MAGA influencers flock to Florida, chasing political clout and connections

[teach1st]

MAGA influencers flock to Florida, chasing political clout and connections
Tampa Bay Times, 6/16/2022

These media personalities have dined with Gov. Ron DeSantis, met with Donald Trump and starred in a state House campaign ad.

...

O’Handley, who lives in the Tampa Bay area, is part of a growing community of MAGA-brand influencers who have emerged from or relocated to this region in recent years, forging an ecosystem of provocative conservative content.

Yet these purveyors of right-wing hot takes and, at times, disinformation, are no longer leaving mere online footprints. They are seeking to expand their reach from the internet into the real world of backroom politics and government policymaking. With former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago and Republican Ron DeSantis residing in the governor’s mansion, they are increasingly finding access to the corridors of power.

Tampa Bay’s new residents include politics podcaster Austen Fletcher, known as Fleccas, who co-hosts with a meme-maker known publicly only as his username, Richard Ratboy; and Newsmax host Benny Johnson. A former journalist for Buzzfeed before being fired for plagiarism in 2014, Johnson has 1 million followers on Instagram. He now owns a $1.5 million house in South Tampa.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2022/06/16/maga-influencers-flock-to-florida-chasing-political-clout-and-connections/

No paywall: https://archive.ph/iFzLQ

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Good (but unfortunate for our FL friends). Slam the doors shut to the rest of the USA and lock the

doors.

In the meantime, send aid to our friends still living there in FL (I have a few, who, believe it or not, are seeking residence elsewhere, being that traffic is a nightmare in FL, housing is ridiculously priced unless you really lived in the sticks in a swamp in FL (I am somewhat exaggerating here, just a little). My friends believe it or not, are looking at Georgia, maybe South and/or North Carolina instead of FL.

[teach1st]

2. Born here

I've was born in Florida and lived here most of my life, with a decade interlude of surfing/wandering. I'm thinking of going elsewhere, too, but I'll probably stick it out until we're destroyed by flooding or a hurricane. DeSantis is a scary dude...he even has some of my more moderate Dem acquaintances fooled.

[cbabe]

3. The seas are rising.