Gov. DeSantis Refuses Early Vaccine, Says 'I'm an Elected Official - But Whoop-De-Doo'
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters on Wednesday that he will not be jumping the line in front of seniors to receive a COVID vaccine.
As Democratic governors across the country have received seemingly endless media praise throughout the coronavirus pandemic for failing their citizens, DeSantis has remained steady. The first-term governor has arguably emerged as the country’s most successful state leader during a year in which such leadership has been difficult to find.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was actually awarded an Emmy for his performances in front of the cameras this year. That was after an untold number of his state’s residents in nursing homes and elsewhere died from the coronavirus or were put into financial ruin by lockdowns and other overbearing big-government mandates.
Floridians have been able to count on their leadership all year, though, and when asked about whether he intended to get a vaccine on Wednesday, DeSantis showed some strong emotion with regard to keeping Florida’s seniors safe.
At a Delray Beach media briefing, the governor was asked if he had been vaccinated.
Governor Ron DeSantis asked if he has had the vaccine.
“Granted I’m an elected official but whoop dee doo”
focusing the vaccines for seniors. pic.twitter.com/Mw7fgt0pWx
— Showcase of Wishes (@ShowcaseWishes) December 30, 2020
“I’m willing to take it, but I am not the priority. They are the priority. I’m under 45. So, the people under 45 are not going to be first in line for this. So when it’s my turn, I will take it, but this is who I want to be vaccinated,” he said.
“I want my parents, our grandparents, to be able to get it and you know, granted, I mean I’m an elected official. But whoop-de-doo. At the end of the day, let’s focus where the risk is,” DeSantis added.
The comments were made as 300 seniors began receiving vaccines in Kings Point, according to Florida’s official website.
DeSantis, a young 42, has made prioritizing seniors, long-term facility care residents and employees, and first responders the focal point of his state’s vaccination plan. In other words, Florida is following the science.
While many Democrat-run states, media outlets and academics have talked of turning vaccine distribution into some sort of reparations spectacle, Sunshine State officials are using uncommonly good sense. There will be no racial reckoning via COVID vaccines.
DeSantis shared the state’s vaccination plan on Twitter on Wednesday morning.
Florida is making progress on getting the vaccine to those who are most at risk to COVID-19 and we will continue to prioritize our most vulnerable. pic.twitter.com/VKQiIbdJE4
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) December 30, 2020
“Florida is making progress on getting the vaccine to those who are most at risk to COVID-19 and we will continue to prioritize our most vulnerable,” he wrote.
Florida has become an even more attractive destination for transplants in recent months, balancing business protections, common-sense recommendations for citizens and protections for the most vulnerable.
The state brags opened restaurants where human beings can share meals while engaging in conversation with other human beings. Other business owners are free to exercise their liberties, too.
As far as business goes, a Nov. 24 executive order from DeSantis states, “the State of Florida continues to suffer economic harm as a result of COVID- 19 related closures, exacerbating the impacts of the State of Emergency, and Floridians should not be prohibited by local governments from working or operating a business.”
No mask? No problem. DeSantis has also ordered that Florida’s communities are not permitted to enforce mask mandates. He has also pledged that Florida will not go into lockdown.
The ban on mask bans definitely prioritizes small business and liberty. And why not? California has a mandate on virtually every human behavior and the place is now the epicenter for new coronavirus infections.
“People in Florida wear [masks] when they go out,” DeSantis said last month, WPLG-TV reported. “I don’t think you have to [be] strung up by a bayonet to do it. Fining people is totally overboard.”
It’s of little surprise that a governor who prioritizes data over fear and control is leading the way when it comes to his state’s vaccination plan. Florida is home to a great many seniors, and DeSantis is looking out for them — before himself.
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