Ron DeSantis and the War on Wokeness

“Who would say that’s an important part of black history, Queer Theory?” With those words denouncing the advanced black history curriculum designed for his state’s public high schools, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cut to the heart of his ban on naked propaganda masquerading as legitimate history. He was referring to the most extreme item in the course created by a small cadre of deconstructionist progressives at the College Board who are transparently attempting to radicalize the best and brightest students in the now ruby-red Sunshine State.

This is just the latest iteration of the Florida governor’s declaration of war on wokeness, most famously expressed with his pronouncement that "Florida is where woke goes to die." The state has adopted a new law pushed by DeSantis known as the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act," which prohibits teaching that “espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels” students or employees to accept a series of concepts forged by progressives on issues of race, national origin, and gender.

Queer Theory – Seriously?

In emphasizing that Florida will continue to include black history as a regular part of its required teaching, DeSantis was taken aback when told this advanced placement course failed to meet the required standards. “I figured, ‘Yeah, they may be doing CRT (critical race theory),’'’ DeSantis said at a recent event in Jacksonville. “It’s way more than that. This course on Black history, what [is] one of the lessons about? Queer Theory … That is somebody pushing an agenda on our kids … advocating things like abolishing prisons. Now that’s a radical political position. You’re free to take that in your own life … But how is that being taught as fact?”

One could hardly quarrel with anything in that diatribe. As usual, DeSantis has picked a plum issue to identify, isolate, and shame those who would poison the minds of rising generations with Marxist agitprop - after first encouraging them to reject immutable gender identity embraced by civilization and science for millennia. Perhaps DeSantis will next ridicule the assertion – said with a straight face in progressive circles – that a man can have a baby.

DeSantis has a special gift for applying the most significant of Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals from the right: "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."  The boldness with which he speaks and acts, most prominently on the issue of wokeness, is well beyond that of any conventional Republican Governor – for example, Georgia’s Brian Kemp. But his in-your-face attacks on the woke and corresponding reelection landslide will likely serve as the permission concept for his fellow GOP governors, as his leadership on national issues generates cascading consequences – most prominently evidenced by the increasing outspokenness of Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Is it true that DeSantis would not be able to succeed to the degree he has, were it not for Donald Trump? That is a fair and fascinating question as the two prepare to square off in a showdown for the ages. But considering DeSantis’ record and overwhelming success at the ballot box, it will not matter to most conservatives who want whichever of the two candidates they believe has the best chance of winning the general election in 2024. But it matters much to those Trumpists who, at least for now, will accept no substitute. However, just as many people who once loved sugar have made their peace and come to enjoy the sweet imitations, one suspects that those in the MAGA-friendly portion of the electorate who are prone to stick with the 45th president all the way to the end would rather seamlessly flip their support to the Florida governor were he to prevail in the GOP presidential primary. After all, his boldness, fearlessness and leadership have come to resemble none other than Donald Trump.