Ian Haworth of the Washington Free Beacon gleans useful information from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new book.
“Most Americans instinctively know that something has gone wrong with our country over the past generation.”
That’s how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R.) opens his new book, The Courage to Be Free. He identifies the malefactors as a collection of elites who have “alienated vast swaths of Americans,” a Democratic Party that has “transformed into what can only be described as a woke dumpster fire,” and a bipartisan D.C. establishment riddled with inaction and ineptitude that has left many Republican voters feeling “unrepresented by the GOP.”
This is, in case there were any illusions, a campaign book. It allows DeSantis to introduce himself to readers and make the case for himself as a presidential contender. …
… Here, the 44-year-old Florida governor previews some of the arguments we can expect to see on the campaign trail. He makes a tacit case for a governor as president, arguing that “legislators play an important role in our system, but they are not really required to lead—they cast votes that reflect their philosophies, but the buck does not stop with them.”
A governor, by contrast, “must have a strong sense of true north to guide him, but that sense must be coupled with the ability and willingness to lead with conviction.” …
… The only veiled criticisms of the former president come in the contrast he draws with his own leadership. DeSantis writes that he has “no desire to be flattered” and that his “office could not run effectively if it had habitual leaking of information.” He expresses frustration “with all the missed opportunities of the Republican Congress after Donald Trump became president.”
DeSantis’s own political origin story dates back to 2012, where he describes campaigning as an underdog, arguing that his victory as a political unknown hinged on the hours spent campaigning door-to-door learning about “the concerns of voters in an unfiltered way.”
