What’s the motive behind the Florida militia?
We have tried to think of a situation in Florida’s recent history where state leaders said “What we really need is a few hundred guys (or mostly guys) — not police or soldiers, different guys — wearing alligator patches with a cryptic logo, ready to do … something.”
We have tried, and we have failed. We cannot think of any events over the past decades that have required such a group of guys (or mostly guys).
So we have to admit, we’re not quite sure what Gov. Ron DeSantis had in mind last week when he announced plans to reactivate Florida’s long-defunct civilian militia.
We have our suspicions, of course. And we’re not alone. Conspiracy theorists on both ends of the spectrum are having a field day with DeSantis’ latest plan to create a 200-volunteer military unit, answerable only to the governor’s office.
Some have suggested the governor might consider deploying armed, uniformed members of a new Florida State Guard to strategic polling places during upcoming elections as an intimidation tactic. Others posit that DeSantis intends the new unit to stand against federal troops, though it’s hard to imagine the circumstances under which such a defense might be needed. The most extreme theories claim that DeSantis is prepping for a violent secession in Florida, in response to polling that shows growing Republican support in several Southern states for the concept of leaving the union and establishing a new, presumably ultraconservative nation.
We can’t see any of those as valid. To start with, DeSantis isn’t crazy, though he does show an outsized appetite for wielding (and overreaching) the power of his office. The proposed unit is relatively tiny, especially in comparison to Florida’s strong, well-equipped, 10,000strong National Guard that stands ready to respond in times of emergency or crisis. There are also dozens of local law enforcement agencies that are bigger, and probably better equipped, than the proposed unit would be.
The governor says the new unit would give Florida “the flexibility and the ability needed to respond to events in our state in the most effective way possible.” When, in recent memory, did local or state officials lack that flexibility? Again, we can’t think of any examples.
So here’s our best guess at what the governor has in mind. He’s not looking for a real paramilitary force; cities on the other side of the Florida-Georgia line don’t have anything to be nervous about. Instead, it seems likely the governor is looking for a humans-in-khaki backdrop that can frame him, either metaphorically or in person, at speeches, photo ops and press conferences. He’s sending a message to a very particular segment of his supporters who crave the strongman approach perfected by DeSantis’ erstwhile mentor Donald Trump. He’s burnishing his authoritarian cred without having to say the kinds of things that could trouble voters in a general election.
In other words, he wants a supporting cast. That’s a cause Disneyfied Floridians can understand.
Understand — but not support. In state budget terms, where numbers with less than six figures barely register, the new unit would be fairly inexpensive: $3.5 million, which would include money to recruit and train new members. But if you frame it up as a taxpayer-funded contribution to DeSantis’ effort to stage-manage his re-election bid and subsequent ambitions, it looks pretty hefty.
That money could mean a lot if it was used instead to hire another 40 or so teachers or serve another 100 disabled Floridians who have been waiting for years to access services they desperately need.
For comparison, we think former Gov. Bob Graham’s stunt at the 1986 Capitol press skits, where he proclaimed himself “governor for life,” cost a few hundred bucks, mostly for rental on a snazzy dictator-style uniform. Graham had his own entourage, but the Florida A&M Marching 100 band carried drums and trumpets, not assault rifles. And we’re pretty sure the governor was going for comedy gold, not serving up far-right dog whistles.
It’s likely the FAMU Band would be willing to follow DeSantis around as well. He should look into it. In the meantime, this new Florida guard proposal should be a non-starter for lawmakers, who have better things to spend state money on.
Editorials are the opinion of the Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board and are written by one of our members or a designee. The editorial board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio, Jay Reddick and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Send emails to insight@orlandosentinel.com.