Welcome back to RBG’s Weekly Scoop, giving you the inside scoop on everything pertaining to the 2022 Gubernatorial Race and, most importantly, our efforts to oust Ron DeSantis from the Florida Governor’s mansion.
The Democrats vs. Ron
The gap between the DeSantis campaign’s digital spending and the Democrats’ digital spending continues to widen with the DeSantis campaign spending a whopping $125K over the last 90 days on Facebook and Google ads. Meanwhile, the Democratic candidates are not investing on Google at anywhere near the same rate and only Democratic candidate Charlie Crist continues to keep pace with DeSantis on Facebook.
The DeSantis campaign is continuing to prioritize spending on Google ads in recent weeks. In the last week of January alone, the campaign spent $20,000 on Google to promote direct-to-camera video ads of the Governor (seen below).
On Facebook, both Charlie Crist and Nikki Fried are continuing to run ads that ask for support and donations. The current focus appears to be earning support within the Democratic base, not so much on DeSantis.
While every candidate in the race currently holds elected office, (Charlie Crist as Representative of Florida’s 13th Congressional District, Nikki Fried as Agricultural Commissioner for the state, and Annette Taddeo as a member of the Florida Senate from the 40th district) none besides Crist are running ads on their official pages.
The Race for Governor Online
On Saturday afternoon a group of neo-Nazis gathered in Orlando, shouting profanities, anti-Semitic slurs, and hanging anti-Semitic signs over an overpass. One of the banners hung on the overpass included the now popularized anti-Biden slogan, “Let’s go Brandon”.
Democrats immediately called for Gov. DeSantis to denounce the neo-Nazi group, but their concern was met with silence.
Then on Sunday evening one of DeSantis’ top spokeswomen, Christina Pushaw, responded to the incident in a now-deleted tweet, “Do we even know they’re Nazis? Or is this a stunt like the ‘white nationalists’ who crashed the Youngkin rally in Charlottesville and turned out to be Dem staffers? I trust Florida law enforcement to investigate and am awaiting their conclusions.”
When asked about the incident at a press conference in Palm Beach County on Monday, instead of condemning the Nazis or his spokeswoman’s comment, DeSantis remarked, “Democrats who are trying to use this as some type of political issue to smear me as if I had something to do with it. We're not playing their game.”
So there you have it, our Governor is unwilling to denounce neo-Nazi’s. Could it be because they are a part of his far-Right base?
In the Press
RON DESANTIS
Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida GOP leaders unveil new bill with election law changes sought by DeSantis. February 1, 2022. Ron DeSantis to establish a new office investigating election fraud and a mandate to purge voter rolls more frequently.
The New York Times: DeSantis and the Media: (Not) a Love Story. January 31, 2022. If Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida somehow becomes the Republican Party’s presidential nominee in 2024, two factors will help explain why: his mastery of his party’s hostile relationship with the mainstream media, and his relentless courtship of Fox News.
CNN: DeSantis says people calling for him to condemn Nazis are trying to ‘smear’ him. January 31, 2022. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday lashed out at those who called on him to condemn Nazi demonstrations that had taken place over the weekend near Orlando.
The Guardian: ‘Free to do as you are told’: Florida Republicans advance wave of draconian bills. January 31, 2022. It has been a long painful month in the Florida legislature for opponents of the state’s Trumpist governor Ron DeSantis and his loyal band of rightwing Republicans.
NIKKI FRIED
Florida Phoenix: Lawmaker proposal: Governor would have more choices - and power - to appoint certain state agency leaders. February 1, 2022. Lawmakers are pushing a bill that would essentially give more power to the governor when it comes to appointing certain state agency leaders - with Agriculture Commissioner Nikkie fired calling the proposal a “DeSantis power grab bill.”
CHARLIE CRIST
Florida Politics: Delegation for 2.1.22: Grass sass - antibodies - sun power - privacy, please. February 1, 2022. The U.S. Justice Department has started prosecuting figures connected to Venezuela for bribes and other financial crimes, St. Petersburg Democrat Charlie Crist wants to make sure the money doesn’t end up back in the hands of corrupt governments.
ANNETTE TADDEO
Florida Phoenix: FL Senate to hear rewrite of voting laws aimd challenge to existing restrictions. January 31, 2022. Democrat Annette Taddeo of Miami-Dade County has already filed an amendment to strip the prohibition from the bill.
That’s all for this week. To support Ron Be Gone’s voter registration and turnout efforts in Jacksonville ahead of the February city council elections you can contribute online via ActBlue here or reach out to mikayla@ronbegone.com for more information. Thank you for your continued support.
Team RonBeGone