Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to release his highly anticipated book, “The Courage to be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for American Revival”, on February 28th.[0] While the book’s release is widely seen as a precursor to a possible announcement from DeSantis that he will seek the Republican nomination for president in 2024, it is not the first time DeSantis has dabbled in authorship to jumpstart his political ambitions.[0]
The New York Times book critic Jennifer Szalai writes, “the overall sense you get from reading his new memoir is that of the mechanical try-hard — someone who has expended a lot of effort studying which way the wind is blowing in the Republican Party and is learning how to comport himself accordingly.”[1] In the book, DeSantis pans “wokeness” and “legacy media”, adding “we stood our ground. We did not back down. Clearly, our administration was substantively consequential. To be successful, a leader must be willing to take these hits. It is not always easy, especially when so many of the attacks are blatant lies, but this is simply the price one must pay for exercising leadership. It is a price worth paying.”
DeSantis’s book is being released as the Florida governor makes moves on former President Donald Trump’s turf in Palm Beach and Staten Island, with the GOP primary polls indicating that he and Trump are the two preferred candidates. He has also signed a bill giving him more power over Disney, and is expected to enter the race by summer.
The Republican is hoping that his book serves as a blueprint for America’s revival, and the “simple formula” of “be willing to lead, have the courage of your convictions, deliver for your constituents, and reap the political rewards.”[2] Whether or not the book’s release will be successful in jumpstarting DeSantis’s 2024 presidential bid remains to be seen.
0. “Gov. Ron DeSantis book launch seen as precursor to presidential bid” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/23/ron-desantis-book-launch-seen-precursor-run-president-2024-florida-governor/69936119007/
1. “New York Times Shreds Ron DeSantis Memoir: Like It’s ‘Churned Out By ChatGPT'” HuffPost, 28 Feb. 2023, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ron-desantis-memoir-new-york-times-review_n_63fdd55be4b0cab1fa311657
2. “Ron DeSantis says he can repeat 19-point win nationally” Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2023, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washington-secrets/ron-desantis-says-he-can-repeat-19-point-win-nationally
