By Mike McCombs
The Island News
BLUFFTON – Just days after making the announcement he was running for president, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made his first official campaign appearance in front of several hundred supporters – and a couple dozen protesters – outside the Okatie Ale House.
Though his candidacy was only recently made official, the fact he intended to run may have been one of the worst kept secrets in America.
“It is great to be back in the state of South Carolina!” DeSantis said to an enthusiastic crowd. “I am happy to say that our great American comeback will officially begin when we send Joe Biden back to his basement in the state of Delaware. (He) spends a lot of his time now on vacation, we might as well make it permanent, and that’s what we will do in November of 2024.”
DeSantis took aim at “Bidenflation,” the “open Southern border,” the “woke mind virus,” and, of course the alleged escapades of Hunter Biden, son of President Biden. He promised to restore sanity, cut spending, build a wall and provide universal school choice, among other things.
“I’m running for President because I think American decline is not inevitable, I think it’s a choice,” he said. “It’s a choice that we are all gonna make, over these next 18 months. I think we need to choose a better path, but I think if we do choose that better path, we have an opportunity to usher in a revival of American greatness and that’s our mission, that’s what we’re gonna do.”
There were eight to 10 protesters across the parking lot from the rally holding signs. They were subject to some verbal abuse, but there were no physical issues. Another dozen or so lined the side of U.S. 278, addressing cars as they approached the venue.
“I liked it, I liked it,” said Melissa McCalla of St. Helena Island. “He kept to the topics. He said what we wanted to hear about wanting to get our country back, back to where it was … that’s important, the education of our children. You know, just back to the way we remember when we were kids.
“All this woke ideology’s just too much, and I’ve got a daughter, now a grandson, and I just don’t want that for their future.”
Jim Kroncke of Lady’s Island was also impressed.
“I think he’s wonderful. I got to hear him – the glitch, when he went on with Elon Musk – he went on for an hour with Trey Gowdy on Fox News, and I was impressed with him,” Kroncke said. “He’s just got such a command of the issues. He’s a smart man but there are plenty of smart people running. He’s got the conviction to get rid of … as he said, get rid of the deep state, or at least encroach on it. We got so much bureaucracy up there, and it’s so misguided and misinformed. If you’re misguided and you’re misinformed like Joe Biden, you’re in trouble.”
Kroncke likes South Carolina’s Tim Scott and Nikki Haley but sees them more as vice presidential options.
“They’re gonna be … one of those two is gonna be his vice president. I think, one of those two,” he said. “But I’m just amazed at how many people have gone along with – and it’s just like they were indifferent, until inflation, they were almost indifferent – all the damage Democrats have done. Hard to believe.”
McCalla voted for Trump in the last election.
“We voted for Trump in 2020, you know, that didn’t work out,” she said. “(We) voted for him initially, and we liked what we saw, but I don’t know lately with Trump, I really don’t like him bashing other Republican candidates. A lot of my friends are saying the same thing, that just kinda turns them off.
“So far Ron DeSantis hasn’t gone down that path, and I, you know, if he can do for our country what he’s done for Florida, that’s all we can ask for.”
Dylan McCombs contributed to this story.
Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
