Just months into his presidency, Barack Obama faced a long list of crises, including the prospect of the U.S. auto industry collapsing. The Democratic White House put together a controversial — but extremely effective — rescue plan that required, among other things, some creditors to accept some losses.
The right was apoplectic about the federal government’s bold intervention in the free market. In fact, from Capitol Hill to conservative media, Republicans pushed a specific phrase with great enthusiasm in 2009: “gangster government.” The public was told, repeatedly and with a level of vigor bordering on hysteria, that the Obama administration was trying to “bully“ private entities into doing what the government wanted.
“[T]hat ain’t the American way,” Larry Kudlow declared on CNBC in May 2009.
These principles were, of course, conveniently forgotten when Donald Trump took office and the Republican tried to bully all kinds of companies into submission, including Goodyear. And GM. And Harley-Davidson. And Nordstrom, Amazon.com, and AT&T, among others.
But to fully appreciate the degree to which Republicans have gone from denouncing to embracing “gangster government,” consider just how far Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has gone. NBC News reported:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed into law legislation that would eliminate the Walt Disney Co.’s special self-governing status in the area around its Orlando theme parks, in a move widely seen as retaliation against the company for criticizing a new education law signed by the Republican governor. The bill revokes Disney’s special tax privileges in the state which have been in place since the late 1960s.
It’s worth acknowledging at the outset that there are some caveats to this. First, there are already complex legal questions about whether the governor and the legislature have the sole authority to make such a change, and it’s a safe bet this will be the subject of extensive litigation.
Second, the law doesn’t take effect until June 2023, and a lot can happen over the course of 14 months. Indeed, Florida will hold statewide elections this fall, which will go a long way in setting the Sunshine State’s future course.
Third, Floridians are just now starting to come to terms with the economic implications of the new Republican policy, including the likelihood of significant tax increases for the residents in surrounding counties.
But as relevant as these details are, let’s not miss the forest for the trees. We’re dealing with a controversy in which Disney expressed an opinion about a policy measure, which led DeSantis and his allies to retaliate against the company.
In fact, none of this has been subtle. Circling back to our earlier coverage, Florida Republicans recently approved what some have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” policy, and Disney — a major force in the state — eventually criticized the GOP’s anti-LGBTQ measure.
DeSantis said even mild criticisms could not stand, and the drive to punish Disney began soon after. The GOP governor said the company “crossed the line” by daring to oppose his regressive anti-gay policy after it’d already passed. His lieutenant governor, Republican Jeanette Núñez appeared on Fox News and questioned whether companies like Disney even have the “right to criticize” state policymakers’ work.
For all of DeSantis’ over-the-top boasts about Florida being the “freest” state in the nation, it’s his administration that’s intent on punishing one of his state’s largest businesses for expressing an opinion that’s out of step with the Republican Party’s culture war.








