Rich Lowry, like countless other anti-anti-Trumpers, has embraced reactionary social ideas, but sees Trump as an unreliable vessel for them. Ron DeSantis is the man, he says. He’s competent and serious; he will pursue the reactionary agenda in a single-minded fashion; but he doesn’t really hate blue people the way Trump does, and he doesn’t have weird ideas about pulling out of NATO or pursuing industrial policy. The left, he thinks, is wrong to view DeSantis as worse than Trump. Is he correct?
It depends on how you look at it. It is unquestionably true that Trump’s narcissism and affection for dictators present a unique danger to our liberal democratic system. It is also true, however, that DeSantis has not expressed any opinions on issues such as tariffs, industrial policy, and NATO simply because they are above his pay grade as a mere governor; it is a mistake to assume that his silence means he disagrees with Trump and the base on these points. In addition, DeSantis has done nothing in Florida to suggest that he is just another tax cut and deregulation governor with a big mouth on social issues. He’s not Rick Scott, trying to drown Florida government in a bathtub for the benefit of business; he has ungratefully splashed the cash provided to him by Biden all over the state, while focusing his public comments almost exclusively on issues that warm the hearts of social conservatives and anger the left. He has shown over the last 18 months that he is a pure reactionary with nothing but disdain for the Constitution (hence, the frequent losses in court) because, in his view, that’s the path to the presidency.
Should I prefer an American Orban to a completely erratic guy who would overthrow the system to protect his ego, but who is more interested in adulation than power? That’s a tough call I would obviously prefer never to make.