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Alien? Robot? Alien Robot? What IS DeSantis? [1]

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Date: 2023-09-28  

Well, the second GOP Presidential candidate debate is in the books and naturally we are, even with everything else going on in spin/who won and who lost? part of things. I’ll admit. I didn’t watch. I assumed that with the possible (ok, probable) exception of Chris Christie no one would take any shots at Trump since with the exception of Christie they all want to be VP. Or would settle for a Cabinet appointment. The thing is, Trump has already said NONE of them will get even that from him. As for DeSantis who was, before he actually launched his campaign and started to actually campaign considered the only credible challenger last night wasn’t exactly the breakout moment his floundering campaign needs.

I’ve seen some mixed reactions today. While the news biz is trying not to prematurely cream their jeans hyping a Biden vs. Trump rematch there’s still months to go before the primaries and the only “horse race” they can obsess over is who can challenge Trump. “Bless their hearts” (if you’ve ever heard a southern gal say that in a certain tone you know it’s not a kind remark) the powers-that-be seem to have decreed that by golly DeSantis might still emerge as a credible alternative to Trump. Someone Trump has to actually worry about. As Stan from South Park would say: “Really? REALLY?” I swear sometimes DeSantis seems like the MAD TV character “Smith Comma John, Presidential candidate (totally human and NOT an alien) or a robot. Or maybe an alien robot left behind by not as advanced as they think would-be alien overlords to subjugate humanity.

Whatever. DeSantis was, well DeSantis last night and the news executives noticed. So they are trying to prop him up. This article from Newsweek is typical. Criticism is tempered with commentary by folks like Tom Preston from University of North Georgia:

“IN THE FRAY, DESANTIS, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HIS CENTRAL POSITION ON STAGE, WAS ABLE TO BEST FOCUS ON PAST ACHIEVEMENTS IN AREAS SUCH AS CRIME AND EDUCATION IN FLORIDA, WHICH HE SUGGESTED AS BENEFICIAL TO THE UNITED STATES,” PRESTON TOLD NEWSWEEK. “HOWEVER, POSSIBLY NOT WELL ENOUGH TO CHALLENGE TRUMP, WHO CAN COUNTER TO THE GOP CORE HIS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS PRESIDENT.”

Or conservative radio host and former NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch who went on twitter/X to say DeSantis won the debate:

HE SHOT DOWN BAD FAITH ARGUMENTS WITHOUT SEEMING UNPLEASANT AND HIT BACK WITH A RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENTS WHILE REJECTING CLOWN SHOW OVERTURES. EVERYONE ELSE ON THAT STAGE IS AUDITIONING FOR VP, CABLE NEWS, OR A PUBLISHER.

The article also quoted Iowa (ah, that first test state) State Representative Taylor Collins blathering about how DeSantis doesn’t just talk about things but actually gets them done. (Keep in mind DeSantis says he wants to do for the country what he’s done to FL. No thanks. I’ll PASS!) Granted, the article does note is wasn’t all sunshine and roses, noting that while he didn’t exactly blow it treading water isn’t what he needs at this point – that if a candidate isn’t gaining momentum then someone else is going to take whatever they have managed to build. And it concludes:

“RON DESANTIS HAD A BETTER DEBATE THAN THE FIRST BUT PROBABLY DID LITTLE TO CHIP AWAY AT TRUMP’S LEAD IN THE POLLS,” DAVID B. COHEN, A PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON IN OHIO, TOLD NEWSWEEK. “IN THE END THIS IS JUST KABUKI THEATER—TRUMP HAS BUILT A LARGELY INSURMOUNTABLE LEAD. ABSENT SOMETHING CRAZY HAPPENING, HE WILL EASILY WIN THE NOMINATION.”

I did however see a rather pointed critical article from Huffington Post that addressed DeSantis’ failure on a hugely important topic – insurance. The article notes that the issue has gotten plenty of attention both within the state of Florida and from outside so one would think Ron would be prepared. (While only health insurance was addressed property insurance is a pretty freaking big and steadily worsening problem down there too!) He wasn’t. Eleven percent of Floridians lack health insurance and as the article notes the reason is simple. Like several other states FL has insisted continuously on rejected the Medicaid expansion offered by the Affordable Health Care Act. In fact, FL has the stingiest requirements. Again, this isn’t anything new so it’s not like DeSantis isn’t familiar with the issue. Maybe he didn’t think he’d be asked about it but he was and quite directly. To what should be no one’s surprise it was another deer in the headlights moment for him:

BUT ON THE DEBATE STAGE WEDNESDAY NIGHT, INSTEAD OF EXPLAINING HIS POSITION ON MEDICAID EXPANSION OR HEALTH CARE POLICY, DESANTIS LAUNCHED INTO A RAMBLING ARGUMENT ABOUT HOW INFLATION WAS DRIVING UP THE COST OF GROCERIES AND GAS BEFORE FINALLY OFFERING A BOILERPLATE LINE ABOUT ATTACKING “BIG PHARMA, BIG INSURANCE AND BIG GOVERNMENT” IN ORDER TO HAVE “MORE POWER FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP.”

To his credit Varney followed up and asked rather pointedly why FL was worse than the national average on this, to which DeSantis again deflected with calling Florida a “dynamic state, then continuing:

“YOU CAN DO WELL IN THE STATE, BUT WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE LIKE CALIFORNIA AND HAVE MASSIVE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ON GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS WITHOUT WORK REQUIREMENTS,” DESANTIS RESPONDED. “WE BELIEVE YOU WORK, AND YOU’VE GOT TO DO THAT. AND SO THAT GOES FOR ALL THE WELFARE BENEFITS.”

This type of stock b.s. is the best that can be expected from DeSantis. The man simply doesn’t CARE about people. Watching him pretend to is a painful and sometimes disturbing exercise. That smile in the title pic isn’t the only strange, weird smile but we’ve seen it from him more than once hence my headline wondering if he’s really human. If he IS an alien being who’s mind has been implanted with human stuff, or a robot that’s programmed to look and sound human there are two emotions that seem to have been properly installed – anger and self-righteousness. Virtually all of us have experienced and expressed the first and all-too-many of us have expressed the second at times. Most of us when we’ve done so come to feel badly, and even apologize for having gotten that way. Not DeSantis.

As for the rest of the range of human emotions? I really have to wonder. Look, charisma isn’t the most important thing for a person in high political office needs either as a candidate or elected official. It does in fact matter because the higher the office, the more a leady needs to be able to connect to people to reassure them. Or in better circumstances inspire. Such is the nature of leadership. DeSantis simply can’t relate to other people.

He is NOT normal in his interactions with voters out on the campaign trail. Or even in larger events where he doesn’t have to interact with individuals. Well, a debate moderator(s) or other candidates but you know what I mean. Even giving speeches or talking to some large group from a stage/platform at a county fair or even at a natural disaster Ron comes across as being as phone as a three-dollar bill. Hell, sometimes I wonder if he can even feel and express a normal range of human emotions with family and friends! However, it’s clear that whether one-on-one with voters he’s just met while out trying to campaign, or at some event/debate on TV the guy simply isn’t all there when it comes to possessing actual humanity.

He’s awkward, at least when he’s lucky. Often (again that “smile”) he’s downright creepy.

I find it easy to imagine whatever is in his cranial space saying (say it in an old, monotone robotic voice) “Compute proper human response. Situation calls for smile. Attempt to adjust facial architecture to resemble human smiling.”

I get that major news outlet’s owners/managers have some unhappy rich folks who spent money on advertising and are unhappy about the money they’ve thrown down the DeSantis form President dry hole. And the pressure is on to somehow prop DeSantis up as the Trump alternative – which might well be needed once the trials start.

But still… Someone/something THIS weird? This CREEPY weird?

(Originally posted on politizoom.com)

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