DeSantis Goes on Offensive Against Reporter Over Slavery Curriculum

The new strategy of Ron DeSantis has become apparent in the past few weeks.

While the Florida governor is still doing interviews with friendly faces like Megyn Kelly, he’s no longer shunning the mainstream press. Instead, the Florida governor seems intent on battling them out in the open. A newsmaking interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper was one recent example. Now, DeSantis is bringing back his adversarial pressers.

  • REPORTER: Did slavery have any positive aspects?
  • GOVERNOR DESANTIS: This is not what the curriculum says
  • REPORTER: What do you think?
  • GOVERNOR DESANTIS: The curriculum is clear. You can’t even read 200+ pages full of different things? Have you read the book?
  • REPORTER: So what’s your opinion?
  • GOVERNOR DESANTIS: Have you read the book?
  • REPORTER: I want to know your opinion.
  • GOVERNOR DESANTIS: But you haven’t read it. So I’m just making that clear.

This is a very vivid description of the injustices associated with slavery. Anyone who reads that and listens to Kamala will know she is lying. And that particular provision regarding the skills was not due to slavery but because of it. This was also the point made in other courses, and even on the AP course. Nobody said anything. Dr. Allen will tell you, “This is the language that was used in the postbellum when these people were doing things.” So, it was very, clear and people could read it. They did a good job, and it’s clear where they stand on the issue.

This whole thing continues to be ridiculous. Florida’s Black History Curriculum was written by an all-black panel. The members of the panel did not produce anything that was outside the norm. On Wednesday, it was shown that the original AP class, which Kamala had demanded Florida to adopt, made the exact same claim as the one that has caused so much fake outrage. This attack is manufactured in every way. DeSantis would be wise to go on the offensive.

My general opinion is that Republicans should avoid the mainstream media. While this is a great way to work in the office, it may not be the best way to run an election. Why would you give CNN ratings and fodder in peacetime when there is nothing to gain? We are not in peacetime and any candidate that wants to be in the news in January must find a creative way to do so.

When was the last time that you saw Nikki Haley and Tim Scott making news on their own? I’m not talking about making news just because they attended an event with Tucker Carlson. I don’t mean they made news by showing up at an event with Tucker Carlson. Scott and Haley remain largely inconspicuous, avoiding any situation that could get their faces in the media. They both have the support of around three percent.

Take the other extreme. Donald Trump’s arrests have placed him at odds with the extreme left, and in a position where he can be defended by voters in primaries. This is one of the main reasons why he’s currently the frontrunner and may remain that way for the rest of the race.

DeSantis’ strategy cannot be to spend the entire day slapping Trump because his opponent isn’t someone that most Republican voters dislike. This is a lose-lose scenario, especially because there are different rules for the primary based on prior dynamics. Trump can do anything he wants, and it doesn’t matter. DeSantis does not have that luxury and must accept it.

In contrast, going on the offensive against the mainstream media keeps the governor’s name in the spotlight, but it works in his favor. In this way, he can get his message out to the public while also portraying himself as someone who will not back down when pressed. He’s also doing it with a Republican who Republicans despise.

I can understand that some people will have a more nuanced view. DeSantis is advised to avoid such controversies because they could alienate voters in the general election. Politics can be a cynical sport, but as Trump demonstrated in 2016, any press is good news. The first step is to win the primary. If primary voters believe that a Republican candidate has been unfairly targeted, then they will be more open to this candidate. There is nothing wrong with Kamala Harris being on the opposite side of a debate.

The Iowa caucuses are still very far away, and if DeSantis wants to make it there, his best bet is to focus on his early state-level operations while continuing to do adversarial interviews. Lastly, he needs to disengage from the online slap-fighting going on between Republicans because that game is rigged against him. There is no other path to victory, and even then, he’s the underdog.

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