It Was All For Polling Numbers

It was all a political stunt for DeSantis presidential campaign run! They care more about winning than people lives.

Ron DeSantis' Martha's Vineyard stunt gives Republicans the midterm fight they crave and takes focus off Trump 2024 and abortion rights, GOP operatives say

• Polling shows voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on immigration and border security.
• DeSantis' political stunt in Martha's Vineyard rocketed the issues to front-page news ahead of the midterms.
• Republicans welcome the change of topic from abortion and Trump. 

Insider
By Kimberly Leonard and Warren Rojas
September 22, 2022


When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis orchestrated flights sending migrants and asylum seekers from San Antonio, Texas, to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, many observers saw a stunt aimed at raising the Republican's political profile ahead of a potential 2024 White House run. 

But according to GOP operatives, the move also gave Republicans running for Congress the opportunity to home in on illegal immigration and border security, topics they've clamored to put at the center of this fall's midterm elections.

DeSantis' timing is ideal for Republicans and allows the governor to continue casting himself as a national GOP leader that others in the party will follow.

But I think it is going to bite the Republicans in the a**!

I think those who think that the “immigration problem” is out of hand have always thought that and those who do not think the there is a problem have also no changed their mind. All his immoral stunt did was polarize the both sides more.

Republicans already knew they held an advantage on these issues even before the Martha's Vineyard controversy. Since March 2021, the National Republican Congressional Committee, which works to elect Republicans in US House races, has sent 357 emails about "Biden's Border Crisis" to reporters. 

But DeSantis' Martha's Vineyard flights brought renewed interest to the matter, said a Republican familiar with House races who asked not to be named in order to speak candidly.

What they hope to do is strengthen their base.

Republicans already knew they held an advantage on these issues even before the Martha's Vineyard controversy. Since March 2021, the National Republican Congressional Committee, which works to elect Republicans in US House races, has sent 357 emails about "Biden's Border Crisis" to reporters. 

But DeSantis' Martha's Vineyard flights brought renewed interest to the matter, said a Republican familiar with House races who asked not to be named in order to speak candidly.

[…]

To top it all off, Republicans are closely watching trends that show Democrats are seeing a decline in support from Hispanic voters.

It was nothing more than a political stunt at the expense of human lives. Over the last four or five years the number of hate crimes have skyrocketed!

Rise in reports of hate crimes against Latinos pushes overall number to 11-year high
Of 51 hate-motivated murders reported in 2019, 22 — almost half — were from last year's anti-Hispanic mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
NBC News
By Suzanne Gamboa and The Associated Press
November 16, 2022


Reports of hate crimes against Latinos, including last year's shooting massacre in El Paso, Texas, increased in 2019, while the overall number of reports of hate-motivated killings hit its highest level since data began being collected in the early 1990s, an FBI report released Monday indicated.

Of the 51 hate-motivated killings reported last year, 22 of the victims — almost half — died in the El Paso massacre on Aug. 3, 2019. Most of the victims were Latinos. Authorities have said the gunman was targeting Hispanics when he drove hundreds of miles to El Paso and shot multiple people at a Walmart.

[…]

Authorities said that before the attack, the gunman had posted a hate-filled racist statement decrying the "invasion" of Mexican immigrants in the United States.

That is what all the rhetoric against immigrants is doing hate crimes against Latinos and Asian is the direct results of politicians like DeSantis who milk the political divide for all that’s it worth. And they do the same thing with us, it is all about polling numbers and not people lives!

~~~~~~~

But the question is; is his  strategy working?

DeSantis risks voter backlash in Florida with migrant flights
The Hill
By Max Greenwood and Amie Parnes
September 23, 2022


Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is facing mounting scrutiny in his home state over his controversial decision last week to fly dozens of mostly Venezuelan migrants to the elite resort island of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. 

While the move was lauded by conservatives as a powerful protest of the Biden administration’s approach to border security, it has sparked a wave of criticism from Democrats and members of Florida’s vast Hispanic community, a politically influential force in the Sunshine State.

“With this move, this stunt, obviously he made his base very happy,” said Adelys Ferro, the executive director of the Venezuelan American Caucus. “But there are many people more toward the middle and people who are independents that are very disgusted and that reject all of this.”

“We are Venezuelan Americans and we vote, and we’re going to vote in November,” she added. “And we’re never going to vote for somebody who does this.”

[…]

But whether the migrant flights — dubbed a political stunt by critics — will weigh on DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential contender who is facing reelection this year, remains an open question. 

Politico echoes the Hill article and notice that DeSantis is only picking on Venezuelans and not Cuban immigrants.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to transport mostly Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard earlier this week could hurt the Republican governor in November with a key constituency that the GOP has sought to win over.

The move by DeSantis dominated the radio and television airwaves in South Florida — where large swaths of Hispanic voters live. One Spanish radio host loudly denounced the move and even compared DeSantis’ actions to that of deceased Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, who relocated Cubans in the early ‘60s.

Democrat Charlie Crist, who is challenging DeSantis, on Saturday rushed out a new digital ad targeting Hispanics and the Venezuelan community as part of a six-figure buy pounding DeSantis over his attention-getting move.

Will it help or hurt him we will find out in November?