTED.

    Exactly.  And I have to wonder if that made a consequential portion of the electorate afraid to vote.  Which, as I’m sure you know, was the point.

  102. 102.

    Frankensteinbeck

    April 28, 2023 at 3:14 pm

    @Bill Arnold:

    “Hillary the Hawk, Donald the Dove”
    I still see people arguing this.

    I remember people here predicting that Hillary would start a war with Iran to prove she had bigger balls than any man.

  103. 103.

    Bill Arnold

    April 28, 2023 at 3:15 pm

    @WaterGirl:
    I wonder if a “spoiler” tag that rolled up the rest of a comment would be possible (well, easily done). Would make indexing (e.g. google) less good probably though.

  104. 104.

    Ken

    April 28, 2023 at 3:20 pm

    @Barbara: positively radioactive with donors

    Wait, “obey me utterly or I will use the state’s power to destroy your business” doesn’t appeal to wealthy business owners?

    Should we tell DeSantis?

  105. 105.

    Bill Arnold

    April 28, 2023 at 3:21 pm

    @Frankensteinbeck:
    Yeah. The military pushes back against such gratuitous military actions. They often don’t succeed, but they are heard.

  106. 106.

    Ruckus

    April 28, 2023 at 3:22 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    It is a possible concept here. After all Walt has been gone for some time and that is real money that Disney makes. I would doubt it seriously though, for all the size and money Disney does seem to think of family and humans better than a lot of companies. And I’m speaking from knowing employees, from the friend of my dad whose daughter went to work at Disneyland in the 1950s, to people I know who worked there in this century.

  107. 107.

    Ruckus

    April 28, 2023 at 3:29 pm

    @cain:

    Also conservatives are not the same as they were 70 yrs ago, any more than liberals are. Conservatives may have changed less but they still aren’t like they were. Life is different today and that change affects everyone. We can know more about what is going on, how it’s being done, to and for us. We see things more in real time, rather than maybe reading about it some time later. And we have an almost avalanche of information, and yes some of that is misinformation, but still life moves at a different, faster pace than it did decades ago.

  108. 108.

    gvg

    April 28, 2023 at 3:54 pm

    @PJ: A lot of Floridians are absolutely nuts for Disney also. There are quite a few people who own all the movies or who have had season passes for 20 years or more. Florida residents get discounts on the tickets. Its not as big as it was when I was young, but it is still pretty significant. I personally got to the point of being kind of tired of them but I grew up in Orlando and took every relative I barely knew to Disney as a guide. By the time I was 13 my parents were so tired of it they were sending me with the out of state grandparents so they could skip another trip. I marched in their parades for my school band and most of the high schools in the state did grad night at Disney with busloads from all over in May and june. No they are not widely hated. There is some cynicism, but not hatred. Its not like they cause black lung. They just charge a lot more than we want.

  109. 109.

    Darkrose

    April 28, 2023 at 3:56 pm

    @cain: @WaterGirl: Yeah, I can see this signaling to California not to pull this kind of stuff.

    A year ago, Disney was planning to move some of its business operations–and 2000 jobs–to Florida from California because of the massive tax breaks DeSantis was offering. Now that’s “on hold.” DeSantis literally punched his own state in the dick because Disney offered incredibly mild pushback on his LGBTQ+ hate.

  110. 110.

    Paul in KY

    April 28, 2023 at 4:14 pm

    @Bupalos: Croatians are former Nazis.  Fuck em.

  111. 111.

    Paul in KY

    April 28, 2023 at 4:15 pm

    @Bupalos: We have to show them that to the dominant ethnic group in the GQP, they are dirt & scum, no matter what they think their economic/religious station is.

  112. 112.

    Paul in KY

    April 28, 2023 at 4:16 pm

    @Sallycat: I agree. I think DeSatanis would be worse as POTUS.

  113. 113.

    kindness

    April 28, 2023 at 4:22 pm

    I just read in the WaPo that today the Florida Legislature OK’s a bill to allow DeSantis to run for President and keep his job as governor.  That is some in the bag folks you’ve got down there, damn!

  114. 114.

    Paul in KY

    April 28, 2023 at 4:26 pm

    @kindness: He does have his lickspittles well trained. Got to hand it to him on that.

  115. 115.

    lollipopguild

    April 28, 2023 at 5:42 pm

    @Ken: The gov.’s “kneel before Zod!” moment is not going well.

  116. 116.

    Kirk

    April 28, 2023 at 5:52 pm

    @PJ:

    The whole case that he’s built for himself is that he’s a mini-Trump who is more presentable than the original formula, but what Trump follower is going to choose the fake Trump over the real one?

    So, New Coke Trump the sequel?

  117. 117.

    kalakal

    April 28, 2023 at 6:00 pm

    @Paul in KY: Thing is, all the shit he’s pulling*, the anti-woke nonsense, voter suppression, wrecking public education, etc is just great as far as the knuckle dragging state reps are concerned so they’ll happily vote him whatever he wants. Now if when his presidential bid crashes he asks them to remove term limits on his governership they’ll tell him to go forth and multiply. That will get in the way of their ambitions.

    *Not the Disney stuff, that worries them and, more importantly, their owners

  118. 118.

    SNCO

    April 28, 2023 at 6:39 pm

    Remember this phrase: “The Contracts Clause.”

    Disney has dressed its declaratory judgement action in the clothes of freedom of expression, but Count I of the complaint (which Disney will very likely win on summary judgement, maybe even judgement on the pleadings) is that DeSantis forgot the fundamental powers of a US State under the Constitution.

    Read Article 1, Section 10 of the US Constitution. As relevant it reads: “No State shall . . . pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts . . . ”

    Disney filed suit one hour after the new governing board appointed by DeSantis voted to void the contracts – made by the prior board with Disney. This is patently and completely outside the power of any US State. (And also DeSantis, the Florida Legislature, and the board all made public statements that they were punishing Disney specifically for its political speech.)

    The net result is that DeSantis took actions he has no power to take. Whatever posturing he does, and whoever that might impress, he is inevitably going to look impotent and incompetent when he loses the case. No lawyer who took first year Constitutional Law should forget about the Contracts Clause.

  119. 119.

    MazeDancer

    April 28, 2023 at 6:42 pm

    The Citadel on Amazon is so wooden even Stanley Tucci can’t save it.

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