New York Times columnist Bret Stephens took aim Tuesday at liberals who are "unwittingly" aiding Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis with their negative coverage of the potential 2024 White House hopeful.
"To understand how Ron DeSantis last week became the apparent front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination — and how the liberal media helped the Florida governor get there — watch the video of his March 22 encounter with '60 Minutes' reporter Sharyn Alfonsi. Or rather, watch two videos," Stephens began his column, alluding to the recent controversy surrounding Alfonsi's report implying a "pay-for-play" scheme involving DeSantis and the grocery store chain Publix.
"For as long as I’ve been politically sentient, I’ve marveled at the mainstream media’s talent for giving Republican politicians a boost — always unwittingly," Stephens continued.
NEW YORK TIMES CALLS FLORIDA GOV. DESANTIS 'POLARIZING LEADER' WITH 'MIXED' COVID RECORD IN PROFILE
The columnist then cited the estimated "$2 billion" in free media President Trump received during the 2016 campaign, the breathless reporting on Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's so-called "luxury speedboat", and CBS's botched 2004 report on then-President George W. Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard as other examples of liberal media's over-the-top animosity towards Republicans
"Now these same media gods have decided to anoint DeSantis with the priceless gift of liberal misunderestimation — that combination of intellectual condescension and moralistic thunder that does so much to enrage, and therefore animate, conservative-leaning voters," Stephens wrote.
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The Times columnist explained that DeSantis, according to the media, "was supposed to be the governor who was doing everything wrong on Covid-19" while Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo "was the governor supposedly doing everything right" before comparing the Sunshine State's favorable virus data to the Empire State's.
"None of this means DeSantis got everything right with the pandemic ... But the left’s anti-DeSantis fetish turned his every nondisaster into a public-relations victory," Stephens said. "Politicians win when they become lucky in the enemies they make. DeSantis has certainly been fortunate in his."
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