After a speech full of recycled lines about various accomplishments, Gov. Ron DeSantis made an argument for why politics and entertainment should not be conflated.
“Calvin Coolidge said you cannot properly administer the government by substituting the power of entertainment from the power of accomplishment. And what we see now in this day and age with this influencer, podcast, all these other things, it’s like politics has become entertainment in many respects,” DeSantis said at Arizona State University.
“What ultimately is that leaving, though? Is it just empty calories? Is it just a sugar high? Because if it’s not leaving something that’s durable, then it doesn’t matter,” he continued. “And so what we were focused on is not just getting in the news cycle one day, but delivering results that will not just help people today, but for many, many years to come.”
DeSantis is term limited effective the end of this year. He is polling in single digits in surveys of Republicans looking at a 2028 option, but the fresh material in a stale speech suggested the soft launch of some new messaging that argues he puts substance over style and provides competence.
