Gov. DeSantis’ George Wallace moment

A news junkie for eight decades now, starting in the Eisenhower 50’s, I’ve come to detect recurring patterns in the great circus of American politics.

The other day I had one of those déjà vu moments, when I heard Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis railing against federally mandated covid restrictions trying to keep U.S. covid deaths under a million. DeSantis gave a carefully scripted announcement telling the feds, “If you come after the rights of parents in Florida…I’m standing in your way”. “If you come…” repeated 3 times with slightly different variations on the ‘feds are evil, states are supreme’ demagoguery.

The memory chip in my brain transported me back to June 11, 1963, when a 20th century demagogue actually did stand between the feds, trying to integrate the University of Alabama, and Alabama’s lily white university. That was Alabama Gov. George Wallace, who knew his school house door theatrics would fail but were designed to solidify his support from his all white Alabama base.

Likewise for Gov. DeSantis, who also bears an eerie likeness and sound to his 20th century mentor. Wallace parlayed his white populist appeal to a surprising run for the presidency in 1968, garnering nearly 10 million votes (13.6%) and 46 electoral votes in 6 southern states. Outside the South, Wallace made strong showings in white working class enclaves in the North. Wallace looked to increase his popularity outside the South in ’72 till struck down by Arthur Bremer’s attempted assassination May 15 while campaigning.

DeSantis’ demagoguery is getting the Floridians he’s sworn to protect, infected, some of whom die. But there is not a hint of remorse as he rolls out his pledge to stand between Uncle Sam and their health. He clearly has a loftier ambition than their welfare…the GOP presidential nod in ’24. But DeSantis has a problem. For those of us tortured listening to both, he’s no George Wallace. He’s not even a Donald Trump.