Florida Governor Ron DeSantis does not want to be in the photo with Joe Biden. The President of the United States traveled to Florida this Saturday to inquire about the damage caused by the hurricane idalia as he passed through the state. DeSantis, who participated in an event with Biden after the passage of the destructive hurricane Ian in October of last year, this time he has avoided the illustrious visitor, who has become the rival to be beaten by the Republicans in the 2024 presidential elections. In the increasingly polarized US politics, not even a natural disaster has served this time to bury the hatchet in public.
Republicans are still criticizing former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for hugging then-President Barack Obama to thank him for federal help in the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Sandy. Christie, now also a candidate, was thrown in the face in the first debate of the primaries. DeSantis is already doing poorly enough in the polls to be seen with Biden, demonized by the Republican base.
The president and the governor have spoken by phone this week and the federal government has provided assistance in the response to the hurricane, but with the arrival of Biden, what DeSantis has done is say that the logistics of a presidential trip complicated the tasks rescue.
Biden was criticized for his slow and clumsy political reaction to the fire in Hawaii in August, when he responded to the first question about the fire: “No comment.” This time, he was counting on seeing DeSantis, he said Friday. The federal head of emergency services, Deanne Criswell, was preparing the visit with the DeSantis team and both she and the White House spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, have assured that she did not give any indication that she would not be present. “This is not about politics. It doesn’t matter if it’s a red state [republicano] or a blue state [demócrata], the president is going to show up and be there for the community”, said Jean-Pierre. Although the governor has later shown his hostility to the visit, he has decided to go anyway.
Biden has flown by helicopter over Suwanee County, the area most affected by the hurricane, and has then gone to Live Oak, its capital, a population of just under 7,000 inhabitants. She has met with the emergency teams, whom she has praised for his work, and with those affected, to whom she has promised more help during an intervention in one of the houses damaged by the hurricane.
“There haven’t been winds as strong as these in 100 years and let’s pray that there won’t be any more for another 100 years,” he said. And although DeSantis was not present, he has made it clear that there has been communication between them during the crisis. I have been in frequent contact with Governor DeSantis since the storm made landfall,” he has said, adding that it only took him six hours to issue a “major disaster declaration” since the governor requested it. “We are making federal systems available to those affected in Florida, whose businesses and homes have been damaged and destroyed,” he continued, listing the means deployed on the ground. “Now the storm has passed, we are not going anywhere. The federal government is here to help the state for as long as it takes ”, he added.
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DeSantis interrupted his campaign because of idalia, whose effect has been much less destructive and deadly than that of Ian last year. In that campaign, his attempt to take on Trump in the Republican race is foundering for now.
The last survey, posted this saturday by The Wall Street Journal, points out that Trump is the favorite by 59% of Republican voters, despite (or thanks to) his four indictments for dozens of crimes. The aforementioned survey places DeSantis second with 13%, elevates former UN ambassador Nikki Haley to third place with 8% and attributes the revelation candidate of the Republican primaries, the entrepreneur from the world of technology Vivek Ramaswamy, only 5%, leaving the rest of the candidates in a marginal position.
DeSantis is, yes, the second option for 35% of voters, but his chances of success depend on Trump not being in the race, which seems highly unlikely. The former president can have the primaries won by the time there is the first verdict on guilt or innocence in any of the pending criminal trials. At the moment he has taken advantage of the accusations to attract funds and votes.
the survey of wsj would put Trump ahead of Biden with 40% to 39% in voting intention. Deviant support for fringe candidates from the Green Party and Libertarians (3% in total) may end up being important, but those who will really tip the balance are the approximately 17% undecided, a fishing ground in which Trump is likely to have more difficulties in capturing votes.
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