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Walt Disney Gains Unlikely Ally In War With Ron DeSantis
thestreet ^ | JUN 27, 2023 | DANIEL KLINE

Posted on 06/28/2023 1:56:24 PM PDT by lasereye

Republicans traditionally have been the party that supports business. That's taken a lot of forms, but the classic member of the Grand Old Party supports lower taxes and fewer regulations and stands against unions.

In the modern era, being a member of any political party seems to have taken on connotations beyond whether you support higher taxes on business profits or raising the minimum wage. Now, candidates can't simply paint their feelings about business with a broad brush.

That's because in the current political world not every business gets treated equally by some candidates. Companies now get judged for their perceived political beliefs even if those beliefs have no impact on the core goal of making money.

Instead of treating all businesses the same way, Republican candidates for president, including Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, have waged a culture war against certain companies. Target has fallen victim to this for selling Pride Month clothing, even though Walmart also sells Pride gear without receiving similar fallout.

Anheuser-Busch has famously also been caught up in this political maelstrom and DeSantis has made Walt Disney a special target is his so-called war on woke, which broadly targets companies that support inclusivity.

Disney, however, has received extra attention from the Florida governor, even as the company is the largest single-site employer in his state and a massive driver of tourism revenue.

That's a mistake, according to former Vice President Mike Pence, who is a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

Pence, a longshot candidate for the Republican nomination, says the market and consumers will punish companies for being woke. He explained his position in an essay published on Reason, a Libertarian website. He wrote that "the answer to such challenges is not to demand government intervention -- it is to use free market principles to fix the free market itself."

That's playing out in real-time, according to the former vice president.

"That is exactly what is happening around the country," he wrote.

"After Bud Light drew controversy for embracing progressive gender politics, sales plummeted nationwide. In recent weeks, the same thing has happened to Target for similar reasons. Shares of both companies have suffered substantial losses. Without government lifting a finger, woke companies are being called to account for their ideological excesses."

Pence says that the same thing would happen with Disney because of the company's public stand against DeSantis's so-called Don't Say Gay legislation and its other "left-wing values."

"When the governor of Florida decided to launch a full-scale campaign of governmental retribution against Disney, he wasn't taking a page out of the conservative playbook -- he was following in the footsteps of the radical left," Pence wrote.

"In doing so, he not only risked billions of dollars of investment and thousands of jobs for the state, but even more importantly, he turned his back on the principles that make our country great."

Pence made clear that he believes conservative consumers would have hurt Disney's bottom line without DeSantis's political retribution. He also believes that the government should not be using its power to punish companies that support different values.

"The bottom line is this: Conservatives can either be for politically motivated government intervention in the private sector, or we can be against it," he wrote.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: desantis; disney; pence
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Pence and Trump agree.

"When the governor of Florida decided to launch a full-scale campaign of governmental retribution against Disney, he wasn't taking a page out of the conservative playbook -- he was following in the footsteps of the radical left," Pence wrote.

BS. DeSantis just withdrew special privileges not granted to any other company.

1 posted on 06/28/2023 1:56:24 PM PDT by lasereye
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To: lasereye

“When the governor of Florida decided to launch a full-scale campaign of governmental retribution against Disney, he wasn’t taking a page out of the conservative playbook — he was following in the footsteps of the radical left,” Pence wrote.


And that’s why the radical left and democrats win- because they approach this like a bloodsport while Republican lawmakers are playing paddy cake


2 posted on 06/28/2023 1:59:59 PM PDT by God luvs America (63.5 million pay no income tax and vote for DemoKrats...)
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To: lasereye

Pence says that the same thing would happen with Disney because of the company’s public stand against DeSantis’s so-called Don’t Say Gay legislation and its other “left-wing values.”


Once again, why the left wins. The bill doesn’t say “Don’t Say Gay,”, its how the left framed the narrative. If Pence and the GOP had any balls they would justifiably refer to it as the “Don’t groom or sexualize grade aged school children” bill- but they are cowards.


3 posted on 06/28/2023 2:03:58 PM PDT by God luvs America (63.5 million pay no income tax and vote for DemoKrats...)
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To: lasereye

Pence is WRONG! The communists are manipulating the markets so they no longer work.

Until the GOP understands this (along with using lawfare)...they are destined to lose the war.,


4 posted on 06/28/2023 2:06:29 PM PDT by for-q-clinton (Cancel Culture IS fascism...Let's start calling it that!)
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To: lasereye

“Pence, a longshot candidate for the Republican nomination, says the market and consumers will punish companies for being woke. He explained his position in an essay published on Reason, a Libertarian website. He wrote that “the answer to such challenges is not to demand government intervention — it is to use free market principles to fix the free market itself.””

Pence doen’t understand that by removing state santioned incentatives, DeSantis is reducing government intervention allowing the free market to fix itself.


5 posted on 06/28/2023 2:07:04 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: God luvs America

Don’t forget that most Republicans want to get corporate PAC money. That’s the corporatist Republican’s main consideration when deciding what position to take on something.


6 posted on 06/28/2023 2:08:09 PM PDT by lasereye ( )
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To: for-q-clinton

Trump puts bandaids over the infection. DeSantis administers the antibiotics.


7 posted on 06/28/2023 2:09:11 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: lasereye
Pence is a backstabbing, deep state, piece of shit, faggot fuckstick.
8 posted on 06/28/2023 2:10:03 PM PDT by Pox (Eff You China. Buy American!)
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To: God luvs America; null and void; Travis McGee; Diogenesis; rx; rxsid
Pence just wants to let it play out slowly - Same Stuff, Different Day - the illusion of opposition from The Washington Generals side of the Uniparty.

Those who don't play the scripted parts are overwhelmed by the Uniparty.

One of the best (and most honest) parts of the movie "Shooter" - Ned Beatty's character absolutely explained this game. The other excellent part is visiting the old gun expert.


9 posted on 06/28/2023 2:11:00 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: God luvs America

I wholly support Ron DeSantis in his actions as Governor of Florida, especially in his actions against Disney. I wish he were my governor. He isn’t my first choice for President, but that doesn’t detract from his performance as the Governor which I think is a pretty good record for him.

If only we had more governors who stood up to this BS in their states, as state Governors should do.


10 posted on 06/28/2023 2:17:35 PM PDT by rlmorel ("If you think tough men are dangerous, just wait until you see what weak men are capable of." JBP)
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To: lasereye

Walt Disney's head is not amused.

11 posted on 06/28/2023 2:18:17 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie (LORD, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.)
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To: lasereye

Sounds to me like Pence supports government subsiding big business by granting them unfair advantages, usually at tax payer expense.


12 posted on 06/28/2023 2:19:58 PM PDT by DaBroasta ("An armed society is a polite society" Heinlein)
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To: lasereye

Yes.

But now at least Trump and Pence once again agree on something. They are both pro-Disney and anti-Desantis.

I am anti-Disney and pro-Desantis.


13 posted on 06/28/2023 2:20:39 PM PDT by devere
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To: lasereye

Mr. Pence provides yet another reason for me not to vote for him.


14 posted on 06/28/2023 2:22:49 PM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: lasereye

If a church enters the political arena it stands to lose federal tax privileges (souls to the polls excepted).


15 posted on 06/28/2023 2:24:25 PM PDT by Brian Griffin (ARTICLE I SECTION 2....The President...may require the opinion, in writing)
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To: lasereye

Pence is the definition of a fool.


16 posted on 06/28/2023 2:24:36 PM PDT by STJPII ( )
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To: lasereye

Pence and DeSantis are both members of the disloyalty caucus.


17 posted on 06/28/2023 2:25:03 PM PDT by Lisbon1940 (I don’t see why they would)
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To: lasereye
Pence showed what he was made of when he was governor of Indiana.

The left said boo to him and he jumped from one side of the street to the other.

I was disappointed when Trump tapped him for VP. I knew then Trump couldn't read a compass.

And now Pence is lined up behind Disney. Words fail.

18 posted on 06/28/2023 2:25:24 PM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: devere

Amen


19 posted on 06/28/2023 2:26:03 PM PDT by STJPII ( )
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To: lasereye

“He’s dead Jim.”


20 posted on 06/28/2023 2:32:38 PM PDT by ChessExpert (Required for informed consent: "We have a new, experimental vaccine.")
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