Gov. Ron DeSantis is a test case in what Republicans can become as leaders if they stop being dictated to by their own political fears and just do what’s right and logical. As COVID began to settle in as a long-term pandemic in the United States, DeSantis moved quickly to re-open his state of Florida, recognizing that lock downs were not only ineffective at stopping the spread, but were also causing far too many other unintended consequences.

As a result of DeSantis’ no-nonsense governance, Florida saw far fewer deaths than other much-lauded blue states while remaining far more open and free. Spikes in infections happened, but they also happened in other states like California and New York, further pressing the point that lock downs and masks simply weren’t much of a factor.

Now, Florida is seeing a dramatic drop-off in infections and hospitalizations while New York is still dealing with much higher numbers. Meanwhile, they’ve managed to vaccinate 4.5 million of the most vulnerable population.

.@GovRonDeSantis announced Florida has seen a huge decline in hospitalizations over the past couple weeks with nearly 30% of the state's 4.5 million seniors being vaccinated so far. https://t.co/qWgeugwr60

— Florida GOP (@FloridaGOP) February 2, 2021

These results are a direct indictment of the “expert” class and a hysterical media that assured us lock downs and masks were the silver bullet to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Florida not only came out better than most states with far less restrictions, they did so with the oldest population in the country, meaning that Florida had far more people at risk of actually dying of COVID than most other states.

In short, DeSantis is not tired of winning, and that drives the left absolutely insane. No matter how much they gnash their teeth, the numbers are the numbers. The “trust the science” crowd were relying on their emotions, not empirical evidence. That’s why DeSantis animates them to such an extent. He embarrassed CNN’s analysts and anchors, exposed Dr. Fauci’s proclamations for what they were, and led his state with an eye toward effectiveness, not politics.

Just grabbed Mex food for lunch. Full staff. All indoors 50 customers. Win-win for everyone. You can stay home if you're afraid of the rona. Florida is doing it the right way.

— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) February 2, 2021

Of course, DeSantis is also not your typical Republican, so it’s yet to be seen how much support he’ll garner from the powers that be within the party. He’s a smoother, more disciplined Trump in how he handles the press and spurns conventional wisdom with policy. If the GOP establishment had any sense, they’d be gearing up to support him in 2024. Instead, we’ll get a focus on Nikki Haley because they never learn.