By Tim Bakamjian

Less than three weeks after announcing his candidacy for U.S. president, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made a campaign stop in Tulsa on June 10th. He packed a sweltering hot barn with several hundred supporters, in addition to the almost equal number that listened just outside the building. The event began with former Tulsa Congressman and NASA Administrator (under President Donald Trump) Jim Bridenstine offering a ringing endorsement of his former colleague.

“Ron and I came to Congress in the same year – 2013. From the start, it was very clear that he was a leader. We were both founding members of the Freedom Caucus, which was and is a great tool to advance conservative principles. We worked together on many legislative issues over the years and also were both members of the ‘Couch Caucus,’ where he lived in his office while I lived in mine. He’s highly intellectual, strong on defense and a great advocate for America’s space program. He’ll make an outstanding Commander-in-Chief for America.”

After Bridenstine, Gov. Kevin Stitt became the Nation’s first gubernatorial leader to endorse DeSantis. He listed the similar policies both have advocated and usually passed, such as school choice, no transgender surgery for minors, energy independence, boys playing only in boys’ sports, banning mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, and sending national guard troops to the Mexican border.

“Following his lead and watching and working with him over the last five years, I’ve never seen a better leader than Governor DeSantis,” Stitt said. “We need the next president to be in office for the next eight years. I believe Ron DeSantis is the right guy to beat Biden and be in office for eight years.”

During that same week, DeSantis received the endorsement of 20 state legislators, including Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols, Deputy Majority Leader Trey Caldwell, Deputy Floor Leader John Pfeiffer and four state senators. “Ron DeSantis,” said Echols, “ has the courageous vision and the fighting power to give Oklahomans representation of our conservative cause for eight years, and I am confident he can deliver the election victory we need.”

“America is in decline,” DeSantis began, “but it’s not inevitable. Decline is a choice. I’m running for president to reverse the decline…, and put us on a path to American renewal.”

To reverse the decline, he said a leader has to look beyond what’s in his best short-term interests and do what is best for the people. For instance, Florida was one of the first states to open back up after the almost nationwide, job-killing Covid-19 lockdowns. They also were pioneers in banning mask and vaccine mandates. DeSantis did so after consulting with some of the top scientific experts who weren’t tied to the government or the pharmaceutical companies. For these actions, he was heavily criticized by the media, the bureaucracy, Dr. Fauci, all Democrats, and even some Republicans, including former President Trump.

“We stood alone, but we got it right,” he said. “Newsom, Cuomo, Fauci and the others got it wrong.”

As Florida Governor….

After serving three terms in the U.S. House (where his American Conservative Union rating was 100% in 2018), DeSantis was elected governor of Florida. Starting in January 2019 he’s compiled a remarkable list of accomplishments that serve as a model for other red state office holders. Among them are the following:

Banned Chinese farm land purchases in the state; Passed $2.7 billion in tax relief, including eliminating sales taxes on baby products; Reformed education by passing a Universal School Choice bill and other measures; Banned sanctuary cities, passed strict immigration reforms and strengthened; border security; Banned Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), which would have eliminated cash, crypto and invaded privacy; Passed Constitutional Carry; Passed the Heartbeat Bill, which bans most abortions after six weeks; Reformed their election laws, which now require Voter I.D. and limit ballot harvesting; Eliminated Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) practices which discriminate against worthy individuals in academia and the workplace and end meritocracy; ”Knee-capped” Environmental Social Governance (ESG), which assigns scores to companies based on their compliance with certain social and environmental goals but to the detriment of its investors; Responded rapidly and efficiently to Hurricane Ian, in part by rebuilding and reopening two important bridges in less than two weeks instead of the previously planned six months by local officials; Appointed seven constitutional conservative judges, which changed the direction of many state laws; Passed a Parents Bill of Rights law, which protects the rights of parents to choose what is best for their minor child’s education, mental health and healthcare; Terminated Disney Corporation’s special tax and regulatory privileges because of their continued support of entertainment that was toxic and too graphic for children; Passed sensible environmental legislation that restores the Everglades, protects water resources and improves state parks; Passed a death penalty law against pedophiles and sex traffickers and increased punishments against fentanyl dealers; Fired Soros-supported prosecutors who weren’t enforcing state-passed criminal laws; Defied the Biden administration by making a variety of Covid-19 treatments widely available.

In part from these and other measures, Florida ranks #1 in the nation or near the top in a wide variety of categories:

#1 in education freedom, including school choice; #1 in state higher education; #1 in parental involvement; #4 in GDP growth; #1 in low unemployment rate among the Nation’s ten largest states; #1 in business formation; #1in tourism; #1 in black-owned businesses; near the top in transportation projects; lowest crime rate in 50 years; largest budget surplus in state history ($22 billion); fastest growing state (population-wise) in the country.

As President of the United States ….

Expect major changes if Ron DeSantis is elected president. He would institute a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, including sending the U.S. military to the southern border as well as mass detention and deportation of undocumented people. He’d end birthright citizenship and build a complete border wall, promises made but not kept by Donald Trump. The current “catch and release”policy would end, “criminal aliens” would be deported, and severe penalties if not deadly force would be used against Mexican drug cartels and human traffickers.

In an effort to reduce the size of government and instill fiscal discipline, DeSantis would seek to close four federal agencies: the departments of Commerce, Energy, Education and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He’d direct each cabinet head to reduce their workforce by 50%, and relocate many government services to other states. Unlike his most previous presidents, he’d veto any budget bills that balloon the deficit and subsequently increase inflation. In fact, he’d reverse all of President Biden’s disastrous economic policies.

“We need to fundamentally re-constitutionalize the government,” he said. “We talked about draining the swamp in 2016; that didn’t happen. I think the better analogy is breaking the swamp.”

Calling the IRS a “corrupt organization,” the governor wants to replace the current tax with a single rate proposal, such as a flat tax. “We need to do something that’s more favorable to average folks,” he said.

Day One would be a busy one in the DeSantis administration. 1,000’s of new employees would have already been hired to begin leadership positions in government. Corrupt FBI director Christopher Wray (a Trump appointee) would be fired. January 6th, 2021 protestors who were unjustly prosecuted and jailed would be pardoned. Heads would roll at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institute Health (NIH), three agencies that answer more to Big Pharma than to the American people.

The process of restoring the military “to its proper glory” would begin immediately. High standards would return, woke generals would be terminated or reassigned and diversity initiatives would end. No longer would soldiers have to watch military clips of armed forces leaders talking about pronouns, hormone therapy or white rage.

“When China sees the Navy using drag queens to recruit people, they are laughing in our face,” he recently said to a crowd of veterans and their families. “The more and more you inject this type of agenda into the military, the more you give China (our greatest adversary) the advantage.”

A President DeSantis would restore a single standard of justice, declassify as much as possible, appoint judges in the mold of Clarence Thomas, seek a sustainable peace between Russia and Ukraine, and keep the federal government out of issues that are the constitutional purview of the states, such as abortion, education, drug and gun laws. If California, for example, wants to pass laws that ban gas stoves, force reparation payments, allow born-alive abortions and prohibit handgun sales, the Nation’s chief executive can only use his “bully pulpit” to discourage such measures.

Why He Can Win

Trump is not way ahead, as some national polls suggest. Most polls haven’t surveyed enough people – 800 is the bare minimum – to be considered accurate. Many pollsters are hired by a particular candidate to achieve a certain result, or they’ll be fired. Plus, how can almost any polling be accurate anymore? Landlines are almost extinct, and most people don’t answer their phone if they see a strange number, which removes the randomness of any survey.

DeSantis realizes the early primary states are crucial and has focused his efforts there. In Iowa, he’s made numerous stops to capacity crowds, received the endorsement of more than 20 state legislators as well as the state’s evangelical leader, Bob Vander Plaats. His wife has campaigned with popular governor Kim Reynolds, who may be his future running mate. Plus, the DeSantis PAC, Never Back Down, has trained volunteers that have already knocked on almost 200,000 doors of potential January 15th Iowa caucus voters.

Similar targeted efforts are showing promise in the other early primary states of New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Greater attention to the March 5th, 2024 Super Tuesday ones, which include Oklahoma, wlll begin soon. The campaign and its Never Back Down PAC far out raised the Trump and Biden ones in the second quarter. Plus the candidate won’t be outworked. He makes two or three campaign stops a day plus frequent fact-filled appearances on television and with popular podcasters.

Meanwhile, Trump has made few campaign appearances and has lost most of his major donors. Crowd sizes have been small, his legal troubles are mounting, his Truth Social app is dying and his almost bitter, name-calling message is not resonating. So far, he has so refused to debate, and has strangely heaped praise on various Democrats and dictators. Gone is the 2016 Trump who was positive, determined and entertaining. Every recent poll shows him losing to President Biden in a head-to-head matchup and DeSantis even or ahead.

A lot can happen between now and November, 2024. But proper groundwork is being laid, momentum is building and an increasing number of voters are learning about this once-in-a-generation candidate.

Tim Bakamjian is an independent real estate broker and investor living in Tulsa. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kenyon College in Ohio and a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Tulsa. He’s married with one grown child. Political and economic issues have been a life-long interest. He may be contacted at: tbakamjian@gmail.com