A democracy can only tolerate so much pluralism. When America was a Judeo-Christian country we could agree to disagree on unimportant issues and work together to support a generally common view of the nation.
But because we put "individualism" on a pedestal and began to worship it, our nation has devolved into a roomful of spoilt, bratty and unruly children who must be managed by the "adults".
These "adults" are the oligarchs who tell us we need to get jabbed, wear masks, lower our carbon footprints, celebrate gays, be remorseful for our racism, etc.
Whoever wins the elections on the state and federal level. DeSantis runs Florida because that's who the people of Florida chose. Other states are run by very different governors because that's who their citizens chose. I've always, it's ultimately up to the voters in a democratic system. But because we put "individualism" on a pedestal and began to worship it, our nation has devolved into a roomful of spoilt, bratty and unruly children who must be managed by the "adults".
You've got it exactly backwards. The problem isn't too much individualism. The problem is we have too little individualism and too much collectivism. We have too many citizens in this country who think they know what is best for everyone else, and are entitled to force other people to comply with their desires. So, they vote for politicians who share those views and will implement those policies.
Blaming the politicians is confusing the cause with the effect. The problem isn't the politicians - it is the people who vote for them.