Ron DeSantis is a test case

The fact that Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, is favored to win re-election is a clear warning to those worried about declining support for democratic institutions and values in the United States.

The prospect of DeSantis’s re-election in November suggests that under certain circumstances the American electorate will tolerate, if not actively embrace, the abuse by domineering leaders of traditional political norms. A DeSantis victory would also demonstrate that the hostility of many mainstream voters to controversial liberal initiatives on social and cultural issues is strong enough to generate formidable backlash…

That DeSantis has pushed these boundaries is no surprise. What is surprising is the absence of strong, organized opposition in a purple state. Why? One answer is that his policies have substantial support.

From May 21 to May 30 this year, Hart Research Associates, a Democratic polling firm, posed questions on contentious education issues to 1,758 likely voters in seven battleground states — Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — for the American Federation of Teachers, a pro-Democratic labor organization. The responses revealed the depth of the traditional attitudes DeSantis and numerous other Republican candidates are tapping into.