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Democrats got stomped but will stand up again | Letters
Here’s what readers are saying in Sunday’s letters to the editor.
 
The cover of the Nov. 20, 2022, Perspective section.
The cover of the Nov. 20, 2022, Perspective section. [ File photo ]
Published Nov. 27, 2022

Editor’s note: Last Sunday’s Perspective essay on “God and DeSantis at Yale — and in Florida” elicited a lot of reader response. Here’s a sampling.

What we progressives believe

God and DeSantis at Yale — and in Florida | Perspective, Nov. 20

What a good, intelligent essay by Barry Golson. He is so right. Florida handed the Democrats an ignominious defeat. We were kicked to the ground, stomped on and left for dead. But we are not dead. We do not for one minute buy into Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Orwellian double-speak boast of Florida “freedom.” We believe in freedom to dissent, freedom for all citizens to vote, especially felons who have paid their debt, academic freedom for schools and universities, freedom for peaceful protests, freedom for women’s choice for their bodies, freedom for LGBTQ rights.

Lorraine Madison, St. Petersburg

Read just like a liberal

God and DeSantis at Yale — and in Florida | Perspective, Nov. 20

If Florida Democrats ever want to truly understand why they were summarily defeated in the midterm elections, this Perspective essay is a must-read. It is the perfect representation of today’s smug liberal Democrat: snarky ad hominem, a healthy dose of projection, long winded and insufferably elitist. Most normal people are repelled by this, but I acknowledge that this is the coin of the realm in blue locales. And if the writer truly thinks that the midterm election was won when a Republican governor embraced a Democrat president in search of financial support for the state, he should ask Charlie Crist how that hug worked out for him back in 2010.

Kevin Stewart, St. Petersburg

A beautifully written essay

God and DeSantis at Yale — and in Florida | Perspective, Nov. 20

I believe that Barry Golson’s essay on Gov. Ron DeSantis is the best thing by far that has ever been written about him. I am an author. I live in Palm Beach. I wish we had a paper on our side of the state half as good as the Tampa Bay Times. Some readers may disagree, but they should realize they’re lucky to have a paper that runs lengthy, beautifully written pieces like Golson’s.

Laurence Leamer, Palm Beach

DeSantis is the smarter one

God and DeSantis at Yale — and in Florida | Perspective, Nov. 20

This essay is the perfect example of liberal elitism. As usual, the liberals like the writer think they are smarter than all the common folks. Therefore the writer gets to judge the “Good Ron” vs. the “Bad Ron.” Some 60% of the voters in Florida realize that Gov. Ron DeSantis is smarter and has more common sense than any of the know it all liberals in the press. That reality is based on some very obvious facts.

First, his achievements at 44 years old are well beyond the vast majority of his Yale and Harvard liberal, entitled classmates. And he is totally self made. No legacy or trust fund assistance needed. As a result he understands what the people of his state want and need and has governed accordingly. He has a tremendous work ethic. One final question: Where would the state of Florida be now if the Democrat he ran against four years ago had been able to garner another 1% of the votes? Thank God and DeSantis.

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Doug Hardin, Dade City

Good Ron, Bad Ron

God and DeSantis at Yale — and in Florida | Perspective, Nov. 20

This is a very thoughtful piece. I especially liked the Good Ron/Bad Ron contrast. While Gov. Ron DeSantis’ response to the hurricane likely helped, the reasons run deeper. Keeping Florida “free” was a big winner for many Democrats as well, in spite of unnecessary deaths because of his anti-Fauci and anti-vax rants. (Based on a recent study of excess deaths among Democrats and Republicans before and after the vaccine became available, the irony is that he lost 25,000 to 40,000 of his supporters. Could have been an even bigger landslide!) Few of his supporters are even aware of these losses. Likewise, his tendency to make important policy decisions based on retribution went barely unnoticed.

Charlie Morris, Weeki Wachee

Birds on a shoulder

God and DeSantis at Yale — and in Florida | Perspective, Nov. 20

My wife and I look forward to Barry Golson’s ‘s columns every Sunday that they run. This last Sunday’s essay was especially good. We loved the Good Ron/Bad Ron analogy. I see Good Ron with a parakeet on his shoulder, while Bad Ron has a condor on the other shoulder. We have lived in Florida for almost 60 years and I can assure you that the current Florida is not the old Florida. That is both good and bad.

Gail and John McCoy, Largo

Reprint this, please

God and DeSantis at Yale — and in Florida | Perspective, Nov. 20

If and when Gov. Ron DeSantis runs for president in 2024, please re-publish this article to inform and remind voters what kind of bully they will truly be facing.

Terry Billingham, Palm Harbor