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Doral, Florida - This week Governor DeSantis visited the Museum of Assault Brigade 2506 located in Hialeah Gardens. This Brigade was made up of freedom fighters who landed at Bay of Pigs on April 17, 1961 to fight for the liberation of their Cuban homeland from totalitarian communist tyranny. They failed to receive the air cover and logistical support promised by the United States government, and were defeated in a few days. They also failed to link up with rebel groups fighting in the Escambray mountains, because their landing site had been moved too far away. The Election Integrity Brigade takes its name from them. At that time your columnist was four years old and growing up around 100 kilometers (62 miles) by road from the landing site.

DeSantis went on the 63rd anniversary of the landing at Bay of Pigs in order to sign new legislation requiring that an anti-communist curriculum be taught in Florida schools. This commitment to teaching the history of “the dangers and evils of communism,” both at home and abroad, is much needed at this point in time for America. Too many students surveyed today have a romantic view of communism, and think that it has not really been tried and given a chance to work. The empirical evidence not only from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, but also from New York, California and Illinois, says otherwise. Communism always results in an evil empire, at home or abr

In addition, DeSantis stated that: “We are going to tell the truth about the evils of communism.” The curriculum will include “the history of communism in the United States and domestic communist movements.” It will also tell of the “atrocities committed in foreign countries under the guidance of communism,” and include “a discussion of political ideologies, such as communism and totalitarianism, which conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States.” Students surveyed in Miami-Dade County, however, according to the President of Miami Dade College, already understand that communism means tyranny and misery. For them America stands for freedom and the opportunity to take yourself as far as your courage, work ethic and self-discipline will take you.

Governor DeSantis Remains Presidential Candidate

The general opinion is that Governor DeSantis is a loyal Republican, leader of the Republican State of Florida, and supporter of the presumptive Republican nominee for President this year: Donald Trump. Well, not quite. The thinking goes that DeSantis has ended his campaign and reconciled himself and his ambitious wife to supporting Trump for President. In fact, he has merely suspended his campaign.

The DeSantis faction, which includes not only Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy and Karl Rove at the national level, but also Senate President Passidomo, House Speaker Renner and the Republican Party of Florida at the state level, has not given up on winning the Republican presidential nomination this year. They figure that Trump could be tripped up by: (1) a heart attack or other medical condition; (2) the lawfare waged against him by Democrats, especially if he is convicted in any of the criminal cases; or (3) assassination. DeSantis is holding another fundraiser in Palm Beach on the first night of Passover. Why do that if his presidential campaign is over?

DeSantis remains contemptuous of Trump voters, including in places like Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys. That county had the highest percentage of Trump votes in the presidential preference primary held during March, making it the Trumpiest county in Florida. As a result, DeSantis has been slow to make needed administrative appointments there. DeSantis would have been slaughtered in his home state if he had stayed in the primary race, as happened to Nikki Haley in South Carolina.

The DeSantis faction also figures that even if they cannot get the presidential nomination this year, they might be able to buy the vice presidential nomination. That will give DeSantis an inside track to the presidency in 2028, if not before. Accordingly, last week at a donors conference in Hollywood, Florida, DeSantis expressed plans to help Trump raise funds for this year’s presidential campaign. He also hopes to raise funds for Republican candidates down-ballot in general. Trump responded with: “Welcome back, Ron!” This nomination would likely require Trump to change his voter registration to, for example, his residence at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

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In effect, DeSantis is attempting to buy the vice presidential nomination, by offering his PAC money and fundraising skills to the Trump campaign. This campaign is thought to be short of cash, because of all the legal bills, and also because of the late start in fundraising by the Republican National Committee under RINO loser Ronna McDaniel. Cash may come in handy to the Trump campaign right about now, and DeSantis is offering it in exchange for the vice presidential nomination.

Closer to home, during the 2022 campaign Governor DeSantis became directly engaged in many local elections, especially for School Boards. Then he would call out the local Republican candidates to join him at the podium in his rallies. This year, however, he seems detached from local politics and the effort to elect more Republicans to School Boards and other local offices. Ron has his eyes on a bigger prize.

Republican Guard in Florida

The DeSantis faction includes the leadership of the Republican Party of Florida, which is mostly characterized by corruption, perversion and incompetence. For example, former Chairman Christian Ziegler was forced to resign at the end of last year after a sexual assault charge against him brought by a woman with whom he and his wife had engaged in a threesome. His wife is a leader with Moms for Liberty and a member of her county School Board. It is more than hypocritical for Republican leaders to portray themselves as champions for Judeo-Christian morality while engaging in such perverted behavior.

Ziegler’s successor, Evan Power, is a Tallahassee lobbyist whose consulting firm advocates for the Florida Association of Supervisors of Elections—FSE. This group is a private-sector association of public-sector administrators. They use taxpayers’ funds to lobby for their own private interests and against the public interests of citizens, voters and taxpayers. Their main legislative priority is based on a fake progressive narrative that poll watchers are harassing election workers. The truth is that election administrators do not like the surge of participation in election integrity efforts by grassroots conservatives since the theft of the presidential election in 2020.

Kathy Kelly is the Florida Committeewoman to the Republican National Committee. In January of last year she voted to retain RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel against a challenge from a California litigator. She then was comfortably re-elected to her position in February of this year at the annual meeting of the Republican Party of Florida. Earlier this month when Trump completed his primary victory and clinched the Republican presidential nomination, he dismissed Ronna and 60 of her minions from the RNC.

Everyone agrees that Trump’s new team at the RNC represents a great improvement, especially focused on election integrity and getting out the vote. Nevertheless, the RPOF had backed the old team. If you vote for a RINO loser, and for a supporter of a RINO loser, then what does that make you? A RINO loser!

Then earlier this month George Riley, executive director of the RPOF, disappeared from his family home around Jacksonville. His family reported him missing, and so he was for almost a week. It turned out that he was holed up in a Central Florida hotel room on an alcohol-induced bender. He cleaned out the hotel’s store of alcohol and totally trashed his room. He urinated and vomited throughout his room and broke the electric blinds. After he was found by Sheriff’s deputies, he admitted that he had been dealing with “alcoholism and mental health issues,” and pledged to seek help so he “can be a better father, a better person and a better all-around employee.” This was worse than if your columnist had gone on a golfing bender at Trump National Doral golf resort without telling the wife.

The poster boy for the Republican Guard in Florida, however, must be Stafford Jones. He currently serves as State Committeeman to the RPOF from Alachua County, which includes Gainesville, and chairman of its Constitution and Rules Committee. Before that he served for a long time as chairman of the Republican Executive Committee in his county.

Jones is known for creating a network of around 150 political action committees and other similar organizations to participate in state elections. In 2021 local newspapers reported that his committees made false reports on their tax returns and failed to disclose large amounts of contributions. He was alleged to have funded spoiler third candidates in Republican primary elections, thereby dispersing the impact of anti-establishment votes. He opposes requiring a majority, instead of a plurality, to win primaries. He funds false and defamatory advertising in mailers, radio and television. The newspapers describe him as a “well-known Republican finance maven.” His consistent objective has been to oppose grassroots conservative candidates in Republican primary elections. He is reported to have funneled funds to candidates of both major political parties.

Governor DeSantis sits on top of this Republican establishment and has eschewed any efforts at reform He should not be surprised when he fails to receive the support of grassroots conservatives in his future endeavors.

The spirit of the conservative cause does not reside in the Republican Party. Instead, it resides in the grassroots groups that promote election integrity and support conservative candidates against the establishment in Republican primary elections. Republican does not necessarily mean conservative, MAGA or America First.