Then DeSantis showed his unadulterated, fully entitled white ass and said, “His [Crist] running mate has said this in the past, that teaching that the United States was built on stolen land. That is inappropriate for our schools. It’s not true …”
Crist delivered a quick and stunning retort. “We ought to teach facts in our schools. We ought to teach the truth in our schools,” he said.
“There’s an old expression, Ron,” he added, “Those who don’t know history may be condemned to repeat it. Usually, people use that in reference to the Holocaust. It could just as easily be referenced to slavery in our country. It happened. It’s a fact. We shouldn’t have a whitewash approach to educating our children. It’s not right.”
When Crist, a former congressman and governor, asked DeSantis whether or not he could commit to serving the entire four years if he is reelected as governor, DeSantis stood like a zombie for an uncomfortably long time.
“You talk about Joe Biden a lot. I understand you think you’re going to be running against him. I can see how you might get confused. But you’re running for governor. You’re running for governor. And I have a question for you. You’re running for governor. Why don’t you look in the eyes of the people of the state of Florida and say to them, if you’re reelected, you will serve a full four-year term as governor?”
Daily Kos’ Walter Einenkel writes:
“At this point, DeSantis went from looking like a ghoul ready to speak to a ghoul who wanted to go back under the bridge he terrorizes people from.”
While DeSantis waited for the clock to run out, Crist continued, “Yes or no? Yes or no, Ron? Will you serve a full four-year term if you’re reelected governor of Florida? It’s not a tough question. It’s a fair question. He won’t tell you.” Still, DeSantis said nothing.
When DeSantis did finally speak, he went on the offensive, attacking Crist with name-calling.
On the 15-week abortion ban, DeSantis told a long and winding story about a “poor” Jamaican woman who wanted an abortion but didn’t get one, and how that baby grew up to be appointed by DeSantis as the first Jamaican-American justice on the Florida Supreme Court.
“I’m proud of the 15 weeks. I know Charlie Crist opposes that, even though the baby is fully-formed, has a heartbeat, it can feel pain and suck their thumb. He also supports ‘sex-selective’ abortion, which is used to discriminate against little girls. He supports dismemberment abortions, where they will literally tear the baby from limb to limb,” DeSantis said.
Crist said:
“I don’t want to ban abortion. I want to make sure we keep a woman’s right to choose available to the women in the state of Florida. And I want to make sure that we don’t have a governor in the future who wouldn’t even allow exceptions for rape or incest.”
Of course, DeSantis took a moment to attack LGBTQ+ and transgender youth. He likened gender-affirming care to “chemically castrating young boys” and added, “A lot of kids go through a lot of different things. A lot of the dysphoria” resolves itself by the time they become adults.”
Daily Kos’ Marissa Higgins writes:
“In reality, as new research from the Amsterdam University Medical Center in the Netherlands published in The Lancet on Thursday, Oct. 20, shows us, a sweeping majority of people who receive gender-affirming care as youth continue that treatment as adults.”
Below is the entire debate:
