[Organic Panic]

I think it is a mistake. Republican conservative states need to rebuild using Florida as an example. The fed swamp in DC is lost. Sure a bomb thrower will be great, like Trump, to make us feel better but it is a lost cause until the states clean up and push back. DeSantis is more valuable as a gov right now.

[Alberta's Child]

There's something else that may also end up lurking beneath the surface for DeSantis. For all its recent success in attracting migrants from other U.S. states, often get a sense in my personal and professional circles that most people don't take Florida seriously.

Whenever I have conversations with people and Florida comes up in any context, it is invariably related to one or more of the following subjects:

1. A place to retire
2. A trip to Disney
3. Spring break
4. The Daytona 500
5. A cruise to the Bahamas out of a Florida port
6. Any other random type of vacation

When I go back and think about it, I can't remember the last time I had a conversation where Florida was discussed in the context of a serious subject matter. When you consider that Florida is now the third-largest U.S. state in terms of population, it's surprising how few Fortune 500 companies are located there. I'm sure there are others, but CSX Railroad is the only one that stands out in my mind.