Florida is home to things such as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law, a proposed 15-week abortion ban, the Stop Woke Act, and gerrymandered voting maps. California Gov. Gavin Newsom made a 4th of July ad appealing directly to Floridians to either fight for freedoms in their state or come to California, The Guardian reports.
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Florida’s population is comprised of 22 million people as per the recent census. It’s not feasible for even a third of Floridians to join the almost 40 million people in California. However, Gov. Newsom’s goal with the Independence Day commercial that aired on Fox News was to directly appeal to an audience to contrast his state with one led by Florida Gov. Ron Desantis. Newsom has tried a similar tactic in joining former President Trump’s Truth Social.
“Freedom is under attack in your state,” California’s Democratic leader said in the punchy advertisement, paid for by Newsom’s re-election campaign and aired on the rightwing Fox News channel.
“Republican leaders – They’re banning books, making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, even criminalizing women and doctors. I urge all of you to join the fight, or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom.”
Some leaders like New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy have applauded Gov. Newsom’s ad, as stated on his CNN’s “New Day” appearance.
“I think we need to be we need to stand up and be counted and make sure we remind folks around the country, if you value values come to states like New Jersey and I suspect that’s exactly what Governor Newsom has in mind in terms of California’s values,” Murphy said.
It will be interesting to see if the commercial holds any weight with Florida voters considering the upcoming midterm elections. Not only is Ron Desantis slated to win re-election in the Florida gubernatorial race, but he’s also considered a frontrunner as a possible 2024 Republican presidential candidate. With the fall of abortion rights and the slew of legislation passed in Republican-led states restricting voting rights, LGBTQ+ identity, and how we discuss this country’s history, many people have wondered what the Democrats will do to stop fighting from a defensive position. Going to where Republicans are to contrast what’s happening between blue and red states may not change many minds, but at least someone is putting up a fight in a place where messaging can be distorted.
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