Is Ron DeSantis the New Emperor of White Christian Nationalism?

MAGA without Trump. A powerful gubernatorial victory without any whiny “stolen election” whimpers. A younger, articulate charismatic, well-educated spokesperson who skirts the hardline antiabortion issue, does not use the direct terminology of White Christian Nationalists – who believe that America needs to adhere to and be run by White Christians who believe that their right-wing values should be imposed on every American – but is thoroughly versed in using their right-wing dog-whistle verbiage.

Indeed, the Florida governor, who currently outpolls Donald Trump among the GOP base, has found a path to champion White supremacy and evangelical values – pretty much denigrating almost anyone else – with one word: “woke.” He no longer has to use words like “Christian values” or “White traditional leadership.” “Woke” is the buzzword that short circuits using words that just might otherwise turn off “voters in the middle.”

DeSantis has numerous advantages with Florida demographics. His hardcore “older voter” core is getting stronger in a state which, according to The Daily Upside (10/29/21), leads the nation incoming Baby Boomer migration, an inherently conservative constituency. The oldest segment of the Boomer generation, over 65, is particularly concentrated in Florida, where 20% of the population meets that criterion (vs 16% for the nation as a whole). “Florida is home to so many older residents because of its abundance of retirement communities in walkable cities, warm weather and lack of estate taxes. A study from the University of Florida estimates that by 2040, more than 25% of Florida’s population will be over 65.” Consumer Affairs (2/17/22). Indeed, by sheer numbers, Florida has one of the largest concentrations of those elderly voters.

Adding to this mix is the obvious fact that the northern part of DeSantis’ bailiwick is solidly in the Southern Bible Belt, the hard core evangelical heartland. Notwithstanding the more liberal and younger mix we typically associate with Miami and environs, the legislature is solidly GOP (a little gerrymandering helps), and its almost 23 million people makes the state one of the largest in the land. According to WorldPopulationReview.com, “In religious terms, the Florida population is recorded as 70% Christian based faiths, 24% no particular faith, and 6% non-Christian faith-based.”

But does that make Ron DeSantis a serious national threat, assuming he can usurp Donald Trump’s rather dramatic continuing hold on the GOP, despite the ex-President’s obvious drag on that party’s recent election challenges? Using the Stop Woke Act, a Florida statute enacted in early 2022, as his calling card, DeSantis embodies the rising GOP reliance on a “culture war” to reinstate conservative control over the entire nation. This law was DeSantis’ baby from start to finish. “The law prohibits teaching or business practices that contend members of one ethnic group are inherently racist and should feel guilt for past actions committed by others. It also bars the notion that a person’s status as privileged or oppressed is necessarily determined by their race or gender, or that discrimination is acceptable to achieve diversity.” Associated Press (January 12th). Justification? Giving parents control over what their children are taught.

With the help of the most conservative 6-3 majority Supreme Count in recent memory, despite the GOP setbacks embracing anti-critical race (and gender) theory and anti-abortion rights policies, those elements remain at the core of current Republican values. The thin GOP majority in the House just passed what they describe as a “pro-life” bill with nary a single dissenting Republican vote, a bill that has zero chance of passage in the Senate. “Woke” is now the standard derisive GOP platform, but it clearly embraces White supremacy, Christian nationalism and places climate change on a marginalized back burner.

As DeSantis has paralyzed Florida public schools and libraries with the severe penalties imposed on teachers who are deemed to violate the above-cited statute, including allowing parents to file suits against schools, school districts and teachers, he has now moved to higher education. “The Republican governor in late December requested that state colleges submit spending data and other information on programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory, which examines systemic racism. The schools were asked to submit the data by Friday [1/13]…

“A group of Florida college professors on Wednesday [1/11] asked a federal judge to block Gov. Ron DeSantis from requesting spending data on diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory programs in state universities… The filing comes as part of a lawsuit against the so-called “Stop WOKE” Act, which restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in colleges. Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Mark Walker [has earlier] blocked the law, though DeSantis' office is appealing the decision.”

With a significant Jewish constituency mostly in South Florida, an important source of political contribution to the massive DeSantis campaign reserve, DeSantis is able to sidestep the obvious antisemitism inherent in White Christian nationalism by substituting the word “woke” for specifics. But overt antisemitism is rising fast. According to Bloomberg reporting in the January 12th Los Angeles Times, “Across American culture, politics, and even business, expressions of antisemitism have grown louder in recent years. It’s not just high-profile statements made by the rapper Ye and basketball star Kyrie Irving or politicians increasingly cozying up to white supremacist groups. Incidents of antisemitic harassment, vandalism and assault reached a 42-year high in 2021, the most recent year with available data, according to the Anti-Defamation League. And there’s evidence that discrimination is seeping into the workplace too.

“A 2022 study published in the academic journal Socius surveying 11,356 workers of all faiths found that more than half of the Jewish respondents experienced discrimination at work — a higher percentage than any other religious group, besides Muslims. A smaller survey from November of 1,131 hiring managers and recruiters commissioned by ResumeBuilder.com had even starker findings: Nearly a quarter said they wanted fewer Jewish people in their industry and a similar share admitted they’re less likely to advance Jewish applicants. Among the top reasons cited for those discriminatory behaviors: perceptions that Jewish people have too much power and wealth.”

As DeSantis continues to ship undocumented immigrants to blue cities, in a cabal with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, while still part of that Republican constituency that has opposed any major immigration reform since Ronald Reagan, his core platform combines anti-immigrant rhetoric with his anti-“woke” agenda. He’s challenged anti-COVID vaccines and pandemic containment policies and aligned himself with a cadre of extreme conspiracy theorists. In so many ways, DeSantis represents MAGA Trumpism on steroids, minus the destructive personality of Trump himself. But DeSantis has one huge playing card in his hand: Biden is viewed as too old to govern, being well into his 80s in the 2024 election period. Lots of baggage too. That just might be the Dems’ Achilles Heel, even though Biden’s policies and achievements have in fact avoided the blame game and solved big problems.

I’m Peter Dekom, and finding a new younger face for the Democratic leadership just might become critical in preventing a small right-wing DeSantis-led evangelical minority from taking over the country.