Reaching at any excuse for a silver lining: I caught some of this morning's hurricane briefing with Florida Governor De Santis. What I saw during that time:
- He didn't go off on childish tangents about how wonderful and effective he is
- He didn't pollute his comments with ridiculous hyperbole and insulting grandiosity
- He didn't restrict his comments to only terms that would animate his political base
- He thanked a wide variety of states for their assistance without regard to their politics
- He didn't pat himself on the back for any and every positive thing that has taken place
- He spoke very well extemporaneously, using adult words and clear sentence structure
- He focused on informing and not on entertaining or persuading or selling
- He gave no indication that he was trying to bullshit anyone or downplay the situation
- He appeared stable and in control given the terrible circumstances his state faces
- He clearly understood the gravity of the situation and behaved accordingly
- He gave the impression of an intelligent and serious adult who sees the big picture.
In short, I was left with the impression that, when things really matter, he is capable of rising to the occasion, eschewing standard partisan trolling, and displaying adult leadership qualities.
If we find him in a higher position at some point, my confidence has increased that he'll be able to maintain those qualities.
What a relief that was, and such a refreshing change from his party's standard bearer.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) briefed reporters on the trajectory of Hurricane Ian, which was approaching a Category 5 storm with winds of almost 155 miles per hour. "This is going to be a nasty, nasty day," said the governor, adding the state has 5,000 Florida National Guard members and...
www.c-span.org