Polls: DeSantis Job Approval Well Above Water, Gov Holds Double-Digit Leads Over Dem Challengers
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is primed for re-election next fall after a year in which he ignored attacks from the leftist corporate media and defied its narratives, according to recently released polling.
In the early days of the coronavirus, the establishment media used its still-potent influence over millions of rightfully alarmed people during a reactionary time to portray DeSantis as a reckless leader with a disregard for human life. Polling from the University of North Florida and later St. Pete Polls showed the damage done to DeSantis.
The governor saw his approval rating shrink from 64 percent in February to 53 percent by mid-April. Fifty-three percent is nothing to fret over, but what a hit. Meanwhile, during that same time last year, a Quinnipiac poll found Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had the approval of 72 percent of New Yorkers.
But Cuomo’s performance was built on a house of cards. The bottom fell out early this year for the Democrat, while DeSantis is now in a healthy position for another term after narrowly defeating former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum in the 2018 race.
Polling released on Wednesday shows the coordinated establishment media smear failed, and in the end, DeSantis is being rewarded for taking the best possible route to guide his state through a year from hell — a year in which residents came out on the other side to find themselves not financially destitute, nor fighting off armed bands of criminals.
If polling sanctioned recently by the Florida Chamber of Commerce is accurate, DeSantis, who actually protected seniors, is set to cruise to re-election in 2022 after emerging as the clear winner of the Cuomo v. DeSantis governor duel of 2020.
According to Peter Schorsch, the publisher of Florida Politics, polling found that as of this month, DeSantis has the support of 55 percent of total voters in the Sunshine State, and even the approval of 22 percent of state’s Democrats.
.@GovRonDeSantis job approval is currently at 55%.
He receives 88% support from Republicans and 57% support from NPAs. pic.twitter.com/V568lcEga9
— Peter Schorsch (@PeterSchorschFL) May 12, 2021
The Chamber’s poll found that 88 percent of Florida’s voting Republicans approve of the job DeSantis is doing, while 57 percent of unaffiliated voters also approve. Overall, the poll found that only 40 percent of Floridians disapprove of the job DeSantis is doing, while 70 percent approve of his handling of vaccine distributions.
That’s great news for the governor and potential 2024 or 2028 GOP presidential contender.
The same poll found that DeSantis is in a commanding lead when matched up against potential opponents in the 2022 gubernatorial race for a second term. DeSantis currently leads one high-profile declared challenger, the Republican-turned-Democrat former Gov. Charlie Christ, by a margin of 51 to 41 percent.
The country’s best governor also leads potential Democratic rival Nikki Fried, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, 51 to 39 percent, and he leads Democratic Rep. Val Demings of the state’s 10th congressional district by a margin of 53 to 38 percent.
As for 2022, @GovDeSantis holds double digit leads vs.:@CharlieCrist – 51%/41%@NikkiFried – 51%/39%@RepValDemings – 53%/38%#FlaPol pic.twitter.com/FMw3Pk6p1V
— Peter Schorsch (@PeterSchorschFL) May 12, 2021
The head-to-head polling shows that the year-long establishment media smear of DeSantis failed, as he has double-digit leads against those seeking to unseat him.
That polling was conducted by Cherry Communications, and surveyed 602 Sunshine State residents from April 30 to May 8, according to Florida Politics.
Florida Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Mark Wilson commented on the results of the poll.
[firefly_poll]
“As I’ve said for over a year, under the leadership of Gov. DeSantis, Florida continues moving in the right direction and serving as the national model for COVID-19 recovery while other states chose fear over facts,” Wilson said. “Gov. DeSantis’ strong approval ratings show Florida’s voters and Florida’s business community are united around his leadership in protecting Floridians and Florida’s economy.”
The policies of DeSantis, in contrast to those of Cuomo, balanced individual liberty and common sense mitigation efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic, and most importantly, those efforts didn’t kill seniors and ravage the state’s economy.
One year ago, authoritarian Cuomo was hailed as an example of leadership, whereas the pro-freedom DeSantis was entrenched against a media campaign in which he was branded as homicidal with regard to his decision to prioritize not only the rights, but also the economic health and the overall safety of his state’s residents amid the pandemic and the later nationwide civil unrest.
Cuomo was given an Emmy award last year, whereas DeSantis was this spring stalked by CBS and “60 Minutes,” which produced a hit piece against him that missed its mark while only succeeding in debasing the legacy of the program.
Cuomo is a disgraced figure with few allies in his state and in the media, after having been revealed as the actual grim reaper for so many elderly New Yorkers who perished in nursing homes. Meanwhile, now that the dust has settled, DeSantis — as the defender of liberty and the vulnerable — is primed for a second term.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
