Biden in Florida.

September 4, 2023

          President Biden visited Florida over the weekend to meet with local officials and see first-hand the damage caused by Hurricane Idalia. Governor Ron DeSantis said that scheduling difficulties prevented him from meeting with Biden even though DeSantis was in Florida when Biden visited. Reporters used most of their questions to invite Biden to criticize DeSantis for refusing to meet with him. Biden refused to rise to the bait. Instead, he was gracious as always, praising the emergency response by DeSantis and thanking Senator Rick Scott for meeting with the president’s team.

          At one stop, Biden addressed DeSantis’s absence, saying,

Well, I’m not disappointed [that DeSantis didn’t meet with us]. He may have had other reasons, but he did help us plan this. He sat with FEMA and decided where to go — where would be the least disruption. And I’m very pleased, the guy who we don’t agree very much at all [Senator Rick Scott]—the distinguished former governor— he came, talked about what an incredible job the federal government was doing, so I found that reassuring.

          Some Florida residents questioned whether Biden was visiting out of concern for Floridians or because he is running for reelection. But as the Tallahassee Democrat noted, Biden was generous with his time, staying to greet every person who lined up to meet him:

Biden spent roughly the same amount of time touring the town as he did speaking with nearly every person who lined up to meet him, even posing for pictures with those who asked. He assured residents that help would continue to pour into the region so that they would get the much-needed help they need.

          Trump supporters gave Biden their own special form of welcome:

Some, [Floridians] . . . showed support for the Republican presidential frontrunner candidate Donald Trump. The occasional "Trump Country" and "Let's Go Brandon" signs and middle fingers stood out among the crowd of smiling faces.

See Tallahassee Democrat, 'Here to help': President Biden, first lady land in Gainesville, survey Idalia damage.

          Although DeSantis was touring the west coast of Florida on Saturday, “the governor didn't hold any public event or briefing.” DeSantis’s reticence in speaking to the press may have been motivated by two negative stories relating to DeSantis that dominated the news over the weekend.

          In the first, a state court judge invalidated a DeSantis congressional redistricting map because it violated the Florida state constitution. See Politico, Judge strikes down north Florida congressional districts and orders lawmakers to redraw map. The opinion is here: Black Voters Matter v. Cord Bird, Final Order After Hearing and Final Judgment.

          As noted in the opinion, the Florida legislature amended the state constitution in 2010 to prohibit gerrymandering based on partisan and racial grounds. The Florida Constitution provides:

No apportionment plan or individual district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent; and districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in the political process or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice; and districts shall consist of contiguous territory.

          The lawsuit challenged congressional district boundaries drawn by DeSantis that split up two districts in North Florida that had consistently elected Black representatives since 1990. After DeSantis’s redistricting maps, North Florida elected no Black representatives. The judge appropriately concluded that the intent and effect of DeSantis’s plan was to deny Black citizens representation guaranteed to them under the Florida state constitution. Florida’s Secretary of State said the state will appeal the ruling.

          The second story involved two groups of neo-Nazis that demonstrated near Disney World and Orlando, Florida. See NBC News, Neo-Nazi groups spew hate outside Disney World and near Orlando, officials say. There were two demonstrations, both of which seemed to be connected to the policies of Ron DeSantis.

          The first demonstration took place near Disney World (at the Disney Springs shopping area). After police dispersed the first demonstration, a second, larger demonstration took place in the greater Orlando area. Per NBC, “participants carried antisemitic, white supremacist and anti-LGBTQ flags and signs.” Per the Anti-Defamation League, the groups participating in the demonstrations are affiliated with the largest neo-Nazi group in the U.S.

          The targets of the demonstrations were Disney and LGBTQ people and were carried out by groups espousing antisemitic and white nationalist beliefs. Those targets and beliefs overlap substantially with policies promoted by DeSantis, especially “Don’t Say Gay” bills and efforts to erase the history of racism and enslavement in the U.S.

          There is little surprise, therefore, that DeSantis would avoid talking to members of the Florida press on a weekend during which his redistricting maps were declared to be the product of racial gerrymandering and neo-Nazis demonstrated in support of his policies.  Meanwhile, President Joe Biden was generous, gracious, and open-hearted in his embrace of all Floridians after the damage caused by Hurricane Idalia—including the Trump supporters who gave him the middle finger. That contrast illuminates the stark choice facing America in 2024.  

If Mitch McConnell can’t finish his term, what happens?

          In light of Mitch McConnell’s two episodes of freezing in the last several months, reporters have begun asking the Democratic governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, if he will appoint a Republican to replace Mitch McConnell if the Minority Leaders steps down from his seat. See Kentucky governor won't commit to GOP appointment if McConnell steps down (nbcnews.com)

          What happens if Mitch McConnell does resign from his seat? I addressed that question in July and re-post my answer below:

          Mitch McConnell has experienced several falls over the last six months. A fall in March 2023 sent him to the hospital with a concussion for several days. On Wednesday of this week, McConnell appeared to “freeze” mid-sentence during a news conference. Video here. McConnell claims he is “fine,” but felt “lightheaded” for a moment.

          What happens if McConnell cannot serve his full term (through 2026)? Under Kentucky’s Constitution,

Vacancies in all offices for the State at large . . . shall be filled by appointment of the Governor; all other appointments shall be made as may be prescribed by law.

          But . . . the Kentucky legislature passed a bill in 2021 providing that the governor is limited to appointing candidates from a list provided by the executive committee of the party of the person vacating a US Senate seat (here, the Kentucky Republican Party). The Kentucky GOP executive committee includes Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul.

          Kentucky’s Democratic Governor Andy Beshear vetoed the above bill in 2021, but the GOP legislature overrode his veto. When he vetoed the bill, Governor Beshear provided a letter asserting that the bill violated the state constitution and the 17th Amendment to the US Constitution. Beshear wrote,

[T[he Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that “the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.”

Senate Bill 228 is contrary to the United States Constitution. The Seventeenth Amendment does not authorize legislatures to direct how the Governor makes an appointment to fill vacancies, and the legislature may not impose an additional qualification on who the Governor may appoint beyond the qualifications for a United States Senator set forth in the Constitution.

          If Mitch McConnell vacates his seat in the Senate, Governor Beshear appears intent on appointing a Democrat to fill the seat. See Lexington Herald-Leader, Ky. Dems say Beshear could challenge senate vacancy law. Such a move will undoubtedly lead to litigation.

          If Governor Beshear appoints a Democrat, would the appointee be seated in the US Senate? That depends, in part, on which party is in charge of the Senate at the time. If Republicans control the Senate after 2024 and Governor Beshear appoints a Democrat to fill a vacancy from Kentucky, expect the GOP majority to refuse to seat a Democratic replacement. So, the possibility of a vacancy in the US Senate seat for Kentucky is another reason for Democrats to go all out to retain control of the Senate in 2024—so a Democratic majority can seat a replacement for Mitch McConnell (if necessary).

National Suicide Prevention Month.

          September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is a leading cause of death, especially among teenagers and young adults. According to the CDC, groups at highest risk include “American Indian/Alaska Native Americans[,] veterans, people who live in rural areas [and] young people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual.”

          There are hundreds of resources available to help people who are having suicidal thoughts. Everyone should educate themselves this month to ensure that they can identify signs of people at risk and direct them to appropriate help. I invite readers to post information in the Comments section regarding suicide prevention organizations. (The Comments section will be open to everyone to facilitate discussion on this important topic.)

          To get the conversation started, check out the following: 988 Lifeline (This website includes resources for specific groups at higher risk of suicide, including veterans, Native American, Indian, Indigenous, & Alaska Natives, new mothers, loss survivors, attempt survivors, youth, LGBTQI+, and more). See also American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which includes hotlines, support groups, and local chapters that advocate for suicide prevention.

          It is important to recognize the higher risk faced by LGBTQ youth—especially in a political environment that is becoming increasingly hostile to such youth. The Trevor Project is dedicated to preventing suicide among LGBTQ youths.

          A suicide risk factor that does not get the attention it deserves is domestic violence. See Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline.

          Finally, I know based on prior feedback from readers when I previously referred to the 988 Lifeline that some people are reluctant to call 988. For a list of alternative “warm lines” that use peer counselors, see NPR, Social media posts warn not to call 988. What you need to know. As noted in the NPR article, much of the social media criticism started with one post on Instagram by a person who had a negative experience with suicide prevention but who did not call 988.

         There are no easy answers here. But education and a willingness to talk or refer a resource to someone you believe is at risk may save a life.

Concluding Thoughts.

          I have recently subscribed to two Georgia-based newspapers so I can report on events relating to the criminal proceedings against Trump and his eighteen co-conspirators. After reading the newspapers for a few days, I was struck by the sense in those papers that Georgia is a wide-open state politically. By that, I mean that Governor Kemp is popular and well-respected while Trump and Biden are splitting voters with their low approval ratings. But the friction between Trump and Kemp on the one hand and the negative publicity for Trump arising from the criminal trial on the other hand create favorable conditions for Biden in Georgia in 2024.

          Swing voters in Georgia may not like Biden, but they really don’t like Trump. In that regard, Georgia may reflect the state of the race in several swing states. Swing voters may not be enthusiastic about Biden, but they actively dislike Trump. I don’t think it is fair or rational for voters to view Biden as the “lesser of two” unattractive choices, but if that is how the election is decided, Biden wins.

          Thinking about the unfair criticisms of Biden by focusing on the likely outcome has allowed me to decrease my anxiety about unwarranted and inaccurate criticisms of Biden. As long as voters support him on Election Day, I am not going to twist myself into knots arguing that everyone should see Biden as an effective, decent, capable, and successful president. Our objective is to win in 2024. If we get there because tens of millions of people are voting against Trump, so be it. Many elections are decided in the same manner. In 2022, Republicans failed to mount a “red wave” because of “candidate quality” issues. In 2024, they will have a huge “candidate quality” issue on the top of their presidential ticket.

          In the meantime, Joe Biden’s genuine and decent approach to citizens everywhere will convince some voters in the middle to support him. In an electorate that is evenly divided at the national level, that is all we need to win.

          Talk to you tomorrow!