Charlie Crist chose former teacher’s union boss Karla Hernández-Mats as his running mate last week, and she’s already bringing her disdain for DeSantis to bear.
Hernández-Mats argued DeSantis is an authoritarian in a tweet on Monday, comparing him to Cuban Communist dictator Fidel Castro.
DeSantis is removing elected officials and arresting voters. These abuses of power are familiar to us who have seen what happens in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
Like Castro, Ron is moving our state closer to authoritarian rule. Charlie and I will stop this wannabe dictator.
— Karla Hernández (@KarlaforFlorida) September 5, 2022
DeSantis’s rapid response director Christina Pushaw quickly countered the claim that DeSantis was removing elected officials. She argued that DeSantis’ use of power was perfectly appropriate and that Charlie Crist himself agreed when he was governor.
To borrow a phrase from @KarlaforFlorida: “Allow me to educate you”
Under the Florida Constitution, the Governor has the authority to suspend elected officials who are unable or unwilling to do their jobs
Past governors have used this authority before, including @CharlieCrist. https://t.co/VGrwjZPp2F pic.twitter.com/EsUbk35Orv
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) September 5, 2022
A similarly misleading lack of context also characterizes the accusation of arresting voters. While the allusion to Castro would imply outright vote suppression of law-abiding citizens, it isn’t the whole picture. Hernández-Mats is referencing the arrests of multiple felons who voted when they were not allowed to due to their felon status, some of whom were charged with voter fraud.
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There were also multiple challenges to whether or not Hernández-Mats was being genuine in her concerns.
Pushaw argued that if she believed what she was saying, she would have left Florida already in reply to her tweet.
If she really thought Florida is a dictatorship she would have escaped already. Unlike real dictatorships of the world that don’t let their citizens leave… Nobody will stop her if she tries to move to another state.
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) September 6, 2022
Editor in Chief of Florida Voice News Brendon Leslie pointed out that Hernández-Mats had tweeted her mourning for the passing of Castro in 2016 but had recently deleted it.
I JUST CANT GET OVER THE FACT THAT THIS CASTRO SYMPATHIZER DELETED HER TWEET MOURNING HIS DEATH JUST SO SHE CAN CALL DESANTIS CASTRO
This is what happens when the legacy media is garbage
— Brendon Leslie (@BrendonLeslie) September 6, 2022
Another Twitter user replied with a screenshot of the tweet as evidence it existed.
Pepperidge Farms remembers…and keeps them accountable. pic.twitter.com/QfUsAlWXqC
— GW (@geedub636) September 6, 2022
This pivot on Castro is likely responsive to Florida’s relatively high Cuban and Cuban immigrant population, who are not fans of the dictator. Distancing herself and the Crist Campaign from Castro and her former support of him is in her best interest, as is likening DeSantis to the authoritarian leader.
Since Cuban-Americans broke heavily for DeSantis in 2018, this framing is likely critical for the Crist campaign.
The Cubans would like a word. pic.twitter.com/ItUW7v4ypq
— The Redheaded libertarian (@TRHLofficial) September 6, 2022
Only time will tell if the strategy will work.
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