Opinions to go Online

Gov. Ron DeSantis has checked a bunch of boxes already for a presidential run in 2024. They range from disingenuous uses of “freedom,” divisive, insulting “anti-woke” politics and “cancel culture” assaults to increasing time in the Fox News Green Room and having a well-timed book out during a trip to Iowa, the first GOP primary/caucus state. And somehow he’s added drag queens as a partisan-agenda target. Maybe a shout-out to Dilbert is next.

He’s also checked overlapping boxes for authoritarian-in-chief—from demonizing mainstream media to scapegoating ideological adversaries to manipulating the heavy hand of big government—from state universities to local school boards to COVID protocols.

And it hardly helps when a municipal election, such as Tampa’s, has a turnout of 13 percent. That’s just what a wannabe authoritarian wants: a signal that locals don’t care enough or know enough to even vote in their presumptive best interest.

But there are some DeSantis uncertainties besides Donald Trump’s legal scenarios and his Reich-wing constituency’s fealty to their cult leader. First, serious presidential candidates need some foreign policy chops. DeSantis is chopless—as was underscored by his inexplicable reference to the Ukraine war as a “territorial dispute.” At best, that’s incredulously naive. At worst, it’s a form of appeasement: more Neville Chamberlain than Donald Trump.

Another problematic concern is his personality. DeSantis is charisma-challenged, a trait anathema to retail politics. Some things you can’t change—no matter how excessive the ambition.

A federal judge has struck down this state’s ban on lobbying by elected officials. Seriously? What possible conflict of interest could result?

* “The Democrats desperately need a younger, smoother, smarter set of public faces for their party if they’re going to compete.”–Former Republican—now independent—political strategist Rick Wilson. Wish I could disagree.

* “With the GOP still careening into crazy, the Democrats are the only hope for rationality in the future. And a Biden/Klobuchar or Biden/Whitmer or Biden/Booker ticket would be a much safer bet. … Biden cannot dump Kamala Harris, but she could withdraw.” Mona Charen, The Bulwark.

* Talk about no-win politics: The Biden Administration, which is challenged to keep its progressives in line, approved a massive oil development in northern Alaska. More importantly, it’s also a no-win for the environment with a projected addition of at least 260 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions over 30 years.

* President Biden will be delivering the eulogy of former President Jimmy Carter, who remains in hospice care.

* The Biden Administration has announced it will grant Florida an additional $2.7 billion in disaster relief from HUD through its new Office of Disaster Management and Office of Disaster Recovery. The funding will go to under-served communities still recovering from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

* Over the years, it’s still the most memorable graffiti I’ve ever encountered. It was 1980s Cuba, and I was in a cab heading for the University of Havana and those iconic steps. And then I saw “Abajo Batista Asesino (“Down with Batista, the assassin”) on a nearby wall. Wow. All these years later, it was still there. I tapped the cab driver on the shoulder and pointed it out—as well as my shock. His nonchalant response: “Oh, yeah, and they repaint it every two years.” Bada bing.

* Just wondering: If all you did were curls when you went to the gym, would that make you a biceptual?

* When I see specialty license plates for the Bucs, Bolts, Bulls and Rays, I’m reminded that they represent more than proud, supportive-fandom drivers. It’s also uber mobile, de facto marketing. Shouldn’t the extra costs be borne—or shared—by the brands?

* Here’s a t-shirt on sale at a local pet-and-vet store for dogs: “Don’t Mess With Texas, But Definitely Don’t F**k With Florida.” There’s no escaping it.

* “Nikki Haley (51) isn’t in her prime, sorry.” That was CNN’s Don Lemon, who is among those at the network who are sorry he made that stupid ageism comment. After “formal training,” Lemon, 56, is now back on the air while he’s still in his male prime.

* Sometimes having free movie tickets isn’t enough. Case in point: “80 For Brady.” It gives silly a bad name. One consolation: Rita Moreno, at 90, still impresses.

* “Journalism’s first rule: Never overlook the obvious. … Journalism’s second rule: Be wary of information that seems to confirm what you have been wishing for.”–Retired CBS News journalist Bob Schieffer.

* “Fox is not a news channel. It is the Right’s Pravda.”–Mona Charen, The Bulwark.

* Will Dominion Voting System’s lawsuit make any difference to Fox? Likely not. It would have to change its business model. But Dominion’s legal filings further underscore that Fox is much more unfair and unhinged than “fair and balanced.”

* Because recent SNL host Woody Harrelson was hammered by the media for embarrassingly winging it in his opening monologue, little attention was given to the cold opening. It was Trump in East Palestine, Ohio. Unfunny is not unfamiliar at SNL, but what poor taste to try and find humor in a traumatic, toxic train derailment.

* Movie biographies and histories are either “based” on real events or “inspired” by them. You can tell the difference.

* Marketing bonus: Time magazine has ranked Tampa, “Florida’s city du jour,” among 50 of the “world’s greatest places.” Highlights include the Water Street development, a five-star (Tampa Edition) hotel and Sparkman Wharf. Also noted: a world-class airport and proximity to St. Petersburg and Pinellas beaches.

* In addition, Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park was among USA Today’s Top 10 zoos in the U.S. Zoo Tampa is now recognized as a leader in conservation, animal care and education.

* “Rithm at Uptown”: the rebranded name for University Mall.

* “Demand for tech talent remains at an all-time high in Tampa.”--Angel Gonzalez, chairman of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council.

* Ron DeSantis: “Woke ideology is a form of cultural Marxism.”–What would Karl say? Hell, what would Groucho say?

* DeSantis in Iowa: “We will never surrender to the woke mob,” but, yeah, we’ll yield to the “freedumb” crazies any time.

* Desantis in his State of the State speech: “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” True. We ain’t seen nothing worth seeing yet.

* “I’ve never seen a governor in my lifetime with this much absolute control of the agenda in Tallahassee as Ron DeSantis.” Lobbyist–and DeSantis supporter–Brian Ballard.

* Too bad New College’s pass-fail grading doesn’t apply to its board or its president.

* Florida’s cruise industry handles about 60 percent of all U.S. passenger traffic. The state recorded 10.77 million passengers in 2022–41 percent fewer than 2019, the last full year before the pandemic. “I think we’ll beat ‘19 this year,” predicts Florida Ports Council President and CEO Michael Rubin.

* “He who hesitates, loses.” Lightning founder and Hall of Famer Phil Esposito.

* “Reggie,” a revealing documentary on baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, is due out this week. Among the details that it might not mention: Jackson graduated from the same high school, suburban Philadelphia’s Cheltenham H.S., as Benjamin Netanyahu. The future Israeli prime minister was living with his family while his father taught at a local college.

* “(I would) clean house of all the (Ukrainian) warmongers and AMERICA-LAST globalists.”—Donald Trump projecting his foreign policy priorities should he reclaim the presidency.

* In expectation of his Manhattan arrest, Trump issued a “TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” protest call for his supporters. Alas, there’s a frightful precedent.

* According to former VP Mike Pence, the Trump Administration’s “greatest accomplishment” was installing three Republican Justices on the Supreme Court and overturning Roe v. Wade. And that’s how a philandering, amoral cad gets the hypocritical, evangelical vote.

* At the CPAC gathering, Kari Lake, 53, the Arizona Republican who lost her recent gubernatorial race, won the straw poll for vice president—over Ron DeSantis. Donald Trump won the presidential straw poll. Now speculation is ratcheting up as to whom Trump would really like as a running mate. Reportedly under consideration besides Lake: former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley; Arkansas Gov. Sarah *uckabee Sanders; and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

* “Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis or Tim Scott will be the Republican nominee for president.” Republican political consultant Alfredo Rodriguez. South Carolina Sen. Scott–from “cotton to Congress”– is the only black Republican in the Senate.

* “With public trust, all things are possible, and without it, nothing is possible.”–Abraham Lincoln.

* “Vladimir Putin will forever be marked as a pariah globally. He has lost all his political credibility around the world.”–Former international prosecutor David Crane, in the aftermath of the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes.

* “He’s not a hero. He’s an anti-hero” who has done his best to “get your sons to Ukraine to die on behalf of his country.”–Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, in criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

* “The consequences of Ukraine in the European Union will be complicated, even explosive. But it will be politically impossible to reject it.”–Thomas Gomart, director of the French Institute of International Relations.

* “China must now help us to put pressure on Russia.”–French President Emmanuel Macron, who will travel to China next month.

* “Let me be clear: Norfolk Southern will pay for cleaning up the mess they created and for the trauma they’ve inflicted on this community.”–EPA Administrator Michael Regan, in reference to the train derailment and chemical burn in East Palestine, Ohio.

* “Democracy requires more of its citizens than any other form of government.”–Former CBS News commentator Eric Sevareid.

* “It’s heart-breaking to see politicians trying to prevent students from learning about history, arts and culture, contributions and experiences of African Americans—especially when Black history is a vital part of our shared American story.”–U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.

* “I know I hurt a lot of people when I was young. I really messed up. But I know Ron DeSantis has done a lot worse. … He’s put his foot on our necks.”–Among the last words of executed killer Donald Dillbeck.

* “As far as I can see, it’s euthanasia. … Everybody has a death sentence.”–Steven Lorenzo, after being sentenced to death in Tampa.