Ron DeSantis touts his state as ‘freedom’s vanguard’ but critics see authoritarianism

Opponents say he leans on wokeness' and culture war issues that are irrelevant to the real needs of Floridians

There are still almost 10 months until Florida's voters elect their next governor, but the campaign of the Republican incumbent, Ron DeSantis, appears well under way.

In a red-meat-for-the-base address at the opening of Florida's legislature last week, themed around the concept of freedom" but described by critics as a fanfare of authoritarianism, DeSantis gave a clear indication of the issues he believes are on voters' minds. They include fighting the White House over Covid-19, ballot box fraud, critical race theory in schools and defunding law enforcement.