They make an odd political couple, however Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Biden have been pressured by Hurricane Ian to work collectively and keep away from politicizing their response to the lethal pure catastrophe.
DeSantis and Biden, potential 2024 rivals, have fastidiously walked a tightrope since Ian reduce a swath of devastation by way of the state of Florida, setting apart their gaping political variations.
The Republican governor, simply weeks after drawing nationwide consideration for arranging planeloads of Texas migrants to fly to Martha’s Vineyard, is aware of the nation is watching his response to the storm, ready for a gaffe or a political outburst. One false step would carry a torrent of criticism from the liberal media and Democrats.
There hasn’t been one but. The Florida governor can’t afford to play politics and presumably jeopardize his 2024 presidential hopes.
“We live in a very politicized time, but you know, when people are fighting for their lives, when their whole livelihood is at stake, when they’ve lost everything, if you can’t put politics aside for that, you’re just not going to be able to do so,” DeSantis mentioned in an look on Fox News.
Would former President Donald Trump have ever have been able to saying that? Probably not.
DeSantis toured the wreckage from Ian on Friday, in a press convention carried stay on cable networks. He is attempting to be level-headed, saying he has spoken with Biden greater than as soon as and the president on Thursday steered extra federal cash to the state by declaring components of Florida a serious catastrophe.
“At the end of the day, I view this as something that you’ve got folks that are in need, and local, federal and state, we have a need to work together,” DeSantis mentioned at one in every of his many press availabilities.
Democrats have been declaring that when he was a congressman, DeSantis voted in opposition to federal reduction for New Jersey and New York after Hurricane Sandy, saying he was being hypocritical by now accepting assist from the federal authorities.
But DeSantis has not taken the bait, and made a degree of claiming he was in touch with Biden. Biden even mentioned he would meet with DeSantis “if he wants” to satisfy.
DeSantis’ response is a stark distinction to the way in which his new Republican rival, the previous president, dealt with pure disasters. Trump was typically criticized for his dealing with of hurricanes just like the one which pounded Puerto Rico throughout his White House tenure.
DeSantis, who’s now feuding with Trump as he plans his personal presidential run in two years, doesn’t wish to get trapped into being one other Trump.
The Florida governor, who’s up for re-election this November, has change into the Democrats’ primary goal since he started stepping up his 2024 machine.
Besides his strikes to place a highlight on unlawful immigration, DeSantis has fought federal masks mandates on account of COVID-19 and saved the state open in opposition to federal well being tips.
And just some months in the past, DeSantis drew extra nationwide consideration by selecting a battle with Disney over the media large’s opposition to the brand new state regulation critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”
These hot-button points have made DeSantis a star in conservative Republican circles and put him on a collision course with Trump.
And now after Ian blasted Florida, the stakes are even greater for DeSantis.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”