As Florida's book banning fascistic Governor Ron "Meatball" DeSantis tries out his "anti-woke" nonsense on the people of early primary states, dealing with his nemesis, the Malignant Loser, isn't the only problem he has. The personality-challenged Governor picked a culture war fight with the Walt Disney Co. over their diversity policies, doing his best to take over control of their property as any authoritarian would. What he didn't count on was strong pushback by the iconic entertainment empire led by Bob Iger, pushback in the form of a suit that could threaten his political prospects if he fails:
"The stakes for both sides seem higher than ever. DeSantis is eyeing a run for the White House. He often needles Disney in his speeches. Iger is back in control of Disney after seeing its share price drop 40 percent in his absence. The spat with DeSantis 'had become a major distraction' for Iger as he tries to revive Disney’s fortunes, according to a former company official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal business matters. And Disney recently sued the DeSantis administration, claiming the company is the victim of a 'targeted campaign of government retaliation.'
Florida Republicans countered by passing even more Disney-specific laws, including one that will, for the first time, require state inspection of Disney’s monorail system.
'DeSantis views this as a fight he can’t afford to lose,' said one person familiar with the governor’s inner circle who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail private conversations.
'Iger never loses,' said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale management professor. 'He won’t miss his moment when it comes up.'” (our emphasis)
According to legal analysts, DeSantis has violated Disney's First Amendment rights over its actions against the company, using it's governmental powers to block expression that it doesn't favor. Casting DeSantis' actions as anti-business and anti-Florida, Iger has flipped the script on the right-wing Governor, and with the company's deep pockets and willingness to litigate, Disney appears to be going for a win as DeSantis tries to court votes far and wide.
(image: Kotaku / Disney / Scott Olson / Getty Images)
