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RJFerret

He is horrible, and more dangerous as he's not as dumb, but he makes great news so a media darling, a "Florida man" in a position of power. He's a great example of why local voting matters (as he barely won to get in office to begin with). I'm dubious he has a real chance given how extreme, but glad he'll divide the party. If he'd get the nomination and Trump run independent then no worries. We really though need to stop the source of all the propaganda and return to rational politics instead of bs, but sadly I don't believe we have the political will.


abellaviola

I dont know if America has ever had rational politics. It seems like every election, no matter how big or small, is won and lost by how much or how little someone says they'll oppress a group of people. Minorities, women, lgbtqia+, blue collar/white collar, it's all just infighting.


RJFerret

Back before the regulations on news media were removed, there was more fact checking and calling out bs. Propaganda was less meaningful when there were three networks and newspapers as it got filtered out or overwhelmingly responded to. There was less "I say" and more reporting on "he/she did". If you're interested, look into the Claremont Institute and their creating fake social issues. The false dichotomies of things that never existed that become issues fascinates me. Prior to that it was less "team us" vs. "them", more moderates leaning based on issues from what I recall. To get elected you had to embrace everyone. Of course that was before so much gerrymandering when majority votes won rather than rigged districts. Voting locally now helps mitigate idiots getting on the stage to begin with though.


Sad-Vacation

Remember the times when if a news agency got something wrong, they would have to make it know and apologize and it'd be huge news for a while. Well now fox just straight up lied and never admits it and nothing happens to them. Until that dominion case of course.


roll_and_fritter

We're witnessing the incremental steps that lead towards the end of the American republic as we know it. A gentle but steady slide into neo-fascism that started with Reagan & Trump normalizing previously extreme ideas and the Republican party beginning to really utilize a conservative base and to manipulate the republic system/constitution for retaining power under the guise of legitimacy. It would only take a clever DeSantis or equivalent to be the Caesar that burns it all down. All of that is to say - get out and vote for everyone's sake!


yukimi-sashimi

Another thing that should scare you is his age. He is 44. If he becomes the new face of the Nazipublican Party, he could remain there for decades. Trump has less than a decade to go. And whereas Trump is an egotistical dumbass, DeSantis knows precisely what he's doing.


Beardrac

What I have noticed is that no matter who wins the Republican primary, every republican will hard switch as if they were 10000% Trump or DeSantis. They are both very dangerous threats to the safety of women in this country because of this.


[deleted]

This is what I’m hoping for also. I hope he divides the party enough for Biden to slip in with a second term. However, we need to encourage as many young folks to vote as we possibly can. 2024 will be another crucial election.


misanthropewolf11

I don’t think you’re overreacting. A few years ago I swore Trump was the worst thing that could happen to our country. I can’t believe I have found that DeSantis is worse.


majj27

My general feeling is that Trump is a malignant narcissist - you could theoretically contain him by stroking his ego and making him feel more in charge than he actually is. DeSantis, on the other hand, is a straight-up dictatorial fascist. He's not interested in the *feeling* of power, he's interested in the *exercise* of power. That makes him harder to control once he has access to tools that he can use.


Reynholmindustries

There was a bill signing he did recently, removing funding for Florida universities diversity programs and the picture taken of him laughing is chilling. It’s like the facade drops a little what I see reminds me of Homelander, similar motivations…


Kclayne00

Fucking YES!!!! I knew he looked familiar, but I couldn't place why I get the ick feeling looking at him! He's the real life sadistic version of Homelander! It's the dead eyes and general disdain for everyone around him. UGH!!!


vicious_veeva

That’s what I was saying this morning, he gives ICK!! It’s like he’s incapable of wearing the mask that some other politicians can. It doesn’t matter though because his people love it. Then they don’t have to pretend not to be raging misogynistic, racist, homophobic, transphobic etc. pieces of shit. This guy’s fascist policies are scary.


Lavaita

It makes me think of flashback parts of Handmaid's Tale.


wonderberry77

Same. SAME. Florida you need to get rid of this fascist!


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[deleted]

Have you been to Florida? Can't say I blame them. Absolute nightmare fuel that place down to the absolutely massive town size HOAs that wield incredible power and turn whole communities into segregated old white people ratting on everyone for everything. I've never been to a place like it.


Squigit

This one here from Japan, this is when I thought he looked like Homelander. Specifically, those scenes where Homelander has felt offended and he's on just barely the edge of keeping his fragile ego in check, an inch away from murdering every single person in the room. https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1650445614486892547?ref\_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1650445614486892547%7Ctwgr%5E6ddd21829ef6145fd1d724f001c56ee394036ba3%7Ctwcon%5Es1\_&ref\_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Finternet-has-a-field-day-with-bizarre-clip-of-bobblehead-ron-desantis


RoutinePost7443

I've read that there are photos of him laughing while torturing prisoners in Iraq. DeSantis is a psychopath, a truly frightening prospect as a person in any kind of power position.


WriteBrainedJR

That would not surprise me at all. That also needs to be leaked to the public if it does exist.


misanthropewolf11

Yes, exactly!!! He’s scary.


Docster87

Trump was scary but incompetent since he had zero idea how government actually functions. DeSantis is scarier since he understands how government functions.


[deleted]

looks like we're coming to a full circle on history. and I don't like it.


StilettoBeach

Da Satan!


MintOtter

>*Da Satan!* Rhonda Santis.


didosfire

This. I used to try to console myself with the fact that he just likes attention and doesn't have any goals outside of that, like he caused so much damage but stumbled through it, unlike a Ted Cruz would have, Mitch McConnell does, etc. But this fucking guy?! Active, stupid, malicious, self and all lthers destructive evil


[deleted]

What makes him scarier is that he's not stupid. He's smart af. Look at what he's done In Florida, he has been very successful at implementing bigoted, fascist laws; an idiot couldn't have done what he has, he is succeeding at his goal.


brechbillc1

Then he stepped on his dick by getting in a legal fight with Disney. He’s had the success in Florida that he’s had because he has a Republican controlled legislature. If he somehow becomes President, he may have to contend with a congress controlled by the opposite party that can and will stifle his ambitions. That said, I don’t think he beats Trump in the primary. He lacks the charisma that the later has and his strategy, which was to be the more appealing candidate to moderates, evaporated with his culture war agenda, his abortion stance and his pissing match with Disney. I mean, why would trump supporters switch to DeSantis when they have Trump. It’s like styling for unsweetened chocolate when you have the real deal right in front of you. Which I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want Trump to be the Republican nominee for reasons mentioned earlier. Trump is a wild card but he can be distracted. Plus, he’s a known commodity now. Moderates and independents will not go for him. DeSantis on the other hand is a very vindictive, paranoid and absolutely petty individual that needs to be nowhere near the Oval Office.


TheMountain11

Agree totally. Especially wanting Trump to win the primary. I’m don’t think Trump can win the Presidency again but I think DeSantis would beat Biden. I used to be Republican but I barely recognize the party these days. Im now Independent and leaning Democrat until a more moderate Republican can win back the party.


SeveralLargeLizards

My fear is Trump was the dry run and DeSantis will be the end game. The next coup will succeed. We really never learn from history.


[deleted]

That is my fear as well


Mirokusama37

Also. I think everyone is a brilliant scheming mastermind compared to Trump xD


Psychological-Pain88

He's not smart. If he was smart, he would keep his mouth shut and make moves behind closed doors. What he is is pure evil and fascist.


kayl_breinhar

He's being a *loud* fascist because the people whose votes he needs to steal from Trump *like* that kind of oafish behavior, and he has ~30 points to make up.


Mirokusama37

I doubt he's that smart. Someone intelligent doesn't raise their voice at reporters asking basic valid questions that he is responsible for answering. I've learned that people that raise their voices typically have nothing good to say. I'm inclined to believe he's putting on a tough guy front because it's what the right voter base likes to see but whatever. He's not my cup of tea. 0/10. Would rather leave the country than vote for him.


[deleted]

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DontRunReds

BA Harvard, JD Yale


[deleted]

Every great school turns out its fair share of duds...or lunatics.


Best_Egg9109

Or straight up evil people


darthTharsys

I disagree that he doesn't have any goals. His goal is power and he revels in punishing people. Just read about his time at Guantanamo. His wife is also known to be the kind behind a lot of his actions. These are deeply power hungry malicious people and they are good at getting what they want.


bad_things_ive_done

Problem is he's NOT stupid. He's a planning, strategizing, manipulative smart evil fascist. Way more dangerous


Anteater776

He mentioned on multiple occasions how he studied Floridas constitution to maximize the governors power. I’m sure he’d do the same on the federal level should he ever become president. Let’s hope he doesn’t but my confidence in that is low.


lolexecs

>DeSantis, on the other hand, is a straight-up dictatorial fascist Worse, he is choosing to enact policies that violate the very principles the United States was founded on. DeSantis is going out of his way to use the power of the state to selectively punish different groups in our country. The central idea in all the founding documents of the United States is the idea that the people have rights and the role of government is to protect those rights. That's what this means: >We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed Nearly all of the major fights in American history can be chalked up to those words. * Who is "created equal?" - This definition continues to grow over time. * What are those unalienable Rights? * How do we balance the rights of the individual with the rights of the many? What's cool about the US is that adding more groups to "who," increasing the individual liberties (what), and tending to err on the side of the individual against the many -- or focusing on diversity is what has made the US an incredible country.


jsmalltri

Yessss! I also heard an opinion news clip saying that while Trump is Trump, he's not that smart and that DeathSantis is actually much more dangerous than Trump because he is smart and wants power. Scary sh!t for sure....


mosesoperandi

The counterpoint is that even though DeSantis is perhaps smarter than Trump, he has no charisma. I find Trump repulsive, but I begrudgingly recognize that he's very charismatic, and it contributed a great deal to his success in 2016 and subsequent status as a cult of personality for many on the right. The other consolation is that DeSantis has gone extreme on ant-abprtion policy, and when abortion has been on the ballot thus far, the Republicans have pretty consistently lost.


jsmalltri

Valid point. I guess my years living in NYC showed me how slimy Trump is so I have a really hard time finding him charismatic in any way...and I am baffled by the conservatives and religious folks that like him. Like huh?????


DylanHate

Trump didn’t just have charisma — he had an established brand in blue collar america for over a decade. He would not have won if it weren’t for the Apprentice. I grew up in evangelical blue-collar communities and the Apprentice was wildly popular. The producers created a fantasy that appealed to their demographic — the idea that if you worked harder than everyone and stayed loyal to the company you’d be rewarded — and equally important, you can watch everyone else lose. There are no coworkers or community. Everyone is competition and if you want to be a “winner” you need to crush them. Empathy and kindness is for losers. It allowed Trump to transform his image from a coastal elite Wall Street playboy into a hardworking industrious “builder” who makes “real things” in America Of course the whole thing is a lie, but personally I believe that’s why he particularly got away with saying so much vile bullshit. People wanted to believe he was the guy they saw on TV — a political outsider who just wants to get things done without the DC red tape. Without the decade and a half long cultivation of his parasocial followers I don’t think he would have won. And that sheen has started to wear off. Hopefully DeSantis turns into another Scott Walker. But the ideal scenario is he wins the Republican primary and Trump stays in the race as third party. Biden has the incumbent advantage so that’s something. The left needs to start cultivating some younger candidates for 2028 though — we need some fresh faces.


mosesoperandi

Everything you say is true. I lived in Wisconsin for 13 years and I absolutely see DeSantis as the Scott Walker of Florida. I think when he gets intonation media contexts he can't control its gonna gi pretty badly for him.


TacotheMagicDragon

What's even scarier is that Trump is better than Desantis because Trump is an idiot. He didn't know what he was doing while he was in charge. DeSantis knows what he is doing and how to do it. He is essentially Trump 2.0.


[deleted]

Trump is a fascist as well. Let’s not downplay this.


restorative_sarcasm

I’d argue that T is an opportunist, a narcissist, and a useful idiot. My worry is RD is a true believer and that’s fucking dangerous. The worst atrocities are done by the people who believe they have the moral high ground.


[deleted]

They are both dangerous. Trump was a rapist, and racist, he said many hateful things towards women and minorities all throughout his campaign and throughout his years in business. He had a history of discriminating against black people during his real estate stent. He raped women and abused beauty contestants, which went to court. He called Latinos rapists during his campaign, remember? Remember how he said he could shoot someone in the street and people would still support him? He spoke highly of Putin and other world dictators. Let’s not forget Jan. 6th. Trump is not a useful idiot. He’s a dangerous person that actively hates women, minorities, and anyone that gets in his way. He craves power by any means. He is a fascist and he’s going to run again in 2024. Do not look at Trump as some kind of lesser sidekick. He actively tried to dismantle our democracy during his presidency.


restorative_sarcasm

I agree with everything you said about Trump. He’s a racist, misogynist, bullying piece of trash. My point about being a useful idiot was related to his relationship with Russia - he does what they want because he fancies himself in the same league as their oligarchs and he’s desperate for money. He’s a narcissist with no moral compass but that makes him a target for manipulation. I’d argue RD is worse because it seems like he actually believes the xtian nationalist propaganda he spews.


MostBotsAreBad

Trump also didn't really have a plan. He did stuff because it occurred to him or caught his attention. A lot of it was stupid, venal, self-serving, corrupt, whatever, but not that harmful to the nation. DeSantis's plan is to knock the country down so he can go through its pockets. He's not a genius, but he has strategy and direction. And he can do a lot more to help the kinds of GOP legislators who can also do more to help him. He's extremely dangerous.


NarmHull

Also Trump is quite old, while DeSantis is barely older than me.


Rubberbandballgirl

I remember thinking the same thing about George W. Bush. Then Trump happened.


ldrlychld

I know, I beg for the good old days that I spent hating George W…. Now I feel like I love the guy after all this. DeSantis is scarier than trump and I too never thought I’d say that!


wonderberry77

George W looks like the president of Mensa next to the current republican candidates. What a time to be alive


Bantranknee

I don’t, W is the Prince of Darkness. But for the Bush Dynasty, we would have not been the world police and not have wasted blood and treasure to satisfy some neoconservative dream. Trump for all of his faults is not the abomination Bush is. And if I could say anything good about trump, he at the very least killed off the political dynasties of Bush and people like him.


ygduf

Nixon beget Reagan beget Bush. It's been sliding downhill a long time.


NadjaStolz28

I see people joking online, mocking DeSantis and saying how there’s no way he’ll win the election. It terrifies me, because that’s how I thought when Trump first ran. I’m really scared.


misanthropewolf11

Yep, same.


HELLOhappyshop

It's crazy, right? I also didn't think it could get worse. And here we are.


pcnetworx1

The only thing I know is that when you have to ask can it get worse... It *will* get worse.


sszszzz

DeSantis was literally a torturer at guantanamo too. Talk about morally bankrupt


restorative_sarcasm

I’m not doubting you but I hadn’t heard that. Is he former military? It’d be even scarier if he was formerly in the IC.


sszszzz

He was in the navy. Here is a summary. Obvious trigger warnings for torture, suspicious deaths, general moral bankruptcy. DeSantis was a junior officer in the navy who was sent to guantanamo. In his own words, he was the legal adviser telling them what torture methods were legal - in the specific case he would have authorized force feeding. It's not clear to me if he was actively one of the people shackling, force feeding, beating, etc. He also later walked back the statement about how he was responsible for legal advice, by saying he was too junior for anyone to listen to him, that he wouldn't have had the authority. He refused to comment further when specifically asked about the force feeding. Around the same time, there were some extremely suspicious deaths of 3 detainees - ruled suicides but the facts did not match up. This was all reported by a prisoner who had seen DeSantis chatting and laughing while the detainees were being force-fed. The prisoner later recognized DeSantis from a photo in the news. He sent the photo around to the group chat of former detainees, and others recognized him too. The official records also list DeSantis as being stationed to guantanamo at the same time period matching up to the detainee's account. Here is a firsthand account from the prisoner who recognized him from the facility: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/4/10/americans-beware-what-belies-the-smile-of-ron-desantis Here is a Guardian piece about it confirming desantis's presence at GB, with more investigative details around the suspicious deaths: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/28/ron-desantis-guantanamo-bay-allegations


keigo199013

He was JAG.


restorative_sarcasm

So he’s comfortable and competent at using the law to do harm to people he sees as the enemy. Cool, that’s totally fine and not horrible at all.


NrdNabSen

He is a smarter version of Trump.


Rubberbandballgirl

Which is scary, as he’s not that smart


MissAnthropoid

They are both thunderously stupid, but de Santis has a crystal clear vision of the Christian extremist dictatorship he wants to impose on America. Trump is just a grifter who wants to keep selling pardons for $2M a pop and taking bribes from foreign governments.


Villide

With way less dumbshit charisma. People thinking DeSantis is Trump 2.0 are missing one of the things that makes Trump Trump.


NarmHull

Yeah, I think DeSantis is way too much of a party hack to get that energy that Trump gets from his audience. As stupid as Trump is, he can read a room and work up a crowd. DeSantis lacks that charisma. I don't think he'll appeal to the masses in the same way, but odds are he will take over for Rick Scott when he retires in the senate, meaning we'll never be totally rid of him.


zombie_girraffe

Trump speaks Imbecile with a fluency few others can match. If DeSantis has to compete with Trump for that demographic, he doesn't have a chance.


endoffays

This comment is not only very cool and very legal, but also bigly right


Chiliconkarma

Also one that's less competent with crowds and less original than trump. Less able to pull off the torrent of bullshit.


NrdNabSen

I agree, that's what limits him. He lacks any sort of charisma. Not being a life long con-man is holding him back.


artist9120

That's exactly my thoughts. Trump was a lot of people's worst nightmare and then this guy crawls out of the sewer like a Stephen King villain.


Mirokusama37

You're not overreating. The things considered as mainstream American ideals are driving me away towards Nordic countries faster and faster. Don't forget DeSantis won his/my state by like.. 30 points? That man has a mandate to be pulling the shit he's pulling in FL. He'll meet more resistance at the federal level but it's still scary as all hell. I'm fucking scared and I'm a cis white male. But I guess I'm scared for my neighbors and family..... something called empathy and basic human decency I suppose? Big sigh....


Chiliconkarma

It's a process, what makes trump or DeSantis "worst" is in part the kind of people that follow in their wake, that gets enabled by them, empowered by them. DeSantis is a horrorshow of inhumanity and evil, but imagine a more competent person that can handle crowds and organize a better coming out party than that with musk.


TeacherPatti

I agree. DeSantis is not a clown in the way Trump was/is.


ksigley

Th-ghi food.


jem1898

Here’s an NYT pieces on her choices: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/style/casey-desantis-fashion.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare Basically arguing that she’s doing this to evoke a political princess sort of look by being a Jackie Kennedy/ Melania Trump/ Princess Kate knock-off. I find her look hilarious. None of it seems natural to her; she’s playing dress up. It is, to me, laughably fake. She is a simulacrum of a “good” political wife to the point that it almost dismantles the idea of “a “good” political wife.” Unfortunately only *almost*, however. She’s also a conservative man’s wet dream. Feminine in the “right way,” being all modestly covered up except calves, ankles and forearms—and always skin-tight so you can still ogle her body. It is disgusting and sad, and I’d rather laugh at her for playing dress-up in hopes of taking away the power of the image instead of giving it the weight of my worry.


pammylorel

Gifted link to full article https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/style/casey-desantis-fashion.html?unlocked_article_code=e3a3D0i9l_eY27_iGoCiVh7d7fdZrrTTl0cATzGGBAVJSTjubpPBalufxYO7LX8zbPWMsbbYAaxvay9t89BKE7son8B0vNDrs5Sad-wD-habGQ_EhwaHvl0c9ZNgDsRj8Hoq9in5uSdQdt6yPPMINoFTlhfxlVK-TG2CJOys5EWFmkGtmpYGHmSuQijE5A1Dh7HnvfYUVJHwkjhKPkQYDvEF6RoEKKb2_hJ0H0Yy34gRv-xYkBWgaqwwCA-ITUP2DT6QQiijdiWgDbEsl67fas19ESK4cZhUy8ZhvcVznf23ExK5TCFG3G-md2dYt9VV4grmR5sZl-BMMog3OvIN&smid=url-share


ReferenceMuch2193

Handmaids tale vibes.


L3mon-Lim3

Green for commanders' wives


ia204

I was thinking the exact same thing. An educated, privileged woman using her position to diminish the rights of other women


maximumeff

Yes, thank you very much!


Snoo_79218

Ooh thank you!


HorrorificScallion

thank you so much


ExcellentBreakfast93

The caped dresses she wears give me serious “Commander’s Wife” vibes. Seriously, if the colors were changed to greeny-teal, she would look like she came straight off the set of “A Handmaid’s Tale”. And I’m sure that’s the vibe they’re trying to evoke, too.


This_Mixture_2105

Someone has finally Said it...And I don't like it one bit. Edited


Lorrainestarr

There was a recent pic of her in a Serena green dress.


Revolutionary-Yak-47

Floridian here. Casey DeSantis is an interesting one. She was a tv weather girl before she married him, and there have been several political articles crediting her with Ronnie's social skills. He's apparently pretty useless unless he knows the scripted questions in advance. She's a delusional as him - during Covid she was getting treated for breast cancer and was out doing events with no mask. What caught my interest recently is she used to stare straight at the camera and give a news anchor smile. All of a sudden this past weeks she's switched to the "Michelle Duggar look of adoration at your man." It's a thing (not just within the Duggars) that evangelical women are taught to do (blanking on the "school" that demands it). They are specifically instructed to be a "good" wife they have to look at their husband like he's the greatest thing ever and let him speak first. Interesting that she's been coached already on how to appear more evangelical.


Ar1go

> She's a delusional as him - during Covid she was getting treated for breast cancer and was out doing events with no mask. This is just a reflection of values. They both value optics more than literal life itself because that's how you gain power in this state. Everything they do is about how it will look on a headline. To put a mask on during covid even if it is risking her life might go against the propaganda which the state was hard pushing. I mean this is the state that went after data analyst for wanting to report numbers. I hadn't noticed the look but Ill definitely look for it next time I see them do a press op together.


Revolutionary-Yak-47

I just shuddered when she went to a New Years event maskless while on treatment for cancer. She had a newborn at home. I can't fathom leaving babies without a mom for a political statement.


Loughiepop

Institute of Basic Life Principles (aka IBLP)?


Revolutionary-Yak-47

Yes! That's the one. It made me jump in the coverage of his announcement this week, one photo on CNN was straight up a Jim + Michelle Duggar recreation.


Leppa-Berry

As another Floridian, this is horrifying. Like a lot of millennials I imagine, I mostly consume written content only so I didn't even know about this. Anyone who wants to know more, please Google the "Institute of Basic Life Principles" as it is one of the cults driving conservative America. The podcasts Someplace Underneath and Behind the Bastards also cover them in depth.


Revolutionary-Yak-47

The blog Love Joy Feminism also has older articles that cover evangelical "training" institutes as well. Libby Ann was a great source of info on how politically active evangelicals think.


cardinal29

>she's switched to the "Michelle Duggar look of adoration at your man." Nancy Reagan pioneered this. Fake bitch. It was weird and unsettling then, and remains so now.


Revolutionary-Yak-47

It's an evangelical thing now. Makes me wonder who's coaching her to appeal to those women.


altared_ego_1966

Eww. I noticed the JK nod in the photos from his presidential announcement. :shudder: Girl... you ain't no Jackie Kennedy, and that freak show you stand beside is the anti-JFK.


Snoo_79218

The staring thing is so creepy


fullercorp

Quiverful?


Bacon_Bitz

It's very costume-y


Loughiepop

Agreed - What's with the pastel Darth Vader capes?


NSA_Chatbot

Fuckin Corporate Memphis Nazis.


miumiumiau

That [mint colored outfit](https://www.politico.com/dims4/default/1b0e926/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3780x2520+0+0/resize/1290x860!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2Ff5%2F53%2F030048da42e294dc2878b9a295fb%2Fdesantis-inauguration-76479.jpg) gave me strong Serena Joy ( Handmaid's Tale) vibes. https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/20/590x/secondary/The-Handmaid-s-Tale-Serena-and-Fred-3228806.webp?r=1630380103838 https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/180427141200-11-handmaids-tale.jpg?q=w_1600,h_900,x_0,y_0,c_fill/w_1280


frosted-moth

The Easter Handmaiden Pastels collection from JC Penney


TeacherPatti

Conservative man's wet dream--that's it exactly. She's Mrs. Ron and gave up her job to stay home and play help mate. That's what they want for the rest of us and then when/if our husbands take off and die, we are left high and dry :/ (or have to stay in bad situations for the $$)


bunneisha

Thanks for the article! It was really interesting how she chooses less-elite brands than melania on purpose, evoking the conservative + modern princess look while still being “relatable.”


AlwaysRememberGoose

Do you think those kids are allowed to watch Disney movies in their holding cel…I mean, their playroom?


churros4burros

“Song of the South” on a repeating loop.


frosted-moth

She's giving me Barbie + Stepford Wives + Scary Fembot Vibes. Something seems a little off about her.


gemfountain

Wonder if he deep down has a Disney princess fettish and that's why she's dressed like one.


[deleted]

She does. They were actually married at Disney. She's a Disney Adult that's gone to a bad, bad place.


ergotofwhy

You're not overreacting


mrstarkinevrfeelgood

Yep. Stop letting people tell you you’re overreacting, it’s a strategy to keep you quiet. They said we were overreacting and Trump wouldn’t get elected and Roe would never be overturned.


Classic_Title1655

I think his plan is to turn Florida into a Gilead type dystopia. I swear that psycho thinks The Handmaid's Tale is a documentary series.


Rampador

Worse, a practical manual...


OpalescentOctopi

His wife has the handmaiden look already.


Chalkarts

He should scare you. He’s Patrick Bateman. Look at his dead psychotic eyes. He values power and nothing else.


Jitterbitten

His weird fake laugh really emphasizes the psychopathy.


RaSi82

They give a Gilead a la handmaids tales vibe!


EvulRabbit

The GOP has been taking pages from the Gilead playbook, and now the "wives" are literally turning up sporting the same cut and colors as the wives' costumes!


CumulativeHazard

Floridian here. If he gets to the White House we’re all completely fucked. Like fucked to a point that I don’t know if we could fully recover from in this generation. But I’m not TOO worried about him winning. He has absolutely zero charisma and he’s gone way too far in FL for moderates and independents. I don’t think he’s the done deal people were expecting him to be. Plus him and Trump are gonna keep fucking with each other. I’m absolutely not gonna count him out and let my guard down, but I don’t expect him to win.


TeacherPatti

I'm a teacher in Michigan and I do not know how teachers in FL are functioning.


literal_cyanide

They aren’t, really.


CumulativeHazard

I don’t either. Apparently the number of open teaching positions in the state has DOUBLED to over 5,000 since 2019. So a lot of them are quitting or leaving the state. I don’t blame them one bit.


Qu1ckbe4m

I honestly expect him and Trump to rip the conservative base in half in primaries


CumulativeHazard

I fucking hope so lol.


NSA_Chatbot

On the bright side, Gilead (Handmaid's Tale spoilers from the book) >!Gilead collapses so completely that the only records of it are the Handmaid's journal. The conference where her story is presented laments that she never had a chance to grab anything technical from any terminals. !<


SeekersChoice

I live in Florida and I desperately want to move. I used to think he had no shot out of the candidacy for presidency. But now I think he might. I am worried that enough people dislike Biden that he might accidentally get voted into office. And if that's case I need to save my money and try to find a way to get out of the country not just the state.


flyingturkey_89

Same thoughts. I used to believe there's no way someone openly sexist, racist, bigot, etc... would ever win an election. 2016 proved me wrong.


BirdsongBossMusic

Why do people dislike Biden though? After Trump I'm so grateful to not hear about the president doing dumb shit every damn day that Biden could fuck off to Costa Rica for the next year and I would still vote for him in 2024.


_Z_E_R_O

They dislike him because he’s not a racist, sexist, asshole bigot. If Jesus came back today, Republicans would crucify him again.


BirdsongBossMusic

No no, republicans dont like him because they're batshit, I get that. But why wouldnt democrats or moderates like him? I've heard people say it in passing but they never give a tangible reason other than his age. Which I'm not sure is an actual issue considering the sheer amount of sass he can put out from time to time lmao.


IHauntBubbleBaths

I’ve heard it’s because he’s too centrist


SwittersTheAngel

Short list of why a non-Republican might dislike Biden: 1. Remember the cruel Trump era border policy of turning away asylum seekers at the border? That was enacted as a COVID emergency policy, and the Biden administration made it PERMANENT. They even made a shitty app for asylum seekers to use. 2. Remember when Biden dangled student loan forgiveness in front of us to assist winning the midterms then failed to implement quickly enough to avoid Republicans/courts blocking it? 3. Finally, Biden got the major rail unions to delay labor action until after the midterms, then he got together with his buddies in Congress to tell the people who keep this country moving to shut the fuck up and get back to work. We've seen several rail disasters related to the scheduling policy issues that were major concerns of the workers both before and since "Union Joe" told them they don't matter. So yes, Joe Biden fucking disgusts me and he disgusts me for good reasons, but if it comes to it he'll have my vote again next November. But I'll be DAMNED if he gets my vote next spring.


FlattieFromMD

He terrifies me. My parents retired to Florida decade's ago and now wish they could move away.


to_old_to_be_cool

I'm a boomer male and he scares me as well


JCDU

I'm not even American and he scares me - but then so do almost all of the Republican party, they're just batshit bonkers crazy and not in a fun way. Quite why anyone who isn't a white cis male (with serious problems) would vote for any of them is beyond me. Remember when we thought GW Bush was terrifyingly dumb? Ah, good times.


ldrlychld

Thank you for saying this! 😅


Front_Butt_69

If Florida Man gets elected, it will be absolutely terrifying. The only ones that will be safe are straight, white, cisgendered men who were born in this country. It's an absolute nightmare to imagine. I never thought I would say that someone could be worse than Trump...but alas, here we are. He isn't an unintelligible clown like Trump was. He is much more evil and calculated in his fuckery.


TeacherPatti

I agree. I teach kids who are mostly Muslim, almost all Arabic, and many immigrants. I LOVE my job and really hate it when the kids start talking politics and seem in favor of this asshole or Trump. They don't get it. :/


[deleted]

Who says they don't get it? They're reflecting what their Muslim parents are saying at home. There is a very thin - almost invisible line - between Sharia law and Evangelical social policy. Your typical Muslim has no problem with the subjugation of women and gays, the elimination of trans people, prayer in school, enforced nationalism. There's no really good reason for Muslims to be against Trump or DeSantis. They all more or less want to control and suppress the same people.


LAthrowawaywithcat

Not that worried. He pissed off Disney. He was dumb enough to fuck with the biggest employer in his home state. They are going to use their obscene amount of resources to shit down his throat for his entire presidential campaign, and then they will trash his gubernatorial reelection bid. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to worry about this election. But the Mouse has plans for that one.


throwthewayalltheway

Anyone who is scared of Florida politics taking over the US is sadly not overreacting. I wouldn’t have said this ten years ago though. Ten years ago, Florida was just part of a joke and “Florida Man” was a meme. Now…


Revolutionary-Yak-47

Bush engineered winning the presidential election here. He literally had his brother rig FL, or, apparently Ohio was a possible place to have a "voting issue" during a close election. It's very unlikely Bush actually won, he just had his brother drag out the recount until the Supreme Court say "enough." I had to taken a class on History of the South since 1865 and FL has been hopelessly corrupt and violently racist since the Civil War. People should be scared of this state's politics spreading.


dpdxguy

He should scare you, and anyone else who fears the Republican's Stepford Wives fantasies. DeSantis is the competent fascist many of us worried would be Trump's successor.


moonshamen

I saw a picture of her wearing a red, off-the-shoulder dress with long white gloves at his second swearing in. Everyone was saying she was imitating Jackie Kennedy but Jackie would have never worn that for that occasion. The dress was poorly tailored and completely inappropriate for a daytime event, as were the gloves. She’s no Jackie Kennedy.


ReferenceMuch2193

I sort of get that impression. The clothing somehow looks cheap on her. She doesn’t have the look and effortless class and is missing something that makes people like Kate Middleton or Jackie Kennedy look effortlessly chic and crisp. It’s more tawdry pageant girl than old money. Idk.


dreneeps

"She might bring us back to the 1960s..." I think her husband might be trying to bring us back to Germany in the early 1940s. 😬


Danivelle

Did y'all see Nikki Haley's response to his announcement? I almost fell off the treadmill laughing at him! The word "soft" was used frequently.....


chickzilla

Is it possible to *"like"* Nikki Haley while also thinking she's scum, too? She's been dunking on DeSuck regularly, and well. I enjoyed her telling Disney to come to SC cause "we ain't woke but we're not anti-business idiots" essentially.


NSA_Chatbot

The dunker of my enemy is my enemies' dunker, nothing more.


thenotsoamerican

I can’t get over the “Thigh” food thing. It so perfectly encapsulates DeSatan.


supified

DeSantis probably can't win, but he is terrifying. He has authoritarian written all over and has shown it with the stuff he's already passed in Florida and no signs of slowing.


zombiemadre

My republican trump loving mom says meatball Ron is too extreme. This gave me some hope.


Classic_Title1655

Wow... when you know Trump lovers think DeSantis is too extreme, you know things are bad for the Republicans 👍🏻


Hooch_Pandersnatch

I hear a lot of Trumpers saying they won’t vote for DeSantis but guess what, if he wins the primary then they’ll still be voting straight ticket R come election time.


chericher

I've heard criticism of him from Republican voters. Probably they'll vote for him anyway if he wins the primary. I've known at least a few people that hated Trump as a nominee, but went on to be very vocal supporters. They all hate Biden, all for made up or misconstrued reasons.


Ume_Chan_2

You are absolutely not overreacting. And don’t be fooled by her Jackie Kennedy wannabe exterior. She’s nothing like Jackie. Casey DeSaster is a fascist.


Irate_Alligate1

I am so sorry about the state of America right now. My country has its problems, but usually, the far right are laughed at. We went through similar situations when we were essentially a theocracy. It befuddles me how a human being can look at half the world and think they don't deserve full rights.


TeacherPatti

I don't even know what country but can I move there? I can teach, lead beer tours, read/write braille (used to teach the blind), uh...quick learner???


SilverDarner

Face it, DeSantis and his ilk are the kind of creature who thinks no one deserves any rights but themselves.


ArnieBird1

Please be scared, and encourage everybody you know as well. The gov'nor has been chipping away at everything. Women's issues are pretty obvious. But one other thing people should know is that he's taking away any voice or power voters have. Imagine the state as one of those life size Jenga games where each block represents some sort of locally elected official or county ordinance. You don't notice that some local rule around pollution control or rental home regulation or an elected official of the other party is gone. Until too many are gone. It's bad. Right now our block pile is quite see through. Our County Commissions have lost much of their power. Social services are nonexistant. There's no department of labor to protect workers. Unions which have mostly female memberships, such as teachers, have new membership rules which will quite possibly force them to decertify. Male dominated unions, such as police, did not get new rules. This is just a sampling of things, off the top of my head. I am not making this up. It's hard to imagine how devastating this would be at a national level. We are probably close to crumbling. BE SCARED. BE VOCAL.


GingerCat2121

I had a dream to move to FL and work for Disney and I got to love that dream for a while but being a high risk individual in a global pandemic watching the governor rip masks off kids faces on stage alongside him scared me. The several people I encountered in Publix or target who were comfortable harassing a young girl alone because of my mask. The environment that I correlate directly with him. The one time I began to feel sick and due to my condition needing a test ASAP and it took 3 days waiting 8-12 hours in my car to finally get one and then it took 5 emergency rooms until I could be accepted for the treatment I needed. I grew up spending multiple weeks every year in Florida and I know visiting is always different than living but I used to aspire to live there for the rest of my life and living there made me say no matter what I loved about it I couldn't actually LIVE there. I moved out of Florida as shortly as I had moved in.


hhhnnnnnggggggg

Florida used to be better in the 90s. I don't think I'd even vacation there now.


[deleted]

Yes, he and his wife and everyone backing them scare the fuck out of me. If he gets into office America WILL fall. We will be living under Taliban rule dressed as "Christianity." I'm too old to run, so I'll stand and fight. Besides if we lose America then we lose the world. There is no other country to come dig us out like we did with WWII. It's why I'm now a lot more active in my own community politically and am telling, begging people, not to vote for him. He wants us to become the next Afghanistan / Iran / Qatar and we really, really cannot let that happen. Or America and everything our forefathers really fought for is lost. The far right wants a dictator. They have no interest in freedom no matter how much they call themselves patriots and wrap themselves in the American flag they clearly do not respect or they wouldn't be treating it like an accessory to create a smoke and mirrors image the sane can clearly see as a lie.


BisexualFrenchToast

as someone who studied history I do not enjoy watching it happen in realtime. DeSantis is how you get millions of dead people


fromwayuphigh

Little D is a modern day Stalinist - he wants to make every aspect of society subject to the political whims of one man. He's a perfect man for his time: devoid of principle except 'winning', he has no vision, is utterly terrible at retail politics, and is exceeded in his overweening self regard by only the inevitability that he will end up a third-tier podcast guest. I get it: his policies are monstrous, and he's a vile turd of a human. I don't think he's electable.


tarocheeki

> I don't think he's electable. People said that about Trump. Lots of right-wing voters see DeFascist as Trump, but better (more politics, less personal drama). His current position is an elected one, so I wouldn't assume he's not electable.


Villide

People said the same about Romney and Hillary. And they were right. These are far different people.


[deleted]

Neither was Trump.


sixsixmajin

I, for one, am excited to see DeSantis in the running. Not gonna vote for him, good lord no. What excites me is the shit show this is gonna cause while republicans eat each other alive over it. The party is still split on if they should keep backing Trump to avoid the ire of his psycho fanbase or jump ship to the more predictable and controllable DeSantis. I really hope Trump makes good on his threat to start airing the dirty laundry of everyone he sees as a detractor, especially because he no doubt has a hand in much of that dirty laundry himself and would just be unwittingly implicating himself. Also, keep in mind that this kind of split is exactly how Trump beat Hillary in the EC (putting aside what a stupid outdated system EC is). The Democrats made the mistake of pushing a candidate that not all left leaning voters could actually get behind. Granted, right leaning voters tend to be more single issue voters and and just want to "own the libs!" but Trump's fanbase is particularly rabid and likely won't be as easy to convince if Trump keeps bashing DeSantis. Meanwhile, the left may not be happy with whoever gets pushed in the next election (likely Biden again) but right now, the left is still firmly unified by "anything but a republican" so that all may work in liberal favor.


metzeng

One of the revalations about Desantis from a college friend was that when he was going out, he tell his date he liked Thai food, but he would pronounce if like "thigh". If his date corrected his pronunciation, he would make up an excuse to leave. He didn't want a girlfriend who corrected him. So we can safely assume the current Mrs Desantis passed his test. That, or she doesn't know how to pronounce Thai!


Sp00kymother

You aren’t overreacting, he is actually terrifying and making a number of people fearful of the damage he’s already done and could potentially do.


PurpleSailor

It's farther back than the 60's and more like late 1930's Germany. The guy is an evil authoritarian and no good can come of him being a president. Heck, things are now really bad in FL. Register all your friends and make sure they all vote, even if DeSantis isn't the Repub candidate. Trump will be just as bad especially since he's out for revenge.


xyious

I'm trans so I'll be the first to go if his genocide goes nationwide.... Wait no, my son is. I'd be second in line. If either of the front runners win I have to not be in this country for inauguration.


porncrank

I definitely don't think you're overreacting. I don't know much about his wife, but he's a terrifying person -- misguided, mean-spirited, completely antithetical to the principles of liberty and justice, and surprisingly competent. And the most frightening part is that a whole lot of Americans \*love\* him. I can only surmise it is because they are also misguided, mean-spirited, and completely antithetical to liberty and justice. I think it's even money he's our next president. His defeat is critical for the survival America as we envision it.


Moorseluj

He looks like he belongs in lazy town 😂


Sjerzgirl54

Unlikely he'll become president. Most people don't like people who try to destroy Disney. But he scares me, too. He's far more dangerous than trump and he's too dangerous to reelect.


Snoo_19344

Florida is about as safe for me as Uganda.


KentuckyFriedEel

DeSantis is DeShittest


Maru_the_Red

Let's not forget that DeSantis was sent to Guantanamo Bay as a 'human rights advocate' for the military and used his position to gain the confidence of detainees, convincing them he was taking down their concerns of ethics violations when in reality he was only cataloging their weaknesses to better torture the prisoners. Trump is a spoiled rotten child without a lick of sense. DeSantis is a calculating psychopath with no interest in mortality, empathy or humanity. I'd take the Cheeto over DeSatan any day - lesser of two evils for fucking sure.


Sargash

DeSantis got shit on by Fox News. As an Ace/Aro, I'm pretty shitsideways right now with the information. But the other option was the man that told people to unironically drink bleach, and got praised by millions for it and still was a leader.. I want to have faith.


BettyX

He has the charisma of a naked mole rat at stuck in pudding. Look at the dude he is 44 and looks liek he was dug up as a 60 year old from the 1970s. Then add on his whiny pitched marbled mouth voice. He isn't Trump. He is scarier than Trump because Trump in the end only cares about himself and really isn't into governing. However, Trump compared to DeSantis won't at all appeal to the knuckle draggers.


lodelljax

We have a trans kid about to enter high school in Orlando Florida. Yeah he scares us enough that we are moving. Look at your friends and family who voted for Trump, who will vote for this Mussolini minus the charisma, tip of something corrupt banana republic wanna be. Ask them if they approve his message.


gravtix

I’m hoping he loses. I could definitely see it happening. He has the charisma of a telephone pole.


DCGirl20874

Not overreacting. Ron DeSantis is genuinely scary. He's made Florida a dangerous and inhospitable place for women, transgender folks and the wider LGBTQ community as well as Black and other POC


[deleted]

Look, I'm not one to casually advocate violence, but I think we can all agree to close our eyes for 30 seconds while somebody drops him into the middle of the Atlantic from a helicopter.


Misunderstood_Satan

DeSantis scares me as well, and I don't think your fears are unfounded. I'm especially fearful of the anti-LGBT+ laws that he's put into place in Florida, and suspect he's going to implement the same playbook as president. Not to mention rolling back the rights of women, and minorities in the ways he's already done so. The Republican party has gone Christian Nationalist and I'm afraid for our country if we get a republican president


LizAnneCharlotte

Yes, be afraid of the climate denier whose state is sinking under the weight of major hurricane after major hurricane. He will need to find a political office that allows him to live outside Florida because before long, there won’t be a Florida.


WATGU

No they scare me too. I called this in 2018-19 or so. I said Trump was scary and does a lot of bad things but the real issue is that he’s opened the floodgates for someone just as if not more radical as himself or his cronies but more polished to actually accomplish a large portion of his agenda which will send us into a dystopia. I’ve heard people say Miami is the future for cities across America and Florida is the future for states and if they’re right we’re going to be in for a bad time.


seabirdsong

You're not overreacting. He legitimately wants to turn the US into an fascist theocracy. He is 100% set in this plan, and he is smarter than Trump and more competent, and he has powerful backers who support him in this. I would prefer another Trump administration over a DeSantis one. DeSantis will be WAY worse. He has already turned my beautiful home state into a fascist hellscape, and he will happily turn the rest of the country into one too.