We’re headed in wrong direction; fix it, DeSantis

Recent polling suggests Florida’s Legislature and governor have been losing the confidence of homestate residents.

This erosion of popularity could, of course, be the wishful thinking of left-tilting polling organizations. After all, Gov. Ron DeSantis was reelected by a 19percent margin just a year-and-a-half ago. And though he blew upward of $100 million running unsuccessfully for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, he bathed in the spotlight for more than a year while he tried. That’s a circumstance that any modern-day politician would have to envy — especially if they considered the exercise a warmup for 2028, as undoubtedly DeSantis does.

But let’s assume the polls do indeed reflect Florida voter sentiment. How then might the governor regain his swagger? We have two suggestions: Above all, he should stop demonizing all those groups he bullied on his way to Iowa. Second, he should focus on issues that matter to Floridians, such as being forced out of homes by soaring insurance rates, not on what bathrooms transgender people can use.

We’re not all white, straight and born on third base — or born in the USA, for that matter.

If DeSantis wants to rebuild trust with the Black community, for one, the state should drop its legal battle to redistrict Blacks out of political participation in north Florida. He also should drop resistance to group collection of ballots, resistance to providing drop boxes, and to letting felons who’ve served their time place their votes. He’s been playing legal and political hardball rather than focusing on fairness. If he adopted policies that benefited all Floridians, they’d vote for him without his having to cheat.

While he’s at it, he should open the door to Medicaid expansion. More than 2.5 million Floridians are uninsured, 200,000 of them in Palm Beach County. As Washington Post economics columnist Catherine Rampell notes on The Palm Beach Post op-ed page, Florida is actively purging many from Medicaid rolls, often over minor matters of paperwork. “Florida has ... opted not to use any of the tools the feds are offering to help limit or slow coverage losses,” she wrote. “About one-third of Floridian beneficiaries up for renewal so far have lost their coverage.”

Why would a politician stand in the way of providing health coverage for poor children? Shouldn’t matters of life and death trump political games? Even if it’s not in your heart, governor, turn it around for political reasons: Get these people insured and that’s more potential votes for your next presidential run.

Another way to bring more people into the tent is to make it clear you value their presence. Attacking efforts at diversity, equity and inclusion and attempting to rewrite social history accomplishes nothing and makes it clear to millions you’d rather exclude them. Similarly, transforming Florida colleges and universities into right-wing reeducation camps rather than avenues for independent academic pursuit further exposes your worldview as us-versus-them.

No better proof exists of this exclusionary attitude than the governor’s treatment of refugees as barbarians at the borders, rather than working with federal authorities to advance solutions that have eluded partisan and bipartisan efforts. For once, he should put himself in the tattered shoes of immigrants and understand that most would prefer to make lives for themselves and their families in their homelands, if only poverty and violence didn’t make that impossible. Score points by building on constituents’ compassion, governor, not by encouraging bigotry and xenophobia.

Finally, while the state’s soaring property insurance premiums weren’t caused by the governor or the Legislature, neither have they proposed responsible solutions for a crisis that’s hitting Florida homeowners harder every day. As we’ve written previously on these pages, the state needs to explore innovative solutions to this problem and work to counteract climate impacts, not just give the insurance giants virtual immunity from lawsuits.

The March polls released by The Florida Communications and Research Hub, run by the progressive Florida Watch and Progress Florida, show just 31 percent of respondents believe Florida is headed in the “right direction,” compared with 46 percent a year ago. Some 62 percent disapprove of DeSantis’ handling of housing affordability and property insurance.

Believe the messengers or not, public confidence won’t improve without a sincere effort at finding cures for what ails us, governor.