Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was condemned at every step of the way for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. But Florida’s handling of the virus has been superb, while media darling Andrew Cuomo and lockdown fanatic Gavin Newsom have done terribly.
California’s coronavirus cases are surging, despite Newsom doubling down on strict lockdown measures. While Florida opened schools in August, California is still pushing for a return in February 2021. With its strict mask mandates and business restrictions, California is a coronavirus hot spot, seeing the most cases per 1,000 people of any state over the last seven days. Florida, with no statewide business restrictions, is 28th.
New York is also faring worse than Florida right now, as it has been for most of the pandemic. DeSantis was attacked by establishment media for his handling of the pandemic, which saw Florida avoid coronavirus deaths relatively well for a state with a larger elderly population. Meanwhile, Cuomo got to go on a friendly media tour, including clowning around with CNN “anchor” Chris Cuomo, his brother. This, despite overseeing one of the worst coronavirus responses of any governor.
But it’s DeSantis’s leadership that truly sets him apart from his liberal counterparts. When asked if he would take the coronavirus vaccine, DeSantis reiterated the principle of protecting the elderly and vulnerable populations that have made Florida’s response successful. “What I’ve said is, I’m willing to take it, but I am not the priority,” DeSantis said, “Granted, I’m an elected official, but whoop dee doo. At the end of the day, let’s focus on where the risk is.”
A glaring lack of leadership has marred both New York and California this year. Cuomo did his book tour victory lap after his policies led to New York having the most nursing home deaths of any state. Just like Cuomo was caught maskless repeatedly while demanding New Yorkers wear them, Newsom was caught celebrating a lobbyist’s birthday at an indoor dinner after ordering restrictions on indoor dining and private gatherings.
DeSantis has been the target of ire from establishment media simply for being the Republican governor of a politically important purple state that is moving further away from Democrats every year. He has handled the pandemic better than most governors, and certainly better than the train wrecks overseen by Newsom and Cuomo. DeSantis deserves credit for Florida’s coronavirus response, while Newsom and Cuomo deserve more scrutiny for their blatant failures.
