June 20, 2022

"Nearly everyone I talked to who knew DeSantis commented on his affect: his lack of curiosity about others, his indifferent table manners, his aversion to the political rituals of dispensing handshakes and questions about the kids."

"One former associate told me that his demeanor stems from a conviction that others have advantages that were denied to him. 'The anger comes more easily to him because he has a chip on his shoulder,' she said. 'He is a serious guy. Driven.'"

Writes Dexter Filkins, in "Can Ron DeSantis Displace Donald Trump as the G.O.P.’s Combatant-in-Chief? A fervent opponent of mask mandates and 'woke' ideology, the Florida governor channels the same rage as the former President, but with greater discipline" (The New Yorker).

I asked [Ron DeSantis Sr.] what Ron was like growing up. “He was stubborn,” DeSantis said. “If he set his mind to something, you couldn’t shake him.” DeSantis pointed into the street, where he and his son used to play catch; there were ball fields nearby, where he had coached Ron’s Little League teams. “I tried not to favor him, and Ron didn’t like that,” he said. Early on, his son had read “The Science of Hitting,” by Ted Williams, the baseball great, who advised young hitters to take care in choosing pitches to swing at. “I must have thrown a half million pitches to Ron, and I think he swung at about five hundred of them,” he said. “I wish he would have never read it.” In 1991, when DeSantis was twelve, his team made it to the Little League World Series.

85 comments:

TheOne Who Is Not Obeyed said...

The Left really is scared of him, aren't they?

Tom Grey said...

If he's really disciplined, he'll be "faking" the handshakes and rituals he believes are useful to him.

Or ... he might have changed to start enjoying the status of a likely GOP Presidential candidate, right now second only to Trump.

He'd be foolish to seriously challenge Trump and lose - tho possibly a bigger hero to challenge, win the GOP nomination, and get elected.

My guess is that he makes a great VP pick for Trump, and is thus most well placed for 2028, whoever gets elected in 2024 - tho he's better placed as a VP over being on a losing ticket.

But 2022 elections haven't even happened, and are quite important.

Here's hoping for BIGGER GOP wave than any of the 81 million (??? ha ha) Biden voters are ready for.

Mason G said...

If anyone knows anything about rage, it'd be a writer for the NYT.

Gospace said...

If Donald Trump doesn’t enjoy shaking hands he sure puts on a good job of faking it. And stories abound about the care he shows for the people around him, knowing the details of their lives and what their children are up to. But their both channeling the same anger.

Yeah, right.

They do have in common one thing- they both played baseball. Trump at his prep school, DeSantis in Little League. Two entirely different though similar experiences.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Hearsay from the New Yorker(D).

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

You know - Biden, Clinton, Obama - even the entitled shrew and liar Hillary - they feel your pain.
They really care about you.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Not shaking hands during Covid.

Ok if you're a democrat - no comment from media

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

The Soviet media know what to do to get people to learn to hate the people they need you to hate.

Roger Sweeny said...

Dare I say it? It sounds a lot like Richard Nixon. Perhaps that's what they want me to think.

chuck said...

Heh™ That's funnier than the cartoons.

tim in vermont said...

After four years of Joe Biden, I think America can do without "questions about the kids" from POTUS. My guess is he will not even sniff young girls' hair.

Kate said...

I don't like parents who talk about children, even grown ones who are of national importance. I understand we're all proud, and our children's brilliance reflects on us, but stfu.

n.n said...

A fervent proponent of science-based directives and opponent of Diversity, Inequity, and Exclusion (DIE) or woke and morally broke ideology.

bobby said...

So it's started. Pretty sure that as we approach the election, we'll be told about how he eats babies every morning to stay healthy and aggressive.

n.n said...

I thought an aversion to judgment and tradition, a predilection to social distancing, and an indifference to "our Posterity" was the order of the day.

Ice Nine said...

"He fights."

They're freaked.

Lucien said...

For anyone with an objective or cruelly neutral point of view it should be obvious that Trump and Biden will both be too old to be President in 2024. (Biden is too old now.)

Unknown said...

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

OOooooh, the liberal media is clearly on edge. Table manners?

hawkeyedjb said...

"Pretty sure that as we approach the election, we'll be told about how he eats babies every morning to stay healthy and aggressive."

We watched as the press turned mild-mannered Mitt Romney into a people-hating, cancer-giving dog killer. But Mitt mostly just stood by and took it; here's hoping for a more appropriate response from Mr. DeSantis.

Tom said...

Why are we talking about 2024 when the Democrats haven’t even stolen 2022 yet? Jeez.

Leland said...

"who knew" is enough for me to stop reading the garbage. The people you surround yourself with "know" you in the present.

tim maguire said...

Think this is bad, just wait until he wants a second scoop of ice cream!

Michael K said...

DeSantis knows he has a big target on his back, which gives him one advantage over Trump. Nobody could have predicted the leftist rage against Trump. All the Democrats who were his friends in New York turned on him faster than the communists did in WWII when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. DeSantis now knows his enemies, everybody in DC.

Readering said...

DeSantis was captain of his college baseball team. He spent 7 years at Yale and Harvard. He was a naval JAG lawyer. I should think he learned how to shake hands and make small talk.

Dan from Madison said...

Poor table manners? Oh stars!

Unknown said...

Bet he kicks dogs and gives out spoilers to movie endings as well.

rcocean said...

I wonder how many soccer moms read this crap and believe it. De Santis is a threat, so the MSM is reving up the smear machine.

Sebastian said...

"'The anger comes more easily to him because he has a chip on his shoulder,'"

Angry! Chip! So: dangerous! Not nice!

"'He is a serious guy."

Just what Althouse wants: serious. Of course, now she'll start making fine distinctions: I meant serious politics! He's too driven! How can we trust someone with a chip on his shoulder? She'll think of something.

Kate: "I don't like parents who talk about children"

Yes, junior should tell senior to zip it. The fact that Sr. talked without apparent guidance from Jr. shows a certain amateurism. But family stories will be needed to humanize "serious," "driven" Ron in the eyes of soap opera women.

For now, this is what we have: Trump not serious, DeSantis too serious. No Goldilocks for the GOP.

Sebastian said...

"America can do without "questions about the kids" from POTUS"

But America could do with some questions about the kids of POTUS. What were you doing with your daughter in the shower? Why do you think Hunter is god? What was your cut on his deals? And how about your granddaughter in AK--when was the last time you saw her?

Humperdink said...

Why shake hands when you can sniff little girls hair with impunity?

Mike Sylwester said...

The New Yorker has funny cartoons.

Jupiter said...

Almost everyone I spoke with about Dexter Filkins says he is a serial fabulist.

Mike Sylwester said...

Gospace at 4:18 PM
they both played baseball. Trump at his prep school, DeSantis in Little League

DeSantis was captain of Yale's varsity baseball team. As a senior in 2001, he had the team's best batting average at .336.

boatbuilder said...

And so it begins...

Next he will be accused of colluding with Texans.

Mason G said...

Did I say "NYT"? I meant "New Yorker". Apologies for any confusion.

Earnest Prole said...

Shorter version: NOCD (not our class dear).

Temujin said...

Welp. Time to bring out the usual personality glitches in the Republican candidate. "Nearly everyone I talked to who knew DeSantis commented on his affect: his lack of curiosity about others, his indifferent table manners, his aversion to the political rituals of dispensing handshakes and questions about the kids."

First- any, and I mean ANY journalist who talks about any other human beings lack of curiosity these days needs get a clue. The reality on DeSantis is that he does his homework. He is extremely focused and his life shows that. Those pitches his dad pitched to him? He ended up going to Yale and while there was captain of the Yale baseball team. Also he was a History major- a glitch in that lack of curiosity about others thing. Graduated from Yale, went to Harvard Law School. Followed up by joining the Navy and served as an advisor to Seal Team 1 and deployed to Iraq in 2007. (I'm copying from Wikipedia because, well...it's pretty impressive). Coming back he worked for the DoJ as a Special Assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Middle District of Florida. All this before he went into Congress, then, to the Governorship of Florida, now the 3rd largest state in the Union.

I'll also say this about my Governor. In his first few months in office I noted how much he was getting done by working with both sides of the aisle. He was getting things done. That 'working with both sides' thing ended unfortunately, when covid came into our lives. Not that he would not be willing to work with the other side, but the other side is definitely always in attack mode for him. Especially now- today- when he is serious potential candidate for President.

I will also say that he does not have the warmth and touchy-feely approach of some politicians. Like say, His Lightness, Obama. But his substance runs much deeper. He does not suffer fools. And he does not play games. He gets things done. And he does it based on what's best for his citizens, not what the current highest ranked trends are on social media. He is not ruled by teenage opinion polls.

Even his recent ruling that he will not mandate the mRNA vaccine for kids and babies under 5 has the nation's media and Gavin Newsom, feeling faint. But DeSantis and his terrific team read the stats, study the numbers, and make decisions based on actual science. If someone wants to give their baby the vaccine, they can most certainly do it. But the State of Florida is not mandating they inject their kids with an experimental drug that shows no deterrence against a disease that does not kill the young.

He will not be a VP. He's got too much talent and too much to get done to be a VP. But...he may not beat Trump. So...this will be interesting. At least it's a better battle and choice than Buttigieg vs Kamala.

Menahem Globus said...

"Both men claim to channel the rage of an electorate"

I've never heard DeSantis claim to channel anything. I've been a Florida resident a few months longer than he's been Governor and I do pay attention to kooky politicians claiming they speak for me. He's just done his job and responded forcefully to people who don't appreciate people who do such things. If I were grading only him I'd give him a B+/A-. If graded on a curve with his class consisting of all US governors he'd be at the top of the list with an A+. He hasn't made squishy 'He Might be a Dem in Drag' missteps like Governor Noem in South Dakota. (She's an A on the curve.)

Random people in New Orleans bars while I was on vacation in January told me they love him and wish he were their governor. I smiled and nodded without saying anything. I'm afraid such premature fawning may doom him to a dismal fate like poor Scott Walker. Scott had such success against the Wisconsin protest crazies. I even embraced his Death Dealer meme since he seemed to beat everyone. Then he got taken out by Jeb Bush.

Beasts of England said...

’DeSantis was captain of Yale's varsity baseball team.’

You know who else was captain of their Yale baseball team?

BUMBLE BEE said...

Dexter Filkins? I say skip the Prozac, fuck that monkey.

John henry said...

Tom Grey,

Do you want de Santis to run for the presidency or do you want him to actually be

If the former, I agree, the vice presidency is a wonder position to run for the presidency. It is a horrible position to win from. Since the 12th Amendment in 1812, there have been 2 sitting VPs and 1 former VP (2 if you count Brandon) who have won the presidency. None have served 2 full terms, not counting the inherited stub term.

The American people just do not like former vice presidents running the country. And when they do, they seldom do a good job. Coolidge being the main exception. Maybe Roosevelt, YMMMV.

I think de Santis should stay right where he is. Run in 24 if our President Emeritus doesn't, but don't primary him. Keep Florida in good shape and run as a sitting governor who has shown he knows how to run a populous productive state in an exemplary fashion. Having a friend in the WH grooming him and helping him look good for a '28 run would not hurt either.

John LGBTQ Henry

Joe Smith said...

Libs always try to pin the 'dumb' label on republicans.

But he's a veteran who attended Yale undergrad and Harvard Law school.

It won't work this time...

Iman said...

Yew Norker.

John henry said...

What happens if our President Emeritus has decided not to run but pretends to. Probably no primaries or if so, lightly contested.

De Santis lays back saying that he is not interested in 24, maybe, possibly, perhaps '28 but right now is focused on making life good for Floridians.

Trump takes all the heat a/k/a bullshit right up to the August convention. Then he says, "I've decided not to run again. I recommend my very good friend Ron DeSantis. A vote for him is a vote for me."

The dems only have 2-1/2 months to tear him down. Us Ultra-Mega-MAGAS realize that we are really voting for President Trumps 2nd term and don't really need to know de Santis position other than America First.

Rather a crazy idea and might or might not work. Besides I don't want "not exactly", I want Donald Trump.

John LGBTQ Henry

John henry said...

And maybe Donald Trump as VP. Not so much to have him VP but to have him president of a Republican Senate. Everyone looks at the VP thinks "He can't vote except ties" and is thus powerless.

In reality, the Senate President has a lot of small powers and perks. By tradition, they have never done much with them. But they are there and a Senate President Trump, expecially if there were a bunch of MAGAS in the Senate, could use them to become powerful.

Look what Lyndon Johnson did when he got the then booby prize of Senate Majority Leader. Caro, in master of the Senate does a good job of how LBJ used those "nothing" powers to become, literally, the master of the Senate. In the sense that the Senate did his bidding as well as mastering all the arcane rules, personalities, and workings of the Senate.

By 1960, he was almost as powerful, some would argue more powerful, than the US President. He did that in about 8 years from a position that had not even existed 40 years before.

Lenin appointed Stalin Party Secretary thinking it was a meaningless position that would keep him out of the way. We saw what happened there.

John LGBTQ Henry




realestateacct said...

I find the idea that DeSantis and Trump are filled with rage peculiar. I think these people saying Trump and Desantis are filled with rage have never watched them talk at any length. Both men look like they are enjoying themselves. Now Pelosi, Warren and Shumer seem to be filled with rage. All the Antifas, all the Karens, most of the March for our Lives Marchers and the Women's Marchers definitely seem to be in a rage state. One of Biden's appeals was that he didn't seem to be enraged as opposed to the others in the race.

Skeptical Voter said...

Well I won't hold the Yale and Harvard thing against DeSantis. Nor the handshake either==Obama may have shaken hands, but he held the deplorables in deep contempt. Biden may shake hands, but what he really wants to do is sniff hair and grope young girls.

Nothing wrong with being a no nonsense guy who waits for his pitch--and then hits it.

Birches said...

The article was astonishing.

It asserts that Trump colluded with Russia, that no one really knows for sure if Florida handled school better than other states, and that people didn't flee California because of COVID policies.

It also has this: "There was always an element of the Republican Party that was batshit crazy,” Mac Stipanovich, the chief of staff to Governor Bob Martinez, a moderate Republican, told me. “They had lots of different names—they were John Birchers, they were ‘movement conservatives,’ they were the religious right. And we did what every other Republican candidate did: we exploited them. We got them to the polls. We talked about abortion. We promised—and we did nothing. They could grumble, but their choices were limited.

“So what happened?” Stipanovich continued. “Trump opened Pandora’s box and let them out. And all the nasty stuff that was in the underbelly of American politics got a voice. What was thirty-five per cent of the Republican Party is now eighty-five per cent. And it’s too late to turn back.”

Take them all down Ron. Do it.

M said...

DeSantis criss crosses Florida constantly glad handing at every BBQ joint, taco stand and small business in the state. He is considered extremely personable by most people who meet him, even some Democrat I know. This is a baldly partisan hit piece. They are trying to transfer the blind hate they ginned up for Trump onto DeSantis. New Yorkers are that willfully stupid. Most hard core Dems are too. Is everyone else?

Yancey Ward said...

You know who else had a chip on his shoulder? Hitler!

I wonder what lies were told to get DeSantis' father to agree to be interviewed, assuming it actually happened.

Freeman Hunt said...

Heaven forbid we get a candidate who isn't the usual glad-handing chatterchump.

Mason G said...

"I find the idea that DeSantis and Trump are filled with rage peculiar."

Not that peculiar. Progressives eat, drink and breathe rage. So, of course, they think others do, too.

Howard said...

To me, these traits are more human than 99.99% of phoney baloney politicians.

Why are you people so hypersensitive snowflakes? If he sounds Nixonian, that's good because Tricky Dick knew how to get shit done.

chuck said...

I confess that my opinion of Dexter Filkins was borrowed from Kat. She wasn't impressed.

Howard said...

World Champion Draymond Green has a chip on his shoulder.

Lurker21 said...

That might be what the country needs and wants after Biden.

I am so sick of the phoniness.

I'd like a politician who wasn't always pretending.

I don't see the "rage," though.

Whenever anybody goes against the Liberal Establishment all you hear about is "anger," "rage," "hatred," "mean-spiritedness," etc.

It's not really about people's actual personalities, which are much more complicated than that.

Narayanan said...

we'll be told about how he eats babies every morning to stay healthy and aggressive."
==========
first FJB has to fix shortage of formula to ensure supply of babies !
oh yeah that is what he is doing now with storks/planes flying in from Europe

Kai Akker said...

Ronald Rodham

narciso said...

Bob martinez was almost entirely lifelike, desantis is a iron fist with a velvet glove.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

The bidens are the epitome of class, man.

narciso said...

By that i mean he was nearly worthless and he led to eight years of lawton chiles who wasnt terrible but your typical yellow dog democrat

cassandra lite said...

Adlai Stevenson famously didn't like the rituals of retail politicking c. 1952. He came off as the patrician he was.

RDS may dislike the same things, but he sure plays the game better, and in no way does he convey the sense that he's above the people who'll have to vote him into office...as Stevenson did.

Pauligon59 said...

I see journalists quoting somebody and always wonder if the quote is real. So many times the quotes have been made up from whole cloth. Many other times the quotes are partial so that the reporter can change the message of the quote.

How about this time? Did DeSantis Sr. really say that about his son? Did he say anything else that they left out that would have changed the tone of the quote? How would we know?

The Godfather said...

If Trump is elected President in 2024, he'll be an instant lame duck. Congressmen and Senators looking toward 2026 and (particularly) 2028 won't have a great incentive to work with him. And Trump hasn't demonstrated a great ability to court and recruit support from other politicians. His reaction to his loss in 2020 (yes "loss" -- even if the SOBs stole STOLE the frigging election!!! it was still a loss) seemed more an attempt to restore his own standing and stroke his own ego than to lay the groundwork for future Republican victories.
We'd be a lot better off innaugurating a strong conservative President in 2029, beginning a likely 8 years in office. And that means DeSantis.

TaeJohnDo said...

He's worse than Trump! He's worse than Hitler! He's Trumpitler!

Dude1394 said...

Democrat battlefield preparation. Disgusting excuse for a new outlet.

Michael K said...

Why are you people so hypersensitive snowflakes? If he sounds Nixonian, that's good because Tricky Dick knew how to get shit done.

Only in China. He ignored domestic policy and was responsible for the inflation of the 70s.

Owen said...

I have to read more stuff by this Dexter Filkins creature. He’s a fantastic fantasy writer.

LA_Bob said...

Roger Sweeny,

The Nixon angle crossed my mind, too.

Decades ago I read The Making of the President 1968 or parts of it anyway, by Theodore H White. At one point Nixon is telling White how many hands he had shaken that day (something like 700), and he was all wrung out. White said something sympathetic, and Nixon said that after awhile "you just want to kick 'em".

mccullough said...

The Science of Hitting is a great book. I’m impressed that a young DeSantis read and absorbed it.

Yancey Ward said...

LOL, Narciso.

Wilbur said...

In 1971 DeSantis slashed .336/.370/.395. Meh.

I've lived in Florida for 36 years. DeSantis has done a great job as governor, and the people here know it.

Despite the media hostility, he's well-known and popular nationwide, at least for now. It's why we're seeing hit pieces this early.

wendybar said...

Look at the FEAR!! Progressives fear people who are sane and responsible.

pacwest said...

The left can only do the "Trump!" thing with Trump. It won't work for DeSantis. They will try to find a different line of attack for DeSantis. This one seems a bit weak. It'll evolve. I do think he may have eaten some babies for breakfast during his younger years but that was a long time ago.

I'm still firmly in the Trump camp for now despite his obvious personal faults. I am interested in hearing DeSantis flesh out what his presidential policies would be. Covid, immigration and education are pluses so far. I fear the possible scars they could leave on each other in a concurrent run.

Trump as VP?? LOL. Pull the other one.

farmgirl said...

“… seemed more an attempt to restore his own standing and stroke his own ego than to lay the groundwork for future Republican victories.”

Maybe? He sure made himself visible &available stumping &supporting many, many Conservative candidates, though. For the sake of the country. Pretty cool ego.

My 1st reaction to this article was: AYFKMRN?
Not sure if it’s a noted urban acronym. It stands for:

Are you f/king kidding me right now?

Howard (not that Howard) said...

Not sure this is the hit piece the author thinks it is. Most of the attacks are either "political leaders" (read Tallahassee Democrats) or rehashed 'rona ramblings.

A serious man, who does his homework, does not act beholden to the "special interests" that support him? And has this as his campaign theme:

“The conceit that underlies many of Obama’s policies and his allies is that virtually any issue, from the waistline of children to the temperature of the earth, is ripe for intervention of expert (and progressive) central planners.”

Yes please.

Bruce Hayden said...

I would love to see him as either VP or AG. What is needed is someone to go through the DOJ and FBI with a butcher knife, and he seems to have the experience and will go do it. Then maybe go over to Langley and do it over there. The political top brass are fervid leftists, bent on destroying the country. And the top tiers of the permanent bureaucracy have this bizarre idea that they can be loyal to the country and their oath of office by subverting their Republican (but not Democrat) political overseers. We saw this very clearly with Peter Strzok’s text messages and emails, where he very clearly saw himself as a patriot by trying to destroy Trump and his Presidency. But we saw that too with DD McCade, and many of the others involved in RussiaGate and the Mueller investigations. That sort of government employee needs to be removed from government as quickly and as forcibly as can be, if we are ever going to reclaim our Democratic Republic. If they can be sent to prison, then so much the better. I think that Ron DeSantis would be perfect for this job. He is very bright, extremely methodical, stubborn, and has experience as a government attorney- both as a JAG officer and in the DOJ.

RMc said...

My guess is that he makes a great VP pick for Trump

The problem is that they're both Florida residents, and the Constitution forbids having the Prez and VP from the same state. (Trump will have to go back to being -- yikes! -- a New Yorker!)

HoodlumDoodlum said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
HoodlumDoodlum said...

indifferent table manners

I mean, c'mon.
Moderate/establishment Republicans need to get behind DeSantis quickly and loudly. Do it now, give Trump time to duck out but not a reason to play spoiler out of spite, and crush Buttigeig or whoever they toss up.

EAB said...

Obama was considered cold among DC politicians. He didn’t develop relationships. So, a lot of that thumbnail description could have applied to him. But, instead, he was portrayed as a cool intellectual, despite it being fairly well-known he didn’t read much. Being somewhat of an enigma was portrayed as appealing. I personally don’t care if a President or other politician is terribly warm. I don’t need a Crier in Chief. Having worked around senior executives in the financial world, I’m used to hard-driving, competitive, disciplined, arrogant, tough achievers. Those are not character flaws.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

His wife, Casey, is also a hell of an asset. She's smart, outspoken, telegenic, and understands the media (worked as a TV host and journalist for several years). His whole family seems great and from everything I've read Casey is highly supportive of his political ambition.
Great story, great experience, good policies, great family, smart attractive supportive wife...but yeah, "indifferent table manners" and an alleged chip on his shoulder, so better think twice about ol' Ron!

PM said...

From now on, any public figure who might've bought a pack of gum at Trump Tower will be pointed at by the zombies in the Body-Snatcher media.

GRW3 said...

Shouldn't this also be tagged under Civility Bullshit? I would seem so from the sentence you posted.

Bilwick said...

Never go against the Hive, Ron.