Here’s a story that no one exected to see, the Wall Street Journal wrote an editorial that flat-out praised Gov. Ron DeSantis. The truth is that they came really close to endorsing the candidate who is not really even an official candidate.
WSJ wrote: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has a reputation as a cultural brawler, ready and willing to throw a right hook at Mickey Mouse, the College Board, the national press. To many GOP voters, it’s part of his appeal. But as Mr. DeSantis readies a 2024 presidential campaign, what deserves to get more attention is the agenda he recently helped usher through Tallahassee.
Mr. DeSantis is blessed with Republican supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature, so he can’t claim total credit. Some planks of his platform are controversial among conservatives, and others could prove politically unpalatable to a national electorate. Yet there’s no denying that Mr. DeSantis gets things done. “The way we run the government, I think, is no daily drama, focus on the big picture, and put points on the board,” he once said.
The paper then proceeded to list some of the Florida governor’s accomplishments like universal school choice and sales tax exemptions for “family-focused” items such as “diapers, wipes, children’s clothing, cribs, and strollers.” And he signed a law that eliminates automatic deductions from paychecks to public sector unions and instead allows workers to pay directly.
The WSJ also wrote: No politician can please everyone. Yet this is a notable record of conservative governance in action, especially for a state that five years ago was politically up for grabs. Mr. DeSantis won in 2018 by a mere 32,500 votes, or less than 0.4%. In 2022 he won by 19 points.
Mr. DeSantis will need a broader agenda for national revival when he enters the presidential race. But his Florida record of accomplishment will appeal to Republican voters who want a President who can successfully govern.
If that is not an official endorsement, it is surely a huge win for DeSantis.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s pitch for 2024 is that he delivers results, without all the drama.https://t.co/Js80R7D5Is
— Wall Street Journal Opinion (@WSJopinion) May 15, 2023
