Appearing on Fox News Radio with host Guy Benson on Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis referred to President Biden as a “doddering, quasi-senile president who has to have his press team clean up his remarks after every time he opens his mouth versus somebody like me who’s out there — I’m very direct, I say what I mean, I mean what I say, I lead and I get things done.”
DeSantis noted that the GOP had about 300,000 less voters in 2018 when DeSantis was elected governor in 2018, but now “Florida Republicans now outnumber Democrats by over 100,000 registrants.”
“So you’re looking at close to a 400,000-registration swing,” DeSantis asserted. “And the thing is, is I thought we could catch them by my election at the end of this year, in November. We caught them in November of 2021. And so then I’m like, man, maybe we’ll be 50,000 to 100,000 up by the election. We’re already at 100,000. So that this pace, we could be 200,000 to 250,000 registrants ahead. “
He spoke of the upcoming presidential election: “And I think here’s why it matters for elections in Florida, mid-term elections for sure but even presidential. Registered Republicans turn out at higher rates than registered Democrats. And then a Republican like me, I’m going to get a higher percentage of registered Republicans than the Democrat will get of registered Democrats. You know we still have legacy Democrats who are — who are pretty conservative. And so, functionally it used to be Democrats outnumbered us, we had a turnout advantage, and then you’d kind of fight in the middle. That was why Florida was really a swing state. Well, now, we have a — we’re building a big registration advantage and the turnout advantage. And then I think this — “
Benson interjected, “You’re leading among independents as well.” Aware of the fact that in 2014 the GOP’s Rick Scott won Florida by only 1 percentage point and that DeSantis squeaked through in 2018 by a mere 40,000 votes, Benson asked, “What counts as a blowout in this state? Six points?”
“Oh, who knows … Florida’s a tough state. It’s always a tough state to kind of get your — because there’s many moving parts,” DeSantis answered. “And we’ve always been a transient state. But I think now, being able to capture such a rapid change — and it is an ideological migration that is skewing very heavily to Republicans. Like, we don’t really know.”
“Is this state — is your leadership in this state a model, do you think, for other Republicans around the country at the state level and maybe nationally?” Benson queried.
“Well, I certainly think we’ve been willing to lead with purpose and conviction without worrying about whether it was safe to lead or not. Like, I have not conducted a single poll since I’ve been governor. I just do what I think is right,” DeSantis said.
Asked if he used focus groups to help him make decisions, DeSantis answered, “Never, not once. … I have not done a single poll.”
“So how do you make these decisions then?” Benson asked.
“I make them based off the facts, the data and my convictions,” DeSantis replied. “And my view is like, you know, if I polled you and like 10 of your friends on an issue, that’s a static analysis. That doesn’t tell me that if I set a vision, and I execute the vision then where will you guys come out. … I’m moving people. I’m showing them that this is how a state should be governed. So I think what we’ve been willing to do is, you know, we do not let corporate media trim our sails. We’re willing to stand up against woke corporations, which, quite frankly, a lot of Republicans have been more corporate Republicans that defer to some of these corporations. Look, I want a limited government. I want a free enterprise economy. But when these big corporations are using their economic power to try and impose leftist ideologies, like in my state, we fight back on that. And then I think we’ve been strong at fighting back against Biden.”
Benson asked DeSantis about California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom ripping him. DeSantis replied, “First I would say how many people are moving from his state, fleeing to come to mine for freedom versus vice-versa? And I guarantee you we win in the net — in migration people are leaving California in numbers we’ve never seen because of his failed policies.”
“The slings and arrows from Democratic politicians, from the national media, from the White House,” Benson noted. “I mean, you have been called out from the podium by the president himself. My conclusion is they see you as a threat to their power. Are they right to see you as a threat nationally?”
“Well, look, I mean, I think if you look at what we’ve done to fight back against Brandon so far, you know, we succeed,” DeSantis stated. “I mean the contrast between a doddering, quasi-senile president who has to have his press team clean up his remarks after every time he opens his mouth versus somebody like me who’s out there — I’m very direct, I say what I mean, I mean what I say, I lead and I get things done.”
“You know, they understand that people view Florida as really being the leader of our country in many respects, we’re really leading the free world in many — I mean, I have people from Canada that will come here that will write in to me, Australia, Europe — and they say, we look to Florida as the new citadel of freedom,” DeSantis continued. “They’re not looking to Joe Biden for that because they know that he’s just not capable of producing the type of leadership that they do.”
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest growing conservative media companies for breaking news, investigative reporting, sports, podcasts, in-depth analysis, books, and entertainment for a reason: because we believe in what we do. We believe in our country, in the value of truth and the freedom to speak it, and in the right to challenge tyranny wherever we see it. Believe the same? Become a member now and join our mission.
Source: Dailywire
