When Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered his State of the State address last year, and the Republican declared Florida as the nation’s freest state. In fact, the governor used the word “freedom” more than a half dozen times in his prepared remarks, concluding that the Sunshine State “has stood as freedom’s vanguard.”
Given the degree to which DeSantis has curtailed Floridians’ freedoms, there was some irony to the rhetoric. But soon after, a growing number of prominent Democratic voices started taking steps to turn the rhetorical tables.
The Atlantic’s Ron Brownstein explained last summer, “[T]he systematic drive by GOP state officials and the Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices to roll back seemingly long-settled civil rights and liberties, including the right to abortion, has provided Democrats with a unique opening to reverse the terms of this debate, particularly in races for state offices, where the rights battles are now centered. An array of Democratic governors and gubernatorial candidates are presenting Republicans as a threat to Americans’ freedoms.”
This came to mind this morning, when President Joe Biden and his team launched their re-election campaign and released a video titled, “Freedom.” In case the name was too subtle, consider some of the transcript:
“Freedom. Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. There’s nothing more important. Nothing more sacred. … Around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take those bedrock freedoms away. Cutting Social Security that you’ve paid for your entire life while cutting taxes for the very wealthy. Dictating what health care decisions women can make, banning books, and telling people who they can love. All while making it more difficult for you to be able to vote. When I ran for president four years ago, I said we are in a battle for the soul of America. And we still are. The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or…
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