This is the time when Ron DeSantis most needs to be kissing babies and shaking hands, not debating the state of his boots or his height.
  • StereoTrespasser@lemmy.world
    1024·
    1 year ago

    Wonderful. This is what the American electorate is talking about. Not climate change, healthcare, guns, income inequality, or a billionaire tax.

    No, the biggest drama is whether a candidate is wearing lifts.

    We deserve the politicians we get.

    • Actaeon@artemis.camp
      1051·
      1 year ago

      It’s not about the lifts.
      It was never about the lifts.
      It’s about masculine insecurity and the deceit that surrounds it.

      One end of the political spectrum doesn’t care to understand climate change, healthcare, guns, income inequality, or a billionaire tax, so if we want to engage on those topics one side is left yelling into the void.

      However, if there is one thing the right does understand, it is masculine insecurity and deceit. So we get to talk about that.

      • Hairyblue@kbin.social
        44·
        1 year ago

        Plus Ron discriminates against other people who do things to make them more comfortable with themselves. So DeSantis can can wear heals to make himself the tall man he wants to be, but others can’t make similar changes to live the life they want? It is despicable and he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.

        And we can do more than one thing at a time. We also talk about his bigoted policies too.

        • Cjwii@lemm.ee
          41·
          1 year ago

          Also I read somewhere he is 5’11 which is like perfectly normal height for anyone. I’m 5’11 and I’ve never in my life felt any insecurities about my height. Though I do always laugh when some guy tells a woman or group that he’s 6ft and he’s obviously shorter than me. I usually let it slide but it’s funny how often that happens.

      • Wilibus@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 year ago

        It’s not about the lifts.
        It was never about the lifts.
        It’s about masculine insecurity and the deceit that surrounds it.

        Do you know what it’s also not about? Any of the issues that should matter.

    • SeedyOne@lemm.ee
      4·
      1 year ago

      Dan Quayle misspelled “potato” and it tanked his presidential run. We’ve been like this for longer than you can imagine…

    • SeedyOne@lemm.ee
      1·
      1 year ago

      Dan Quayle misspelled potato and it tanked his presidential run. We’ve been like this for longer than you can imagine…

  • will_a113@lemmy.mlEnglish
    79·
    1 year ago

    Because of course Bootgate is the thing that will bring the DeSantis campaign down – not all of that fascism or corruption stuff.

    • Fisk400@feddit.nu
      36·
      1 year ago

      Yeah, he is running to be the leader of a fascist party. The GOP voters are ok with fascism but the boots are a sign of insecurity and weakness and fascist hate that.

    • ChrisLicht@lemm.eeEnglish
      12·
      1 year ago

      To be fair, the boots are part and parcel with fascism’s over-focus on idealized body perfection

    • chunkystyles@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      101·
      1 year ago

      His campaign was already in the shitter.

      His complete lack of charisma or ability to speak to other humans like a human is what killed it.

      Bootgate is just hilarious.

    • tburkhol@lemmy.world
      6·
      1 year ago

      Political campaigns have turned into gossip wars, and I kind of want to know if this is because journalists can’t be bothered to talk about issues, if their audience can’t understand anything deeper than “ha ha elevator shooz”, if journalists have to fill so much time that they’ve exhausted issues, or if their audience just doesn’t care about issues. I don’t think it’s a particularly new phenomenon - I remember mockery of Jimmy Carter for his peanut farm - but it sure does seem a lot louder now.

      • gregorum@lemm.eeEnglish
        5·
        1 year ago

        Journalists have tried to ask him serious questions. He just evades them.

    • jtk@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      20·
      1 year ago

      When we complain about the evil he does, his base gets off on it and end up liking him even more. Focusing on this is the better move, it at least has a chance at turning them against themselves. They’re never going to change sides anyway.

    • Hikermick@lemmy.world
      14·
      1 year ago

      Agreed that this stuff is ridiculous but it’s not exclusive to America. Once you learn some of the tricks of image conscious politicians and business types you’ll see it all over. Remember the photos of Putin slouched in his chair next to Obama? Putins a shrimp compared to Obama, he tried to look disinterested and disrespectful rather than be compared next to him. It’s more than a height thing too. Placement of the hand when being photographed is a big one.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
    13·
    1 year ago

    This is amusing, but there are many more valid reasons to reject the fascist. It’s funny to use the right’s toxic masculinity against them, though.

    • o_oli@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10·
      1 year ago

      Exactly lol. He is really going to let his campaign die over not taking his boots off? It’s quite obviously true and he can go in the high heel club with Trump and Putin.

    • merc@sh.itjust.works
      2·
      1 year ago

      If it were untrue it would be so easy for him to disprove. Go on a talk show, stand back-to-back with the host, take off his boots, stand back to back again, let the host look at his shoes. Done! He could laugh at how his opponents were so insecure they were accusing him of using lifts instead of focusing on the issues. He could ask if the “libs” had a foot fetish. He could take a dig at trump by saying and showing he also has normal-sized hands, unlike some people.

      It’s possible he isn’t addressing it because his strategy consultants think it’s better to just let it blow over and not engage. But, it also could be that he’s not addressing it because it’s true.

        • merc@sh.itjust.works
          1·
          1 year ago

          In some ways, sure. But, the character of a potential president is important, and secretly using lifts is relevant to someone’s character. It either says they’re insecure about their height, or that they don’t think people will vote for them unless they appear taller than they really are.

            • merc@sh.itjust.works
              1·
              1 year ago

              He didn’t think that Americans could accept a disabled president. He was probably right. DeSantis may also be right that Americans wouldn’t accept a short president. In both cases, the fact that they lied to the electorate is bad.

                • merc@sh.itjust.works
                  0·
                  1 year ago

                  I understand that people are vain. But, Lincoln’s beard was hardly a secret. It’s not really the vanity that’s an issue, it’s the dishonesty.

                  Look how much trouble Nixon caused trying to keep his involvement with the scandal at the Watergate a secret. Or, how much trouble resulted from Bill Clinton not being honest about his affair(s). If DeSantis is going to lie about wearing lifts because revealing the truth makes him look bad, what might he want to hide as president that makes him look bad?

  • carl_dungeon@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    1 year ago

    Of course it’s true. I looked at a dozen pictures and watched like 5 vids of him walking badly in heels. He can deny it, but then I’m gonna wanna see him barefoot next to a mugshot height chart.

  • doublejay1999@lemmy.world
    71·
    1 year ago

    Seems simple enough : anyone with a non-zero EQ laughs this off.

    This guy can’t, because he is a sociopath.

    Psych 101 - and if it’s not, it flippin should be :-D