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On the politics of a Florida hurricane
Linda Feldmann
To be a successful Florida governor, the No. 1 requirement is: 鈥淗andle hurricanes like a pro.鈥� That means communicating with the public early and often. Warn people of the dangers, and urge those in the most vulnerable areas to evacuate. Afterward, restore normality as quickly as possible.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis won widespread applause for his handling last September of Hurricane Ian 鈥� a Category 5 storm that pummeled Florida鈥檚 southwest coast. Days later, Democratic President Joe Biden stood at the governor鈥檚 side and聽聽Politics was on pause.
On Saturday, President Biden headed back to Florida to survey damage after Hurricane Idalia. As聽Friday's lead article notes,聽Idalia hit in a less-populated part of the state, but the area is still reeling. Federal-state cooperation has worked as it should; the president and the governor have been in close touch.
But the politics became inescapable. Mr. Biden is up for reelection, and Mr. DeSantis is vying to replace him. The two played nice in 2021, when Mr. Biden visited Florida after the Surfside condo collapse. Then, in a fatherly gesture, the聽president put a hand on the young governor鈥檚 arm聽as they sat side by side.
This time, Mr. DeSantis opted not to appear with the president. And another Florida politician and 2024 candidate 鈥� former President Donald Trump 鈥� injected his own note of discord,聽聽over insurance and electricity rates. Those are real issues. But for now, the focus is on facilitating immediate recovery, and on projecting a can-do spirit.
[Editor鈥檚 note: This article was updated to reflect Mr. DeSantis鈥� decision not to appear with Mr. Biden in Florida.]
