A.G. Gancarski
With a statewide audience tuned in, Gov. Ron DeSantis reprised his recent arguments against the media and narratives of “doom and gloom.”
“What is our biggest obstacle? Fear. Fear of the unknown,” the Governor said Wednesday to media in Tallahassee and a statewide audience on television.
“Constant doom and gloom and hysteria that has permeated our culture for the last six weeks” has created “fear,” said DeSantis.
“Fear is our enemy,” DeSantis emphasized.
The Governor extemporized for close to half an hour before getting into specifics of reopening the state, the stated reason for the press conference.
In fact, the Associated Press was able to move an article on the recommendations, which they clearly got on an embargoed basis, before the media called to cover the event saw them.
For the press on hand, instead, were receipts. The Governor laced into critics and criticisms, which he clearly took to heart in recent months.
The Governor blasted media, again. Models that showed potentially grave fates for Floridians.
He even found an opportunity to blast “talking heads” on TV for “looking so great” with fresh haircuts, noting he hadn’t had a haircut since February.
That was new, but much of this was familiar.
The Governor brought back the riff about pessimists bemoaning Florida becoming the next New York or Italy.
“Saying Florida was going to be like New York was wrong,” DeSantis said, “and people need to know it was wrong.”
“Facts should be comforting. We’ve done much better than everybody said we would do,” DeSantis said, noting his confidence that Florida was ready to enact Phase I recommendations of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
“We have more beds available today than March 1,” DeSantis added.
House Speaker Jose Oliva noted that some media wasn’t interested in the Governor’s case.
Florida Governor lays out facts vs perception presentation and local news stations in South Florida suspend coverage. What is more important than watching the Governor’s plan to open the state???
— Jose Oliva (@RepJoseOliva) April 29, 2020
However, what’s clear is that despite having succeeded in terms of key metrics with the coronavirus struggle, this Governor has lost ground when it comes to a viable working relationship with much of the press that covers him.
And it is also clear that fact gets under his skin.
14 comments
Paul
April 29, 2020 at 6:45 pm
No Govnah, fear is not the enemy, it’s stupidity! Stupidity of our leaders not smart enough to listen to science and medical experts. Stupidity of partisan’s not willing to admit there may be a better way whan there is.
Charlotte Greenbarg
April 30, 2020 at 1:29 pm
The medical experts told us hundreds of thousands would die. Jacksonville beach shows otherwise. Just admit the virus was an unknown without the partisan far left rant
Frankie M.
April 29, 2020 at 7:24 pm
Wait did the media overhype it or underhype it? It changes by the day of the week. When in doubt blame the messenger. Where have seen this tactic before?
Ian
April 30, 2020 at 7:47 am
Is this a news story or an editorial?
Charlotte Greenbarg
April 30, 2020 at 1:30 pm
👍👏
Just sayin'
April 30, 2020 at 8:34 am
The press turned vicious, so he fought back. They’ve been relentlessly using worst-case scenarios to drive clicks. Now they’re crying because DeSantis pointed out how ridiculous those scenarios were? How chicken little most of the media turned, largely in order to drive clicks? “If it bleeds it leads”.
Why is the press immune from criticism?
James R. Miles
April 30, 2020 at 9:27 am
Who says the press is immune from criticism? The orange to blond to grey haired egotistical buffoon in the white house whines about the press everyday. Get real!
With a whimper
April 30, 2020 at 10:48 am
And the press and people like yourself call him a Nazi for criticizing the media. In the meantime, you’re encouraging people to rat out their neighbors for having backyard barbecues.
Charlotte Greenbarg
April 30, 2020 at 1:32 pm
Because the press says so😂😂
Elon
April 30, 2020 at 9:48 am
I love the comment about “the science” only the approved science is listened to, the other science that is against the lockdown, some by better credentialed people then the pro gates crowd, is outright ignored and censored. When the pro lockdown people see what happens to the economy after this fiasco is over, maybe they will understand. The suicides are already starting, good will be skyrocketing, more kids without meals. Hope you are happy with what you’ve done to your grandchildren.
Eat the Rich
April 30, 2020 at 10:51 am
Poor millennials. Graduated during the Great Recession and now face this, all so boomers can squeeze a few more years. And if they want to change things at the ballot box, they get to choose between two barely sentient septugenarians.
Ann Coates
April 30, 2020 at 11:21 am
Sounds like being held accountable, in a much more fair manner than you do others, is what actually gets under your skin, A.G.
This needs to be filed under emails and opinions. Your twitter feed is full of tin foil hat theories. We are in late stage democracy? You are the one who is guarding the guards?
Yikes.
Ron
April 30, 2020 at 4:01 pm
“this Governor has lost ground when it comes to a viable working relationship with much of the press that covers him.”
I once had a boss who said kissing his ass was a “a viable working relationship.”
NOTHING the media hates worse than being called out for crapping in their own notebooks.
Corbin Supak
May 1, 2020 at 10:17 am
Fear is the appropriate response to a pandemic, plus physical distancing, masks, testing, tracing and quarantine. But ‘having to do something not in your control’ offends some’s sensibilities, even though we just used those very tactics to keep the worst case at bay (that is the point after all). Financial injuries are a human construct, we can adjust for fairness at any time. But health is forever. And history shows us anyway, as in 1918, an eagerness to jump the gun will cost more money in the end. Hope we get lucky, and sure, folks want to get out of the house, but I don’t sense the right attitude to keep any positive momentum, especially with state leadership moaning about their press instead of the real issues, as if it was all a bunch of hooey.
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