Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill yesterday prohibiting the state from spending money on public college diversity, equity and inclusion programs, known as DEI.
Initially, these programs were certainly a help to society. Many decades ago, they helped educate students on diversity in a non combative way, and contributed to the civil rights movement.
But DeSantis has a point. “If you look at the way this has actually been implemented across the country, DEI is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion, and indoctrination. And that has no place in our public institutions.”
Specifically, DeSantis is referring to critical race theory being implemented under the guise of these programs. He singles out one college, New College of Florida, for doing just that.
And colleges are unintentionally self segregating, creating classes and clubs exclusively for black students, further strengthening the racial divide.
One part of the bill seems to point to a problem that isn’t actually there, however. There’s a stipulation abolishing a requirement for students or staff from taking a political loyalty test. No college in Florida has actually implemented such a thing, so he’s creating a boogeyman who doesn’t exist.
But another aspect is strengthen to career and technical education programs. They will be more merit based versus affirmative action based. And more funding will go towards these practical programs over critical race theory ones.
Unlike the 6 week abortion ban, this is a winning issue for DeSantis. Middle the road voters most likely view DeSantis’s 6 week abortion ban as draconian and too extreme. It might help him in the primary, but it’s a losing issue for the general election. The DEI axing is a winning issue for both elections.
It points to some momentum for DeSantis as he gears up to announce his presidential campaign within the next few days. He’s had a successful week for once, making a rare positive impression in Iowa, as he had the state all to himself after Trump cancelled a scheduled rally due to a potential tornado that never materialized.
Will it be enough to win? Hard to say, but DeSantis will finally nab some positive press, and the timing couldn’t be better for him.
Whether this one good and smart week makes DeSantis an actual player in the primary field is harder to pinpoint, but we’ll be following the campaign for you every step of the way.
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