Anne Geggis
A $3 million effort dedicated to exposing how Gov. Ron DeSantis has failed to improve everyday Floridians’ lives revealed its final argument Monday.
DeSantis Watch’s digital-only video advertisement, “Our Time,” makes the case that DeSantis’ ubiquitous campaign slogan, “Keep Florida Free,” only applies to certain people. It also argues DeSantis’ presidential ambitions have put his focus on appealing to his far-right base, making Florida less free for a host of people.
New restrictions on the right to an abortion, the threat of lawsuits for discussing LGBTQ issues in school and book bans are part of this presidential play, the ad contends, as a flash of faces are shown.
“For the past four years, Gov. Ron DeSantis has been attacking our freedoms,” the ad says.
All this is happening while rents, utilities and property insurance costs skyrocket, the ad says.
DeSantis has denied he is running for President, but Politico calls him “the defacto frontrunner” for the White House. That’s because he’s spent just $90 million of the $200 million haul he raised for his re-election campaign, including a $10 million check from the owner of Budget Suites of America, the largest single campaign check in history, according to Politico.
“Floridians deserve a state where freedom is more than just a campaign slogan,” said DeSantis Watch Communications Director Anders Croy. “While Ron DeSantis has been running for President by stoking division, the people of our state are still struggling to pay the bills as powerful special interests funding his campaign rake in record profits.”
Polls in the Governor’s race suggest the only question left is how much of a double-digit margin DeSantis will have over his Democratic competitor, Charlie Crist, after votes are counted.
The ad, DeSantis Watch’s 10th video production, ends with a clarion call to action as the music turns upbeat, showing people strolling away, arm in arm, presumably to the polls.
“Now is our time to make our voices heard, our time to build a Florida that works for all us, where freedom isn’t a campaign slogan, but a promise for a brighter future,” the ad says. It’s “our time to end Ron DeSantis’ political career and vote for a free and prosperous future for all. This is our time.”
DeSantis Watch’s political committee, Florida Watch, fueled primarily through grassroots donations and big-dollar donors such as the AFT Solidarity in Washington, is almost out of money. Croy, however, said DeSantis Watch will be continuing to hold the Governor accountable throughout his time in office.
“Whenever that ends,” Croy wrote in an email.
14 comments
Brandon
November 7, 2022 at 12:55 pm
It’s $3 million wasted. Good to see.
Troy
November 7, 2022 at 2:02 pm
My cousin was shouting about his “Freedom” not to get vaccinated, citing DeSantis the whole time. Until he got Covid last year and died in the ICU. His very last Facebook post is still live, claiming how he will never get vaccinated.
Ron DeSantis murdered him.
marylou
November 7, 2022 at 2:13 pm
Don’t miss DeSatan’s latest FREEDOM campaign ad bragging about how God made him on the 8th Day of Creation to protect freedom in America. God has a speaking role! Blasphemy. Google it, all you Christian nationalist doubters out there!
Stan Reich
November 7, 2022 at 2:20 pm
This may be a little late and way too little of an attack on him after all he is done to anyone that doesn’t agree with him. God for bid they criticize him. He should be voted out of office for good unfortunately what is it half of Florida and a third of the country are bat shit crazy for a demagogue. Sad people can’t just mind their own business and let people be themselves. Remember, life Liberty pursuit of happiness all that crap.
Pat Milford
November 7, 2022 at 2:40 pm
TOM IF YOU ARE READING THIS , I WILL FIND YOU.
YA TOM WHO THINKS HES FUNNY TALKING ABOUT CHEECH AND CHONG AS IF THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH CANNABIS. TOM WHO HAS NOTHING TO SAY BUT “HUHUHUH HIT YOUR BONG YOU LOSER STONER”
GUESS WHAT TOM WE ALL ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL AND HAPPY THAN YOU EVER WILL BE CRYING ON FLORIDAPOLITICS.COM , AND THATS WHY YOUR SO MAD! YOU SAD SAD MAN , FK OFF TOM. I HOPE YOU SEE THIS
CANNABIS IS THE LIFE GIVING PLANT, GO DRINK YOUR SCOTCH AND POP YOUR XANAX YOUR EMPTY SHELL OF A PERSON.
Tom
November 7, 2022 at 7:43 pm
Yeah man, was watching Cheech and Chong man!
Gotta a doo bee msn?
Far out man, I got a new bong man.
Got a dime bag man?
LMAO, you loser Pat.
I live good, golf and enjoy life man, , without reefers man.
Got the munchies man! Far out man.
Anytime man!
Tom
November 7, 2022 at 7:45 pm
Wow man!
Far out man!
You got my reefers man!
Go scratch man!
Joe Corsin
November 7, 2022 at 2:42 pm
Ron DeSanctimonious should declare a “Victims of Trumpism” holiday instead of the “Victims of Communism” political stunt holiday. Victims of Trumpism like Q-Shaman, Ashli Babbitt, the bashed cops, the thousand or so arrested on J6 AkA 9-11 2.0, all the whacked out Q-Anon brain dead people, all the people that he grifted to a husk even after he knew he had lost and wasn’t coming back, and all the other duped and disgraced people who supported Orange Hitler.
Joe
November 7, 2022 at 3:46 pm
The only thing that the “democrats” have ever done with freedom is take it away.
Charlie Crist
November 7, 2022 at 4:44 pm
👆Far right propaganda
Aggie
November 7, 2022 at 6:00 pm
What freedoms have been taken away by the dems?
Dan
November 8, 2022 at 1:13 am
For starters.. Democrats wanted to continue to force masks on our kids in order to go to school. Democrats wanted every American worker fired if they don’t get a vaccine, no exemptions. Democrats want control of social media and reduce our freedom of speech. Democrats continue to target our 2nd amendment rights.
Florida got a ton of transplants from deep blue states where those Democrat governors went crazy with their COVID rules. And now these transplants are voting for DeSantis.
marylou
November 7, 2022 at 4:27 pm
Ron deSanctimonious took away little girls’ freedom to be children with his abortion ban that makes no exceptions for rape or incest– or even age. Ron doesn’t care about girls’ freedom to be kids.
FORCING A 4th GRADER TO BECOME A MOTHER IS CHILD ABUSE, NOT FREEDOM!
VOTE THE PERVERT TO PRISON!!
tom palmer
November 8, 2022 at 11:11 am
DeSantis slogan is incomplete.
Keep Florida Free From Dissent would be more apt.
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