According to reporting by the “Free Press,” lifelong Florida Democrats are rejecting their party’s “woke” ideals and politics in favor of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ ideals.
The claims made in Bari Weiss’ news media outlet describe these voters as “DeSantis Democrats.”
Those who consider themselves DeSantis Democrats have explained their reasons for turning to DeSantis instead of their own party during the midterms, pointing to inflation, COVID-19 lockdowns, and Democrats embracing identity politics in addition to being intolerant to differing viewpoints.
The ex-Democrats have also noted that they felt “abandoned” and “condescended to” by their former President.
Daren Dillinger, 54, an IT specialist from Jacksonville, relayed that a political party had to be a “big tent that’s actually diverse,” noting that achieving that wasn’t possible when “calling people with different viewpoints evil.”
The IT specialist expressed having “nostalgia” for the times when voters could disagree with their party on one or two issues but still call it their political home.
Dillinger explained that he still supported Democrats on quite a few policies but took issue with the party’s language policing.
Dillinger isn’t anti-vax, having already received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
He also supports transgender rights but was disaffected by his progressives in the Democrat party scrutinizing “all the way he’s not perfect.” Imperfections that included using “wrong words” and voicing “incorrect opinions.”
Another ex-Democrat, Carolina Castillo, an immigrant from Columbia who hadn’t had an affluent upbringing, described her final straw as fellow progressives telling her to “check her privilege” because she appeared white.
Until that point, she had been an advocate for the Democratic Party and a “progressive activist” herself.
She also described being upset at the Biden administration for removing the Columbian terrorist group FARC from its foreign terrorist organizations’ list.
When DeSantis condemned the move, she said it was “like music to Columbians.”
