What a difference 18 years makes! In 2004, George W. Bush did everything he could to put anti-gay rights measures on state ballots, because he knew that anything related to LGBTQ was a wedge issue for Democrats and drove up turnout among white Christians. In 2022, 12 GOP senators voted for a gay marriage bill. Gay marriage is now a wedge issue for the GOP.
How will DeSantis try to bridge the gap in his party? He won’t, because he’s too closely identified with the anti side, what with his “groomer” statements and all. He will use the issue to inflame the base and hope that it doesn’t hurt him too much in the general election, if he gets that far. He will take comfort in the results of the Florida election. He probably shouldn’t; America is not Florida.