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Is DeSantis Winning the Public Relations Battle Against Disney?
PJ Media ^ | 04/27/2023 | Chris Queen

Posted on 04/27/2023 7:11:43 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

The fight between Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) and The Walt Disney Corporation (TWDC) has been going on for over a year, but the skirmish has intensified in recent weeks with the Florida legislature’s dismantling of Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District and setting up a new district under state supervision — all done with DeSantis’ full support.

TWDC has filed a suit against DeSantis, even as the state’s new Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board continues to shed light on how Disney took advantage of its quasi-governmental authority. But is the whole controversy putting DeSantis in a bad light, or can he benefit from it?

The short answer to that question is: it depends on who you ask.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll provides some interesting insight into what voters think about the DeSantis vs. Disney donnybrook. On the surface, the results look like a bad news/good news mix for the governor.

“Following recent arguments between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, seven in ten Americans (73%) say they are aware of Disney objecting to recent Florida laws banning the discussion of sexuality and gender in public schools, while nearly four in five (78%) say they are aware of recent efforts to revoke some of Walt Disney World’s legal privileges in Florida,” reports Ipsos. “Despite such high awareness of these events, a plurality (47%) of Americans say they do not know who is winning the fight.”Ipsos

On the whole, voters view the state’s actions and DeSantis punishing Disney for exercising its free speech rights, with 64% agreeing to that statement and 36% saying that Florida is “rightfully rolling back special treatment for Disney.”

(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: antiwoke; desantis; disney; fl; florida; nogroomers
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To: All

It’s Trump’s liberal Democrat attack ads against DeSantis on Social Security that pushing me over the edge. Lies.


21 posted on 04/27/2023 9:03:25 AM PDT by rbmillerjr
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To: rbmillerjr

The problem is that we have to fix the scam of Social Security because it’s heading for insolvency. That’s a fact that few politicians are willing to honestly address.


22 posted on 04/27/2023 9:06:41 AM PDT by windsorknot
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To: windsorknot

RE: Why do I get the feeling that some “conservatives” want Disney to win the battle?

The cult of personality has clouded the minds of many conservatives.


23 posted on 04/27/2023 9:09:20 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind; windsorknot

We are no longer conservatives when conservatism is whatever $100k Clinton Foundation Donor Trump says it is.


24 posted on 04/27/2023 9:14:11 AM PDT by lodi90
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To: semimojo
“It is a foul when you use the power of the state to punish your political enemies.”

Define punish.

If the Florida legislature gives an economic advantage by creating a self-dealing self-government for Disney but not for Sea World or Monkey Jungle World hasn't that punished those smaller tourist traps?

Define enemy.

Disney gave a $100,000 to DeSantis that we know of; doesn't sound like enemies to me.

But DeSantis doesn't like child groomers and Disney does. That is a legitimate difference in policy. And when DeSantis prevailed in the legislature, Disney began to think the Governor was disloyal to the plastic rat - after all they had done for him.

Disney expects to win the cultural wars without opposition, and when DeSantis said “no” Disney made him an enemy.

https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-pac-disney-contributions-1699788

25 posted on 04/27/2023 9:14:58 AM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: jeffersondem

“Disney’s thinking is that equal treatment will in some way cost them money; and it is “not fair” to take away their money.”

Should Florida companies that don’t get the Disney-type of special treatment demand that they get it?

If Disney’s special treatment is removed, do you suppose it would harm Florida tourism?


26 posted on 04/27/2023 9:17:56 AM PDT by cymbeline
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To: jeffersondem
Define punish.

Taking something away from Disney (regardless of how they came to have it) because of their political views.

Disney expects to win the cultural wars without opposition, and when DeSantis said “no” Disney made him an enemy.

So DeSantis used the power of the state of FL to punish Disney for having different political views than he does.

Does anyone honestly deny this?

27 posted on 04/27/2023 9:24:24 AM PDT by semimojo
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To: cymbeline
“Should Florida companies that don't get the Disney-type of special treatment demand that they get it?”

There is nothing to prevent them from asking the legislature for special treatment.

As long as DeSantis is governor, they are unlikely to get a Disney-type deal.

Going forward, I expect some number of Florida politicians can be purchased, or at least rented, by special interests. Always have.

It is a Republic, if we can keep it.

28 posted on 04/27/2023 9:25:32 AM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: cymbeline

“If Disney’s special treatment is removed, do you suppose it would harm Florida tourism?”

No.

High energy costs will harm the travel industry.


29 posted on 04/27/2023 9:28:43 AM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: semimojo

“Taking something away from Disney (regardless of how they came to have it) because of their political views.”

So you define the state correcting an injustice as punishment.

I don’t disagree you can define punishment that way.

And you can define a man as a woman.

I reject those definitions and for good reason.

I reject them because they are not true.


30 posted on 04/27/2023 9:43:35 AM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: SeekAndFind

The problem DeSantis has is this looked like a ready made issue to define himself in the run up to challenging Trump. It’s turned out a whole lot more complex and runs the risk of now revealing his political immaturity. Impatience has torpedoed all of us at points in life.


31 posted on 04/27/2023 9:46:15 AM PDT by Paraclete
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To: wiseprince

It’s not silly for parents that want to keep pedophiles from their children.


32 posted on 04/27/2023 9:46:49 AM PDT by Gary from Dayton (Scary unvaccinated American )
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To: SeekAndFind

Ron DeSantis is about to curtail the 1st Amendment rights of Florida state by signing HB269 that punishes those who speak out against Jewish groups and Israel with a 5 year prison sentence.
Oh, by the way, he’s signing this bil...in Israel.


33 posted on 04/27/2023 9:49:20 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: jeffersondem
So you define the state correcting an injustice as punishment.

Of course not.

But as we all know they aren't doing this to Disney to correct an injustice.

FL has hundreds of special tax districts like Reedy Creek. Why not go after the Daytona International Speedway, for instance?

Because it's about Disney's political stance. As the rep who introduced the legislation said:

“You kick the hornet’s nest, things come up. And I will say this: You got me on one thing, this bill does target one company. It targets The Walt Disney Company.”

34 posted on 04/27/2023 9:55:25 AM PDT by semimojo
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To: semimojo

“FL has hundreds of special tax districts like Reedy Creek.”

Which other special tax district has a provision to allow it to build a nuclear power plant?


35 posted on 04/27/2023 10:09:32 AM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: jeffersondem
Which other special tax district has a provision to allow it to build a nuclear power plant?

I don't know. Why is that relevant?

36 posted on 04/27/2023 10:11:43 AM PDT by semimojo
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To: semimojo
“I don't know. Why is that relevant?”

Because contrary to your claim, no other special tax district is like Reedy Creek.

Reedy Creeks’ ability to build a nuclear power plant without some state oversight might have seemed reasonable when the measure was adopted by an all-white legislature in the 1960s, but not today.

The Reedy Creek “build a nuclear plant in my backyard” provision alone is reason enough to review the original legislation.

37 posted on 04/27/2023 10:24:52 AM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: jeffersondem
The Reedy Creek “build a nuclear plant in my backyard” provision alone is reason enough to review the original legislation.

But that isn't why they did it.

They did it to punish Disney for opposing the Parental Rights in Education Bill.

We all know this and DeSantis goes around the country bragging about it. "Florida is where woke goes to die".

Why the charade?

38 posted on 04/27/2023 10:35:37 AM PDT by semimojo
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To: Gary from Dayton

Guess you missed my point. It’s not silly bit has been made into DeSantis and Disney trying to one up each other. Someone in the thread suggested Disney V Children or something to that effect. That would be a winning message, in my opinion


39 posted on 04/27/2023 10:37:34 AM PDT by wiseprince (Me,)
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To: semimojo
“We all know this and DeSantis goes around the country bragging about it. “Florida is where woke goes to die”.

But leveling the playing field for Disney and the other tourist traps is not the only anti-woke crime that DeSantis is accused of committing.

As a fair-minded conservative, can you tell me about the other DeSantis anti-woke actions that you know of, and which ones you support?

If you don't know of any it is fine to say so.

40 posted on 04/27/2023 12:09:00 PM PDT by jeffersondem
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