Last Call for 1.11.24 — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics

Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

Gov. Ron DeSantis made a flood of media appearances on Thursday, four days out from what many onlookers consider to be a make-or-break moment for his presidential campaign.

The would-be Republican nominee hit MSNBC’s Morning Joe early, delivering sound bites castigating former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci and downplaying Chris Christie’s hot-mic comments that DeSantis was “petrified” about something — the sound cut out before the former New Jersey Governor’s sentence resolved.

“I served in Fallujah and Ramadi, so nothing about the political stuff, you know, would, quote, petrify me. So, I don’t know where he got that,” DeSantis said, adding that Christie was “not going to be a big factor in Iowa” anyway.

DeSantis later dropped by Max & Amy in the Morning, a local morning show on Iowa’s NewsRadio 1040, where he proclaimed himself the “winner” of last night’s one-on-one debate against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has supplanted DeSantis as the No. 2 behind former President Donald Trump in recent national polls and some state-level measures in Iowa.

The substance: He’s the candidate on the side of the people; Haley is the candidate on the side of big-money interests.

“We’ve really focused on Main Street issues, you know, we’ve taken on woke corporations, you know, like Disney, and that came up where Nikki Haley sided with Disney, I sided with parents and kids about not having sexualization in the curriculum,” he said.

The afternoon, meanwhile, saw Trump’s campaign question one of the handful of issues DeSantis and Haley agreed on during their CNN bout. Both candidates committed to selling E15 gasoline — a formulation containing 15% corn-based ethanol — year-round. Team Trump expressed incredulity, pointing to DeSantis’ supposedly anti-ethanol record.

“DeSantis supported killing a federal mandate that is widely supported by the ethanol industry,” a campaign email blast asserts, pointing to the then-Congressman’s vote against the Renewable Fuel Standard as part of the nation’s 2016 budget as well as legislation he co-sponsored the following year that would have ended the standard.

DeSantis 2024 is now entering its final weekend before Iowa Republicans decide who they believe should carry the GOP banner in November. Polling universally points to Trump being the pick — the latest measure from Iowa State University indicates Team DeSantis will likely face an Orange Bowl-level beatdown.

The prognosis for New Hampshire, the next state up, is worse. Trump is also the front-runner there, though Haley has come within striking distance — she’s just seven points behind — according to CNN polling released earlier this week. DeSantis, meanwhile, is languishing in low single digits.

Bill Day’s Latest

 

Evening Reads

—”3 winners and 2 losers from the fifth Republican debate” via Andrew Prokop of Vox

—“What is Nikki Haley even talking about?” via Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic

—”Ron DeSantis sharpens attacks on Haley as Iowa caucuses near” via Max Greenwood of the Miami Herald

—“DeSantis has some lessons for America’s politicians” via The Economist

—”DeSantis, Haley back ethanol to appeal to Iowa farmers” via Hadriana Lowenkron and Kim Chipman of Bloomberg

—”DeSantis will have to drop out unless he stuns in Iowa” via Rich Lowry of POLITICO

—”DeSantis and Haley need to win early, or it’s over” via G. Elliott Morris of FiveThirtyEight

—”Here’s how ‘Live Healthy’ helps uninsured folks get care and the concerns Dems have about the plan” via Jackie Llanos of the Florida Phoenix

—”Citizens Insurance for all? Florida lawmaker says yes but insurance insiders say idea is too risky” via Ron Hurtibise of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

—”Here are the environmental bills to watch as Florida’s Legislative Session starts” via Max Chesnes, Michaela Mulligan and Jack Prator of the Tampa Bay Times

Quote of the Day

“Even if we set the most ironclad excellent framework, I am certain, particularly in Florida, when we have such enterprising freedom-loving youth, there will be exceptions. And I would imagine that Rep. (Susan) Valdes’ students are already figuring out ways to game the system.”

— Rep. Fiona McFarland, on the proposed social media ban for minors.

Put It on the Tab

Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.

DeSantis says he’s a big believer in corn-based ethanol, but Trump’s campaign says he’s full of it. He can prove them wrong by eschewing the 15% mix in gasoline and going straight for the 64% mix in a bottle of Booker’s — which, as with all bourbon, is made with a 51% corn mash.

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s Healthy Florida proposal is making a beeline to the Senate floor. By this time next week, she could be celebrating its passage with Doctor No. 1.

It’s too bad Fort Rock Brewing doesn’t make an NA version of their Ban Hammer IPA, because Florida kids under 16 years old will need some consolation if the House follows through on wiping their social media accounts from existence.

Order a pair of Ruby Tuesdays for Spectrum anchors Ybeth Bruzual and Holly Gregory, whose must-watch weekly show, Political Connections, is ditching its Sunday time slot for Tuesdays at 7 p.m. If you’re outside the Bay News 9 or News 13 footprint, you can catch the show on the Spectrum News app.

Breakthrough Insights

 

Tune In

Dolphins kick off playoffs Saturday

The NFL playoffs kick off this weekend including Saturday night’s matchup between the Miami Dolphins and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (8 p.m. ET, NBC6 South Florida, streamed on Peacock).

Kansas City (11-6) won the AFC West while the Dolphins (11-6) lost three of their last five games and settled for a wild-card spot due to a tiebreaker loss to Buffalo.

The two teams met during the regular season in the first NFL game played in Germany. Kansas City won the game 21-14 in Hamburg. The Chiefs jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead and held on for the victory.

The Dolphins are looking for the franchise’s first playoff victory since the playoffs following the 2000 season when they beat the Indianapolis Colts in overtime in the wild-card round.

Both quarterbacks will be in the spotlight. For Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes had a down year by his standards. Mahomes threw 27 touchdowns and a career-high 14 interceptions. His 92.6 quarterback rating was the lowest of his career as a starter.

Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa enjoyed his best season as a pro. After an injury-riddled 2022, Tagovailoa started all 17 games for the Dolphins, throwing for a career-high in yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage.

Saturday night’s game would be a defining victory for Tagovailoa and head coach Mike McDaniel.

Playing at home, the Chiefs are a 3.5-point favorite.

ALSO THIS WEEKEND

TONIGHT

6 p.m. — NCAAW: North Carolina Tarheels @ Florida State Seminoles

7 p.m. — NCAAW: Florida Gators @ Tennessee Lady Vols

7 p.m. — NCAAW: Jacksonville Dolphins @ Queens University Royals

7 p.m. — NCAAM: New Mexico State Aggies @ Florida International Panthers

7 p.m. — New Jersey Devils @ Tampa Bay Lightning

8 p.m. — NCAAW: Miami Hurricanes @ Virginia Tech Hokies

8 p.m. — NCAAW: Florida International Panthers @ New Mexico State Miners

FRIDAY

7 p.m. — NCAAM: Stetson Hatters @ Robert Morris Colonials

7 p.m. — NCAAM: Jacksonville Dolphins @ North Florida Ospreys

7 p.m. — NCAAM: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles @ Kennesaw State Owls

8 p.m. — Orlando Magic @ Miami Heat

SATURDAY

2 p.m. — NCAAW: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles @ Stetson Hatters

2 p.m. — NCAAW: Jacksonville Dolphins @ Kennesaw State Owls

2 p.m. — NCAAW: Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ Florida Atlantic Owls

2 p.m. — NCAAW: Southern Jaguars @ Florida A&M Rattlers

2:15 p.m. — NCAAM: Florida State Seminoles @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish

2:30 p.m. — NCAAW: Florida International Panthers @ UTEP Miners

4 p.m. — NCAAM: BYU Cougars @ UCF Knights

4 p.m. — NCAAM: Southern Jaguars @ Florida A&M Rattlers

4 p.m. — NCAAM: Arkansas Razorbacks @ Florida Gators

6 p.m. — NCAAM: UTEP Miners @ Florida International Panthers

7 p.m. — NCAAM: Miami Hurricanes @ Virginia Tech Hokies

7 p.m. — Anaheim Ducks @ Tampa Bay Lightning

8 p.m. — Orlando Magic @ Oklahoma City Thunder

SUNDAY

Noon — NCAAW: Miami Hurricanes @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Noon — NCAAM: UAB Blazers @ Florida Atlantic Owls

1 p.m. — NCAAW: Virginia Tech Hokies @ Florida State Seminoles

1 p.m. — NCAAW: South Florida Bulls @ Rice Owls

2 p.m. — NCAAW: Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators

6 p.m. — Charlotte Hornets @ Miami Heat

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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.