DeSantis and Abbott test negative for competence and compassion

Would you like to know how bad things would be if Donald Trump had been reelected or the Capitol coup on Jan. 6 had been successful? All you need to do to find out is to go to Florida or Texas.

Both Sun Belt states are pandemic battlefields.

Florida and Texas have GOP governors, Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott, and Republican state legislatures that are sending their children — and their constituents’ kids —  back to school with little protection against the deadly delta variant, which is especially plaguing the two states.

Florida and Texas led the nation in a dubious category with the most COVID-19 deaths in the week leading up to Labor Day. There were far more fatalities in the two states than there were in big states with Democratic governors. There were more than twice as many daily deaths on average in Florida (344) and Texas (226) than there were in California (100) and more than seven times as many as New York (31).

Governors are expendable, the lives of young people are precious. Adding insult to injury and death, both chief executives have threatened and bullied public educators who are trying to do everything they can to protect the health and wellbeing of the children in public schools. Abbott and DeSantis likely see their destinies leading to the White House. The dreams of parents are for their children to live long and happy lives. The hopes of mothers and fathers should take precedence over the ambitions of politicians.

DeSantis and Abbott are typical of a new breed of Republicans bound by ideology and unburdened by common sense. Fortunately for the citizens of the Sunshine and Lone Star states, their governors will be accountable next year for the widespread death and destruction. Both Republican chief executives up for reelection next in 2022 could face formidable challengers and, in turn, present opportunities for Democrats to take over governors’ mansions in mega states.

DeSantis already has two significant Democratic opponents, former Gov. Charlie Crist and statewide Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. DeSantis is clearly in trouble since his approval rating has declined sharply as the reach of the pandemic has increased.

The field in Texas against Abbott is still in flux. A few Democrats have already announced their intentions to challenge the governor, but two significant candidates former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) and actor Matthew McConaughey are waiting in the wings.

Both incumbents will need to defend their failure to protect their citizens from the ravages of the delta variant. Abbot has the added burden of his support of the new draconian abortion law. His challengers will also press him on the shutdown of the state’s power grid during a storm that left thousands without heat and power in the middle of a cold and icy winter.

The fates of the two governors have enormous implications for the outcome of the 2024 presidential campaign.

DeSantis and Abbott have a bad case of Potomac Fever with an eye on 2024 if Trump doesn’t run. One national poll of Republicans showed DeSantis leading the pack of Republican presidential hopefuls without Trump in the mix.

Both states are also potential battlegrounds in the 2024 presidential election. Biden came closer to beating Trump in Florida than he did in Texas. But the sizes of the Black, Hispanic and Asian populations in Texas are increasing quickly and this demographic shift gives Democrats a better chance to win the electoral votes there.

While thousands of their constituents tested positive for COVID-19, these two GOP governors tested negative for competence and compassion. The question is whether their failure to aggressively fight the blight of the pandemic hinders their presidential ambitions. They may get a warm reception from the GOP primary voters who prioritize personal freedom over pandemic fatalities.

But if one of them wins the GOP nomination, they will have a lot of explaining to do to the swing voters who cast Donald Trump aside because of his halfhearted fight against COVID-19. Both men aspire to follow Trump’s footsteps to1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but they may be nothing more than moths drifting in darkness towards a light that voters extinguished in 2020.

Brad Bannon is a Democratic pollster and CEO of Bannon Communications Research. His podcast, Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon, airs on Periscope TV and the Progressive Voices Network. His Twitter handle is @BradBannon.