Four years ago the voters of Florida nearly elected Andrew Gillum as their governor.
Gillum was a Tallahassee politician with a history of questionable ethics. He did not mind using taxpayer dollars for his personal benefit. The Florida Democratic Party and Charlie Crist campaigned for Gillum and warned the voters that DeSantis as Governor would be a disaster for the state.
Let’s take a moment to imagine if Gillum had been elected Governor. When Covid-19 hit, Gillum would have been in lockstep with those who wanted to shut down the economy in Florida. (Remember the Manatee County commissioners that closed your county boat ramps.) It is hard to believe how so many officials were quick to follow questionable science and fear mongering while throwing common sense out the window.
In contrast, DeSantis used science and common sense to adapt reasonable precautions that protected the vulnerable and allowed our state economy to survive. His approach kept many small businesses alive and kept many Floridians employed. Think of the many northern states that shut down small businesses and allowed the huge monopolies to grow.
DeSantis’ use of science and common sense in his decision-making process took courage. He was lambasted by the national and local press for not following the edicts of Anthony Fauci. A leader in the Florida Democrat Party roamed Florida beaches dressed as the embodiment of death warning how beach goers were destined to die from Covid-19 because of DeSantis failure to shut down all beaches. Undeterred, DeSantis continued to steer a course that protected Floridians while not destroying our economy.
The media will never admit they were wrong about DeSantis and they will be quick to bestow their praises on Charlie Crist, the next Gillum wannabe.
Floridians should remember that DeSantis, while not perfect, led our state through a turbulent crisis and his guidance allowed us to survive with a strong economy.
Bob Spencer
Publisher
Manatee Herald
publisher@manateeherald.com
