Disney Blinks, DeSantis Snags First Huge Win of 2024 Campaign
Florida governor follows Trump playbook in possible White House prelude
Donald Trump didn’t win the White House based solely on his policies.
Sure, conservatives rallied around Trump’s border wall agenda, tax cuts and pro-Israel stance. Many also cheered his presence in the political arena, an orange bull in the Beltway China shop.
Trump donned his armor, forged in both reality show skirmishes and real estate wars, and plunged into the Culture Wars. His rhetoric alone pummeled anyone demanding more genteel conversations.
He also railed against protesters tearing down statues, a core part of recent Culture War skirmishes.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took some notes during Trump’s tenure, apparently. And he’s emerged with the first major win of the 2024 presidential campaign.
Bob Iger, who recently returned as @WaltDisneyCo‘s chief executive, said he feels “sorry” to see the entertainment giant getting dragged into a battle with #Florida lawmakers over a ban on sex and gender discussions in early elementary classrooms. https://t.co/f71OAaH9kl
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) December 1, 2022
The Republican leader challenged Hollywood’s biggest studio, Disney, from his Sunshine State perch. DeSantis couldn’t use the White House’s bully pulpit.
At least not yet.
He understood how a politically-charged Mouse House could impact not just La La Land but the culture at large.
And, make no mistake, Team Disney is invested in more than just its streaming service. The mega-studio, which owns “Star Wars,” Pixar, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and more, wants to change hearts and minds.
Even if its bottom line suffers as a result.
Chris Rufo releases inside videos of Disney execs saying they want 50% of their characters to fit their “not-at-all-secret gay agenda” … oh, and that evil Republicans want to kidnap gay people’s kids https://t.co/WvFmhSwZLx
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) March 30, 2022
We’ve seen in recent months evidence of Disney creatives flexing its brand to include woke gender mores into its storylines. That inclusive agenda yielded films like “Lightyear,” “Strange World” and “Willow,” content aimed at children featuring same-sex couples and other gender narratives some say aren’t age appropriate.
Disney didn’t stop there.
The company used its corporate might to battle DeSantis’ legislation to prevent young children from being exposed to complicated sexual material in schools. The media dubbed DeSantis’ legislation the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, an erroneous label used across the news landscape sans apology.
Disney attacked the Parental Rights in Education bill through friendly media outlets. Former CEO Bob Chapek personally intervened, too.
Chapek said that he called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Wednesday morning, “to express our disappointment and concern that if the legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary and transgender kids and families.”
Remember, this is an entertainment company, not a Democratic SuperPAC. Disney leaned into its new, self-appointed role, backed by woke employees eager to score points in the Culture Wars.
DeSantis could have backpedaled. Who wants to go toe to toe with the Mouse House, an integral part of Florida’s ecosystem and a beloved brand for generations?
He stayed his ground, defying both Disney and biased media outlets.
RELATED: KEVIN SORBO: WALT DISNEY IS SPINNING IN HIS GRAVE
DeSantis also approved legislation stripping Disney of its “special governing power,” dating back to 1967, earlier this year. The move hit Disney where it hurt … in the taxes.
DeSantis made his rationale for the move clear as crystal.
“Look, there’s policy disputes, and that’s fine … but when you’re trying to impose a woke ideology on our state, we view that as a significant threat …this wokeness will destroy this country if we let it run unabated. So in Florida, we take a very big stand against that.”
What happened next?
Chapek got ousted as Disney CEO on a Sunday night shuffle. His predecessor, Bob Iger, returned to his former position to battle the company’s sizable stock slump and faltering brand. The company’s latest animated film, “Strange World,” bombed in spectacular fashion.
And, days after rejoining the company, Iger declared a ceasefire in the Culture Wars he helped inflame.
Here’s what Iger told his employees during a Townhall Q&A earlier this week.
“Do I like the company being embroiled in controversy? Of course not. It can be distracting, and it can have a negative impact on the company. And to the extent that I can work to kind of quiet things down, I’m going to do that.”
A subsequent question touched on the Parental Rights in Education law, letting Iger pivot on an issue his company worked so hard to engage.
“When you tell stories, there’s a delicate balance. You’re talking to an audience, but it’s also important to listen to an audience. It’s important to have respect for the people you are serving, that you are trying to reach and not have disdain from.”
DeSantis won re-election in Florida last month by a wide margin, drawing support from Democratic strongholds in the process. He hasn’t formally announced a presidential run, but political observers would be shocked if he stood down for the 2024 campaign.
He may be the only GOP contender strong enough to take on Trump. And, given his unofficial victory in the Disney wars, he’s off to a flying start.
Trying to figure out how this was a “win” when the Florida legislature had acknowledged they can’t sanction Disney without costing Florida tax payers billions of dollars per their agreement and have now entirely rolled over.
I will only vote Trump in ’24 but I will fully support DeSantis for VP and possibly for President in ’28.
No, DeSantis should NOT run in 2024. The corporate media, political consultants, and phony democrat-posing-as-republican prostitutes aside, he has plenty of time, if he even wants to be President. He can and should consolidate gains in Florida during his newly begun term. Take the long view folks. It is one thing to be learned from the commies.
Amen. I voted for four complete years from DeSantis as governor, not one year as governor and another campaigning. Unlike the Dims, Republicans have several strong individuals who could run in 2024. Back off my Gov.
America wont survive four more years of trump and his inability to drain the swamp. Total incompetence. He could not have done any more to help permanently imbed the regressives if he was trying and was completely helpless when fighting them.
Tell me when he will finally get it? It’s been six years and he demonstrated once again this month he still has no clue. He’s rabidly supporting McCarthy, phoning support for him. There’s not a shred of evidence that he gets how to drain the swamp, only that he strongly strengthens rather than weakens them. At every juncture you can count on him doing this. It’s the only issue that can’t be ignored. Our nation’s survival depends on it.
Answer this, is six years long enough? When would you say is the cutoff point for a full grown man to start showing that he has both a grasp of how important draining the swamp is and to start an even remedial ability and understanding of how to do so.
Why is a company that NEEDS DECENT PEOPLE to watch their movies so INTENT on DESTROYING that?? Do they really think the less than 2% will generate enough money to continue their onslaught against morality? WHY MESS WITH THE CHILDREN??? LEAVE THE CHILDREN ALONE – LET THEM BE CHILDREN!! That’s not so hard to understand! Or SHOULDN’T be!!
It will be interesting to see where on the “pecking order” Disney falls when they have to get SERVICES just like ALL the other Florida residents and businesses that pay TAXES to the state!! Disney has made their bed to include some unsavory bedfellows – they can lie in it!
The left cynically created “the mob” via their control of primary and secondary education. They have indoctrinated hundeds of thousands of kids in far left cultural marxism. Essentially it is the civilian army that Obama wanted. They thought they could control it to their political advantage. But it turns out that “the mob” controls them. Democrats are between a rock and a hard place. Their choices are to buck the mob and face cancellation. Or support the culture war extremes of the mob and be cancelled by the voters. Most Democrat politicians don’t think it is politically wise to be led by the likes of AOC and her Squad but they find they have no choice.
In your answer to your “why” question, Disney found themselves in this rock and a hard place position. Chapek had very much wanted to remain neutral on the Parental Rights in Education Bill. The mob forced him to commit Disney to economic hari kari. The result was significant damage to his company and to his own career.