The critics of Casey DeSantis, wife to Republican presidential hopeful, Ron, can't decide which derogatory stereotype they think best describes her. She's been everything from a conniving Lady Macbeth in the carapace of a Disney princess, to a wannabe glamour puss betrayed by her trailer-park taste — a "Walmart Melania", to quote a Daily Beast article. And her political persona makes for a fascinating Rorschach test. The same attributes that make her a hero to the Right — devoted wife, involved parent, professionally ambitious, cancer survivor — also made her the embodiment of contemporary female villainy on MSNBC this week, where one of her husband's Republican adversaries christened her “America's Karen”.
That we're talking about Casey DeSantis at all speaks to how unusual she is. For a politician's wife to be this involved, this early, is virtually unheard of: the primary season doesn’t kick off until early next year, and if current polls are to be believed, Ron doesn’t stand much of a chance. The likelihood that this is all for naught doesn't seem to have pierced the fantasy, though. It’s tradition for First Ladies to have a signature issue, and on the eve of her husband’s inauguration as Florida Governor, Casey was asked what hers would be; she replied, “I’d like to pick more than one.”
Her new campaign ad contains hints as to what these might be. It's a fascinating piece of media: one that doesn't just lean into the culture wars, but treats them with the urgency and gravitas of an actual war. A horror-movie soundtrack plays over washed-out footage of choice moments from the pandemic and beyond: toddlers weeping behind their government-mandated masks, a little girl patting the leather-covered head of a "puppy play" kinkster at a pride parade, a crowd of LGBT activists chanting, "We're coming for your children!" The message, obviously, is that the only thing standing between us and this ultra-woke dystopia is Casey DeSantis's husband, who is famous for being shaped like a concrete cinderblock with roughly the same amount of charisma.
Political wives on the Right tend to be supporting players, eschewing involvement except for when they're called onstage, usually with a gaggle of children in tow, to humanise the candidate. (See, folks? He walks! He talks! He has procreative sexual intercourse!) Otherwise, they are noncombatants, and to strike out at them has always been considered a shot below the belt. Recall that in the early days of the 2016 campaign season — when it was still possible for Donald Trump to shock people — his threat to "spill the beans" about the wife of then-political adversary Ted Cruz was seen as an outrageous norm violation. Even once a husband has ascended to office, the wife's involvement is viewed as more of a nice-to-have than a requirement. Melania Trump was so uninterested in the role of First Lady that theories began to circulate that it wasn't actually her, but a stunt double at her husband's side.
For a political wife to be involved and to also place herself in the line of fire, then, is a relationship model more reminiscent of the political power couples of the Left. Think of the Clintons circa 1994, or, to a lesser extent, the Obamas — both pairings in which the presence of a politically engaged wife gave rise to jabs (from the Right, this time) about who really wore the pants in the presidency.
And here’s where Ron DeSantis’s novel theory about why his wife's ad triggered the “America’s Karen” barb might contain a grain of truth: "It shows my wife is an incredibly strong first lady, a fantastic mother and great wife, and that threatens the Left,” he said, on Fox News.
[su_unherd_related fttitle="More from this author " author="Kat Rosenfield "]https://staging.unherd.com/2023/06/the-fantasy-of-dating-a-republican/[/su_unherd_related]
As expressed, this seems like baloney. And yet, if only by accident, it does point at something real: Casey DeSantis is not simply a woman, but an archetype of in-your-face femininity, in a way that is, if not threatening, certainly outré in progressive circles. For all the legit complaints one might aim at the first lady of Florida, the one her critics reach for most regularly is, “I mean, just look at her”. The gloves! The capes! The hair! The eyebrows! The criticism of her personal aesthetic finds two items of widespread consensus: the first is that she is trying to be Jackie Kennedy. The second is that she needs to stop.
Does she, though? Criticising a woman’s appearance seems like a strange way to register one's objections in a political disagreement, particularly when you're a member of the tribe which not long ago was decrying the practice as unforgivably sexist. But also: Jackie is the country's most famous icon of poise, class and femininity. She is the aspirational model of political wifedom, at least stylewise (perhaps not so much the actual marriage). Why shouldn't Casey DeSantis model herself on her? Because Michelle Obama did it first? Because her husband isn't a Kennedy, making her basically white trash? Are we doing "stolen valour" on pastel-coloured shift dresses now?
Maybe we are. The candy-coloured capelet paired with forearm-length white gloves certainly hits differently today from how it did in the Sixties. Casey DeSantis's femininity is of a kind that is often accompanied by the modifier "performative", the implicit suggestion being that it's something akin to female drag for women. It's less an aesthetic, more a costume: a uniform you don before a busy evening of serving the patriarchy.
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Here, I have a different theory: that Casey DeSantis's wardrobe is not about patriarchy, but public service — or at least, I think she thinks of it this way. This is a woman who, as a local TV personality on the eve of her nuptials, held a contest in which she allowed viewers to choose her wedding dress. Casey understands better than most, and certainly better than the last few First Ladies, just what kind of magic can happen at the nexus of fashion and populism. One wonders, then, when people complain that she needs to stop trying to be Jackie Kennedy, what the source of the angst really is. Are they mocking her because she can't pull it off? Or are they worried because what if she can?
In this sense, Casey DeSantis is a First Lady for the influencer era. Politically involved, wildly photogenic, and utterly cognisant of who her audience is and how to connect with them. That she's also an exemplar of this unabashed, practically countercultural breed of femininity may or may not be something she did on purpose just to annoy progressives. But the fact that it does annoy them is undoubtedly beneficial to her, and by extension, her husband. Every time she steps out wearing one of those outfits, every time she invokes her status as a wife and mom on the front lines of the culture wars, two things happen. The first is that she makes Ron DeSantis seem not just human, but presidential: it's "dress for the job you want", when the job you want is First Lady of the United States.
The second is that she baits her husband's political opponents, a group of people who would otherwise sincerely describe themselves as feminists, into calling her a tacky bimbo who needs to sit down and shut up.
[su_unherd_related fttitle="Suggested reading " author="Matthew Teague "]https://staging.unherd.com/2023/05/is-ron-desantis-the-next-ted-cruz/[/su_unherd_related]
That a politically engaged and outspoken woman can now be unironically denigrated as "America's Karen" by members of the media elite speaks to a growing confusion surrounding how, exactly, we are supposed to feel about middle-aged women who kick up a fuss. Upper-middle class, educated, suburban white women who care more about policy, and family, than they care about party affiliation, were until recently seen as a powerful and respectable swing voting bloc. Politicians have been courting this demographic since at least 1996, when Bill Clinton won with 53% of the "soccer mom" vote by focusing on popular-with-the-ladies issues such as crime, education and family leave. (That Clinton was popular with the ladies himself probably also helped on this front, but we don't like talking about that.)
But when the issues animating suburban women, from inflation to education to crime, are increasingly coded as Right-wing, so too are the women who mobilise and get loud to effect political change. Yesterday's applause for the the politically active mom is today's hit piece on why she's actually a white supremacist. Yesterday's icon of empowered feminism is today's Right-wing termagant, marinating in ignorant privilege and demanding to speak to the manager. And if the progressive side doesn't want these women, they might at least consider what will happen if its opponent successfully remakes itself as the place where women can go to have it all: a career, and a family, and an empowered voice in politics.
The thing about America's Karen: she votes.
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SubscribeI’m not sure Ron’s appraisal of why his wife is a threat to the Left is ‘baloney’. Ambitious, successful “a great wife and mother”, a woman in full as it were, who doesn’t genuflect at the nostrums of self-styled feminists who would like to think of themselves as speaking for all women.
In fact, provoking the use pejoratives like ‘Karen’ or “Walmart Melania” (which somehow manages to be snobbish and misogynist at the same time) means she’s wound the Left up so much that the virtue-signaling mask is slipping right off. Nothing very progressive about sneering at a woman’s choice of clothes.
If she can keep provoking the Left into “deplorables” moments a-la Hilary Clinton, the Democrats are just going to look uglier and uglier.
I’m not sure Ron’s appraisal of why his wife is a threat to the Left is ‘baloney’. Ambitious, successful “a great wife and mother”, a woman in full as it were, who doesn’t genuflect at the nostrums of self-styled feminists who would like to think of themselves as speaking for all women.
In fact, provoking the use pejoratives like ‘Karen’ or “Walmart Melania” (which somehow manages to be snobbish and misogynist at the same time) means she’s wound the Left up so much that the virtue-signaling mask is slipping right off. Nothing very progressive about sneering at a woman’s choice of clothes.
If she can keep provoking the Left into “deplorables” moments a-la Hilary Clinton, the Democrats are just going to look uglier and uglier.
Which should, of course, be ignored. This week, the ‘progressive’ media have labelled the following as white supremacist or similar:
Using your exercise bike instead of throwing clothes onto it.
Being against the sexual slavery of children.
Being an Asian who wants to go to university.
Which should, of course, be ignored. This week, the ‘progressive’ media have labelled the following as white supremacist or similar:
Using your exercise bike instead of throwing clothes onto it.
Being against the sexual slavery of children.
Being an Asian who wants to go to university.
This is a fine article, imo. Pretty much sums up the hypocrisy surrounding the way the msm treat Casey DeSantis.
My take on her is she is both narcissistic (a trait she has in common with many politicians and media “personalities”) and a savvy political operator. Of the two, I’d say Ron DeSantis is the technocrat who knows how to get things done (which is why I’d vote for him), but his wife is probably the better instinctive politician. I bet she was one of those back-stabbing girls in high school who nonetheless ended up president of several clubs. That’s ok with me. You need a very sharp edge to succeed in politics these days, and she can likely help her husband become our next president.
Our country has truly devolved into an “Idiocracy” if we are commenting on an article about the aesthetics of a candidate’s spouse in July of 2023.
Our country has truly devolved into an “Idiocracy” if we are commenting on an article about the aesthetics of a candidate’s spouse in July of 2023.
This is a fine article, imo. Pretty much sums up the hypocrisy surrounding the way the msm treat Casey DeSantis.
My take on her is she is both narcissistic (a trait she has in common with many politicians and media “personalities”) and a savvy political operator. Of the two, I’d say Ron DeSantis is the technocrat who knows how to get things done (which is why I’d vote for him), but his wife is probably the better instinctive politician. I bet she was one of those back-stabbing girls in high school who nonetheless ended up president of several clubs. That’s ok with me. You need a very sharp edge to succeed in politics these days, and she can likely help her husband become our next president.
It doesn’t matter who Desantis is married to. The regime media would find fault, precisely because she opposes the regime. Desantis could marry Greta Thunberg tomorrow and the regime media would find something to criticize.
Good lord. Greta? I feel bad for whatever sap marries that goblin.
I’m not sure that Gen Z will get married. It’s probably the end of the line except for Amish
NO chance of a goblin there…
“How dare you!” : )
I’m not sure that Gen Z will get married. It’s probably the end of the line except for Amish
NO chance of a goblin there…
“How dare you!” : )
Good lord. Greta? I feel bad for whatever sap marries that goblin.
It doesn’t matter who Desantis is married to. The regime media would find fault, precisely because she opposes the regime. Desantis could marry Greta Thunberg tomorrow and the regime media would find something to criticize.
Casey DeSantis is no Jackie Kennedy – and good that she isn’t! Jackie was attractive but by no means a beauty – the space between her eyes was just a bit too wall-fishy. Indisputable was her sense of style. Jackie smoked like a chimney ‘Salems’ were never out of her sight – but she did everything to hide it from the public; the nasty habit no doubt contributed to her cancer death at a relatively early age (62). In search of money, Jackie had a fair number of sexual relationships with men, especially after Jack died; she and her sister Lee also had a penchant for sleeping with the same guys. She finally hit the jackpot with Onassis. Yup -Casey is no Jackie Kennedy Onassis.
She married Onassis after Robert Kennedy was killed, because she panicked and wanted to protect her children by living overseas. With all his money, she felt protected. She apparently said to a friend, “They are killing the Kennedys.” I probably would have panicked, too.
I love women who smoke, just to wind up the petite bourgeoise like you
Although not a Jackie-fan, I would have preferred that she had not smoked so that she could have lived longer for her children and grandchildren.
Although not a Jackie-fan, I would have preferred that she had not smoked so that she could have lived longer for her children and grandchildren.
She married Onassis after Robert Kennedy was killed, because she panicked and wanted to protect her children by living overseas. With all his money, she felt protected. She apparently said to a friend, “They are killing the Kennedys.” I probably would have panicked, too.
I love women who smoke, just to wind up the petite bourgeoise like you
Casey DeSantis is no Jackie Kennedy – and good that she isn’t! Jackie was attractive but by no means a beauty – the space between her eyes was just a bit too wall-fishy. Indisputable was her sense of style. Jackie smoked like a chimney ‘Salems’ were never out of her sight – but she did everything to hide it from the public; the nasty habit no doubt contributed to her cancer death at a relatively early age (62). In search of money, Jackie had a fair number of sexual relationships with men, especially after Jack died; she and her sister Lee also had a penchant for sleeping with the same guys. She finally hit the jackpot with Onassis. Yup -Casey is no Jackie Kennedy Onassis.
An entertaining read. Always a pointed and thought-provoking tone from this author.
A strange thing always seems to happen when i’m reading an article by KR. I start off thinking “what’s this piece of flummery about?” and end up with an unusual insight into some key aspect of the zeitgeist. Of course, it’s deliberate, and dare i say it: very feminine. She knows of what she speaks.
How dare you! Just kiddin’, I agree.
How dare you! Just kiddin’, I agree.
A strange thing always seems to happen when i’m reading an article by KR. I start off thinking “what’s this piece of flummery about?” and end up with an unusual insight into some key aspect of the zeitgeist. Of course, it’s deliberate, and dare i say it: very feminine. She knows of what she speaks.
An entertaining read. Always a pointed and thought-provoking tone from this author.
The sort of Democrat feminists who criticise Casey deSantis for how she looks are the Barbies of the left – they all think alike and are rather dumb. You see their “niceness” is a thin veneer only applicable to those they agree with or can patronise.
Absolutely
Absolutely
The sort of Democrat feminists who criticise Casey deSantis for how she looks are the Barbies of the left – they all think alike and are rather dumb. You see their “niceness” is a thin veneer only applicable to those they agree with or can patronise.
I would take issue with both the article and some comments regarding Melania Trump’s lack of political involvement. It’s true that she was not politically engaged like Casey DeSantis, and the gossip was that she did not want her husband to enter politics at all. But whatever the truth of that, when she became First Lady Mrs. Trump carried out her duties just as well as her predecessors–visiting schools, hospitals, military bases, etc., as well as chairing meetings, speaking at conferences, entertaining the spouses of visiting dignitaries, and providing glamour when accompanying her husband. Her “FLOTUS” Twitter feed was full of videos of her numerous engagements each week, and she was especially warm and engaging when meeting with small children. None of this was reflected in the MSM of course, but I think she deserves respect for conscientiously fulfilling a role that she may not ever have wanted to play.
I would take issue with both the article and some comments regarding Melania Trump’s lack of political involvement. It’s true that she was not politically engaged like Casey DeSantis, and the gossip was that she did not want her husband to enter politics at all. But whatever the truth of that, when she became First Lady Mrs. Trump carried out her duties just as well as her predecessors–visiting schools, hospitals, military bases, etc., as well as chairing meetings, speaking at conferences, entertaining the spouses of visiting dignitaries, and providing glamour when accompanying her husband. Her “FLOTUS” Twitter feed was full of videos of her numerous engagements each week, and she was especially warm and engaging when meeting with small children. None of this was reflected in the MSM of course, but I think she deserves respect for conscientiously fulfilling a role that she may not ever have wanted to play.
Excellent article, Kat. Very insightful. Makes me wonder if the role of First Lady in the US is more important than I had realized. After all, the US didn’t have one with Trump and Casey DeSantis could very well be a factor in giving her husband the edge.
Excellent article, Kat. Very insightful. Makes me wonder if the role of First Lady in the US is more important than I had realized. After all, the US didn’t have one with Trump and Casey DeSantis could very well be a factor in giving her husband the edge.
So basically the progressive critique of her is pure misogyny. And there ain’t nothing quite as misogynistic as the pearl-wearing female journalist, like Katie Baker at the Daily Beast.
Seriously, she’s not embarrassed at dismissing women who shop at Walmart as White Trash? Really?
So basically the progressive critique of her is pure misogyny. And there ain’t nothing quite as misogynistic as the pearl-wearing female journalist, like Katie Baker at the Daily Beast.
Seriously, she’s not embarrassed at dismissing women who shop at Walmart as White Trash? Really?
The MSM women presenters are Barbie dolls.
The MSM women presenters are Barbie dolls.
Fantastic article. I kept thinking the whole time that perhaps Casey DeSantis should be the one running for president.
Fantastic article. I kept thinking the whole time that perhaps Casey DeSantis should be the one running for president.
One aspect of this story that gets short shrift here; among Republican voters there are far fewer people getting political news and opinions through social media. Most social platforms are not welcoming to more conservative thinking, often rather combatively so. Social media is just for keeping up with Nonna and cousin Vic and sharing pictures of the new baby.
So Mrs. DeSantis gets to rile-up the opposition without any cost to herself. Later she’ll probably make a mix-tape of the screechiest and most hypocritical attack rants to play for the amusement of her fans at some rally. She could probably teach her husband a thing or two about public relations.
My only advice: she should get a good tailor to touch-up the fit on some of those dresses. Just a bit. Nothing too conspicuous.
One aspect of this story that gets short shrift here; among Republican voters there are far fewer people getting political news and opinions through social media. Most social platforms are not welcoming to more conservative thinking, often rather combatively so. Social media is just for keeping up with Nonna and cousin Vic and sharing pictures of the new baby.
So Mrs. DeSantis gets to rile-up the opposition without any cost to herself. Later she’ll probably make a mix-tape of the screechiest and most hypocritical attack rants to play for the amusement of her fans at some rally. She could probably teach her husband a thing or two about public relations.
My only advice: she should get a good tailor to touch-up the fit on some of those dresses. Just a bit. Nothing too conspicuous.
Just watched a speech of hers. She’s stunningly beautiful but deeply boring, as you’d expect a US Y+TV type to be. Quote from her rambling, unfunny speech in Iowa “The breakfast pizzas are lidderally…good”. Plus the pushing of the mom of small kids thing gets a bit naueeating.
However, I’m right behind their outspoken opposition to the wokeborg and I wish them well in their campaign.
Just watched a speech of hers. She’s stunningly beautiful but deeply boring, as you’d expect a US Y+TV type to be. Quote from her rambling, unfunny speech in Iowa “The breakfast pizzas are lidderally…good”. Plus the pushing of the mom of small kids thing gets a bit naueeating.
However, I’m right behind their outspoken opposition to the wokeborg and I wish them well in their campaign.
“being shaped like a concrete cinderblock with roughly the same amount of charisma.”
Go f**k yourself.
“being shaped like a concrete cinderblock with roughly the same amount of charisma.”
Go f**k yourself.