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We feel safe in assuming that many readers of this site are repelled by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). The readership leans highly educated, and nearly any educated person will be unhappy by the abuses of power, the culture wars stuff, the often overt bigotry, etc. Among all readers, well, the abuses of power are surely also a problem, and presumably the bigotry, too. We also have conservative readers who appreciate our honesty but surely even they don't like open warfare between a government official and a well-liked billion-dollar corporation. Most right-leaning folks believe that the business of America (or Florida) is business.
In 2026, DeSantis will be term-limited, and so will be succeeded by some other politician. Whoever it is surely has to be an upgrade, right? Maybe not. Yesterday, the news broke that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is laying the groundwork for a run at the governor's mansion.
It is not easy to out-DeSantis Ron DeSantis, but if there's anyone who can do it, it's Matt Gaetz. They are both ethically compromised. They both have a passion for owning the libs. They both like to bloviate about alleged enemies to the American way of life. They both have no problem doing harm to hundreds or thousands of people if it advances their political ends.
This is worth knowing because it puts everything Gaetz does in context. He's not just trying to get attention, or to raise money, he's actively working on a promotion, and trying to build a power base that will make that possible. No wonder he's getting more press these days than any representative not named Boebert. (When does Beetlejuice come to Miami?) And no wonder Gaetz is not only willing to shut the government down, he desires a shutdown, as he explained yesterday. After all, so what if hundreds of thousands of people have to go without, if it improves his gubernatorial chances by 0.2%?
In short, if you thought Gaetz was obnoxious already, you ain't seen nothin' yet. And it's not just Democrats to whom he is going to give plenty of headaches. The Representative is already in a state of war with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and it's surely only a matter of time (weeks? a few months?) until Gaetz tries to vacate the chair. Even if that fails, Gaetz can tell his constituents, and his would-be constituents, that he's done everything possible to fight the good fight against the deep state, including fighting RINOs like McCarthy. (Z)