Opinion | Ron DeSantis vs. the ‘Woke Mind Virus’

Ron DeSantis is relying heavily on his anti-wokeness stance to power his presidential campaign, even using Elon Musk’s concerns to reinforce his belief system. The governor made niche references to issues like “accreditation cartels,” environmental, social and governance investing, and central bank digital currency during a recent discussion, which may be unintelligible to the average person. While his reactionary agenda, including anti-trans policies and limitations on public school teachings, has put him in the spotlight, he fails to understand that the language he uses is that of the right-wing counter-elites, intellectuals and activists who despise progressive thinking rather than common people. A recent Wall Street Journal survey found that 55 percent of Republicans believe “fighting woke ideology in our schools and businesses” is more important than protecting Social Security and Medicare, but it remains to be seen if this is enough to win the presidency.