How the Feud With Disney Helped Sink DeSantis' Presidential Hopes

[LetMyPeopleVote]

I am big Disney fan. My middle child was married at Walt Disney World. DeSantis and his wife were married at WDW and spent a ton more than I did for my middle child's wedding. The whole family was at WDW this December including my sister and brother.

I have been watching the legal fight between Disney and DeSantis.

There have been a ton of good memes on Disney and Desantis. I like this discussion.

Link to tweet

https://www.disneyfanatic.com/feud-with-disney-helped-sink-desantis-presidential-hopes-rl1/

On Sunday, just two days before the New Hampshire primary, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that he would suspend his presidential campaign and endorse former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. It was a dramatic turn for Governor DeSantis, who just 14 months ago secured a resounding re-election and appeared to be the prohibitive nominee.

Link to tweet

But a lot can change in 14 months, and now the Florida governor will return to his home state and try to decide his next move. There will be many who will look back and try to piece together exactly what went wrong with the governor’s campaign, but NBC News has a theory that among the many things that went wrong, one of the main problems DeSantis’ campaign encountered was the loss of billionaire donors over his feud with the Walt Disney Company.

Last September, billionaire donors Ken Griffin and Nelson Peltz announced separately that they would not donate to Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign. Peltz, who has his own issues with Disney, gave $5 million to Governor DeSantis’ 2022 re-election campaign. But it was the loss of Griffin that hurt the most.

Griffin, the CEO of Citadel, donated more than $10 million to DeSantis’ previous campaigns. While Peltz said he was sitting out this election cycle, Griffin was critical of DeSantis’ ongoing feud with the Walt Disney Company.

DeSantis just lost a big case with the 11th Circuit that Disney is going to use against DeSantis. This litigation is going to be fun to watch.

Today's news has made some Disney fans happy.

[brush]

1. What a dummy, you can't win fighting Mickey Mouse. Disney is America to millions...even though Walt Disney...

was a nazi.

[BigOleDummy]

23. I beg to differ......

NO self respecting dummy would have anything to do with that piece of shit! Please don't paint us REAL dummies with white booties OR maga in general. Thank you.

[brush]

34. Please excuse me.

[BigOleDummy]

67. Gotcha

[ificandream]

43. Sorry, not buying Disney was a Nazi.

Last edited Mon Jan 22, 2024, 03:42 PM - Edit history (1)

There is a book (the title of which I won't mention) that makes implications that Disney was a Nazi sympathizer. But the author puts that to rest with this quote:

If Disney and Lesser were sympathetic to the American Nazi movement, their interest was more likely motivated by the desire to regain favor with the once-lucrative, Nazi-occupied countries where Disney films were now banned."

It also claims Disney was sympathetic with the America First movement, but that conflicts with the anti-Nazi films he made. There's "Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi," of which " target="_blank">you can see portions here.

Also "Stop That Tank":

And then there's "Der Fueher's Face."

&pp=ygUYZGVyIGZ1aHJlciBmYWNlIGVwaXNvZGUg

[brush]

47. Your opinion. Whaddya think the America First movement was? It's pretty well known he was a nazi sympathizer.

"Trump isn’t quite promising “America über alles,” but it comes close. “America First” was the motto of Nazi-friendly Americans in the 1930s, and Trump has more than just a catchphrase in common with them. When he began using the phrase last year during the campaign, the Anti-Defamation League had asked him to stop."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/01/20/president-trumps-america-first-slogan-was-popularized-by-nazi-sympathizers/

[ificandream]

57. Show me a Disney film that sympathizes Nazis.

[brush]

61. Try this.

Walt the Quasi-Nazi: The Fascist History of Disney is Still Influencing American Life
By Ryan Beitler | June 16, 2017 | 10:30am
Photo courtesy of Getty
Politics Features Walt Disney
Walt the Quasi-Nazi: The Fascist History of Disney is Still Influencing American Life

Since the inception of the Walt Disney Company, it’s not just the iconic images, stories, and characters that have left an indelible mark on the American psyche. The multimedia conglomerate has shaped American life in other ways, many of them derived and informed by the decidedly fascist, anti-Semitic, anti-labor union, conservative and religious perspective of Walt Disney himself.

The rumors that Walt Disney was a Nazi abound in the age of the internet, and though labeling him a National Socialist without physical proof is a bit of a stretch, there were certainly characteristics of Nazism in Disney’s politics, professional behavior, and views of social conservatism.

At best, Disney could be seen as a Nazi-sympathizer. Famed Disney animator Art Babbitt, who worked closely with Disney, once claimed—as quoted in Peter Fotis Kapnistos’ book Hitler’s Doubles—that “n the immediate years before we entered the War [World War II] there was a small, but fiercely loyal, I suppose legal, following of the Nazi party…There were open meetings, anybody could attend and I wanted to see what was going on myself. On more than one I occasion I observed Walt Disney and Gunther Lessing [Disney’s lawyer] there, along with a lot of prominent Nazi-afflicted Hollywood personalities. Disney was going to these meetings all the time.” They were none other than the meetings of the German American Bund, or the American Nazi Party.


https://www.quora.com/Why-do-people-think-Adolf-Hitler-is-connected-to-Disney

[Phoenix61]

64. Quora!!! That's your source! Thanks for sharing. nt

[brush]

65. trump's old man used to go to Bund meeting too. Charles lindbergh was also a nazi sympathizer.

You might want to google the American Liberty League of the '30s also...several famous American families were involved.

It wasn't that unusual at the time. Mussolini had Italy running well and Hitler had bought Germany back from the punishing terms of the WWl armistice, which he violated by rearming, but the nation was prospering and some in other nations noticed and wanted to try fascism.

Note, this was during the Great Depression and FDR hadn't turned the economy around yet.

[Phoenix61]

68. What Trump's old man and Lindbergh isn't the point.

I’ll wait while you find the source for your claim Walt Disney was a Mazi.

[brush]

71. Keep waiting. It's been known for a while. And attending Bund meetings isn't enough for you?

Last edited Mon Jan 22, 2024, 03:13 AM - Edit history (1)

Where there's that much smoke, there's usually fire.

Sounds like you're just finding out.

[Phoenix61]

72. So no source then. Got it. nt

[brush]

78. Will fascism-adjacent do instead on nazism? Here's a url with plenty of links on the subject.

Where there's that much smoke, there's fire.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=walt+disney+fascism

[Phoenix61]

80. Seems you're not inclined to actually support

your argument.

[brush]

81. Look through the links. There's plenty of support. Do your own research since you don't know...

of fascist-adjacent Disney. Sorry to burst the wholesome American bubble of your hero.

[ificandream]

75. LOL ...

[Aristus]

82. My own views are that it was complicated.

Disney and the American Firsters (as opposed to the German-American Bund) had the same goals as the Nazi Party. It's just their methodology differed.

They knew they weren't going to get their foot in the door wearing jackboots. They knew most Americans were repelled by the swastika and the Nazi salute, and the goosestepping. So they put a gentle, grandfatherly face on their movement (Disney), or else a dashing, heroic face (Charles Lindbergh) and called their movement patriotism and freedom and liberty, just as they do today.

Disney was able to denounce the Nazis in animated film, and act like them in the clubby, closed-door atmosphere of the chambers of the House Un-American Activities Committee.

[Phoenix61]

62. No idea where you got Disney was a nazi.

“Walt Disney could be a ruthless boss who instilled employee terror or a beloved father-figure to his staff, but he was not a Nazi sympathizer, said panelists this afternoon at PBS‘s Television Critics Association press tour for Walt Disney, a four-hour American Experience documentary that airs September 14 and 15. “
https://deadline.com/2015/08/walt-disney-enigmatic-but-not-anti-semitic-american-experience-panel-insists-tca-1201489492/amp/

[brush]

63. Here you go. It's been pretty well-known for a while.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18615406

[mopinko]

74. linking back to the same quora quote?

srsly?

[brush]

77. Do your own research then. There are plenty of links of fascist-adjacent Disney.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. I am really enjoying the joy that Disney fans are taking at DeathSantis' defeat

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[speak easy]

31. 'This makes me smile' :)

[Cha]

35. This is my Favorite.. TY LMPV

Link to tweet

[Marion Morrison]

70. Disney

We were talking about this yesterday. I hope I really don't ever have to go to Disney World again, and if I hear "It's a Small World" one more time, I might go postal!

To which they started singing it, of course. Bastages!

[Irish_Dem]

3. He thought picking a fight with Disney would get him elected President of the United States.

By trying to paint Disney as woke evil.

When for many decades people see Disney as princesses, castles, magic, joy and fun.
And Disney has the one of the best legal teams in the country.

DeSantis' narcissism, grandiosity, ignorance and poor judgement is off the charts.

(LetMyPeopleVote, Have you ever been on a Disney Cruise? It is a jaw dropping experience from start to finish.)

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. I did a sort of Disney cruise back in the 1990s before the real Disney cruises

It was an older ship and I had sea sickness issues. My kids and I are talking about doing a Disney Alaska cruise. I am going to do a Disney cruise at some point.

We just had a trip in December where my sister and brother came down. I had not seen my sister in about 6 years and I had not seen my brother in 12 or so years. It was a fun time but my siblings were not roller coast types. We got to ride the new Guardians ride twice while we there. That ride is amazing.

[Irish_Dem]

12. I have not been to Disney World.

I am not a ride person. I get sick on the teacup ride.

My daughter gets car sick and I have a queasy stomach and we both did fine on the cruise.
The ship is huge and stable. They have things now you can do like ear patches and wrist bands for sea sickness.

It was amazing start to finish, it was Disney every step of the way.
The food, entertainment, activities, the Disney Island are all astounding.
Even when you eat dinner, the dining room decor changes three times.
No idea how they do it. It's magic.

It is fine for adults, the children are kept separate from the adults with their own activities.
Adults have their own pool, etc. You can spend time with the young kids as you wish.
There were even older people on the cruise, they say Disney is the best cruise hands down.

[dameatball]

21. I hate the teacups. They are not rides, they are medieval torture vessels.

[Irish_Dem]

22. Right once I got spun around so much I almost had to call for paramedics.

I couldn't stand up and thought I was going to throw up.

[dflprincess]

36. My friend has always gotten sick on rides but when we went to DisneyWorld and Universal

she used the wristbands and had no problem at all. Even on the Men In Black ride at Universal which involves some spinning didn't bother her. (I, on the other hand, who never had problems with rides thought that one more spin on that one & I'd lose it.)

[Irish_Dem]

44. Rollar coasters terrify me.

There is no wrist band for that.

I rode a really high roller coaster once and I almost had PTSD after the ride.
It still scares me to think about it.

I simply cannot understand why almost getting your self killed on an amusement ride is fun.

[GenThePerservering]

55. You don't 'almost get yourself killed' on a roller coaster

it just feels like it. That's what makes it so fun! I love roller coasters. Used to live within screaming distance of the one at the Seattle Center (Space Needle) in Seattle.

Still, Mr Toad's Wild Ride and Pirates of the Caribbean were my favourite rides there. I had gone through Mr Toad's Wild Ride over and over as a little kid, then visited it again years later as an adult and it was still fun.

DeSatan didn't have anything to campaign on so he picks a fight with the House of Mouse. I wonder how some of these people tie their shoes in the morning they're so dim. He may have gone through prestitgous schools, but you can memorise your way through a lot and have a completely blinkered view of life and still graduate.

[Irish_Dem]

60. It is the "feeling like you're getting killed" part that's off putting.

I could never understand the attraction to feeling you could die at any second.
And one slight mechanical problem is certain death.

I do like rafting. At least you are on terra firma more than up in the air.
Canoeing is more my speed however.

And I do like parasailing. It is exquisitely pleasant and delightful.
So peaceful and beautiful. Not scary at all.
At least if you are going to die, it is a lovely experience.

I know, only Ron DeSantis is stupid enough to fight The Mouse.
Yep, all that Ivy League schooling is a waste on someone with no sense of reality.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

48. If you like spinning, try the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride.

That is an amazing ride

[Irish_Dem]

50. Spinning and dropping.

Sounds like so much fun.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

51. Disney rotates six songs from Star Lord's collections

We ran into one lady who was going to ride this ride until she heard all six songs. My kids have heard 4 of the six songs and I have heard 2 of the six songs.

[Irish_Dem]

54. It sounds like one of the nine circles of Hell.

I still have PTSD from the one roller coaster ride I took years ago.
And also from a really nasty tea cup ride. I'm not kidding you. It took me some time to recover.

BTW if you go on a Disney Cruise you can do scary things like parasailing (which I actually love to do).
And snorkeling, etc. (No thank you.)

[LetMyPeopleVote]

46. My oldest child is a foodie and we had great dinners at WDW

There are some really amazing places to eat at Walt Disney World. We had great dinners every night that we were at WDW. The Yachtman's steakhouse and California Grill are both amazing. The top restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge had a beef tenderloin that was amazing and macaroni and cheese dish from South Africa that was great. I personally like the fried chicken at a restaurant owned by Oprah's former chef, Art Smith (he was also a Top Chef judge).

Again, I intend to try a Disney Cruise at some point.

[Irish_Dem]

52. So much food on the cruise.

It was a bit obscene to be honest.
For lunch they had endless buffet tables.
Dinner was amazing. Gourmet food, as much as you want.

But I was on vacation.

I had never had a Disney experience, so it was jaw dropping to me on the Disney cruise as I said.
Just the way they manage people and provide so much infrastructure to keep people entertained and fed.
All done perfectly and quietly.
It was mind boggling.

Yes you should do a Disney Cruise. They have short cruises, three days ones, at least they used to.
So you can give it a try.

After doing a Disney Cruise I would never consider another cruise line.
I got spoiled.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

53. Disney does a great job of spoiling you

[Irish_Dem]

56. Maybe heaven will be like a Disney Cruise.

That would be fine with me.

I should note that in my family the men are not long on cruises.
My brother says he feels like a sheep being herded.

I never had that feeling at all.
I thought Disney did a great job of making you feel like you were not in a line.

And the ship was huge.
My daughter was young at the time, and was disappointed with the ship at first.
She thought it would look more like a sailing ship instead of a huge floating hotel.

[DENVERPOPS]

18. I laughed my ass off

when I heard that DeSantis was going to fuck with Disney.........

It goes to show you how stupid DeSantis truly is, down deep.....

I can only imagine that Disney has hundreds of the best legal minds in America, just waiting to be told who/what to go after.......

I just wonder if DeSantis and all the other "also ran" put themselves on the Trump Team and hope for some crumbs......
Not likely, Trump is one of the nastiest, most vengeful pieces of excrement in the Universe.......

[Irish_Dem]

24. Yep. Disney hires top legal talent.

And has a great deal of political mojo in Florida.
Ron thought he could beat them in a fight. Sure.

Right, I am sure Trump is going to give Ron some crumbs.
More like piles of the usual humiliation.

[DENVERPOPS]

25. And don't forget

degradation............

[Irish_Dem]

27. Trump enjoys degrading and humiliating people.

He is a sadist. Very cruel.

[speak easy]

33. 'He is a sadist. Very cruel.'

And so is DeSantis. But he's a little man with a one inch mind.

[Irish_Dem]

42. Yes DeSantis is very sadistic as well.

He enjoyed the cruelty.

[DENVERPOPS]

69. there are literally hundreds of others to include

Starting with the ENTIRE Republican U.S. Senate who were in lockstep with Trump every single day since he was installed in the presidency.........and including all of them voting not to impeach him, for their own individual welfares......Many knew what was coming on January 6th, and many helped make it happen and instead, should have convened for another impeachment on January 7th and all Repubs in the house and senate should have voted unanimously to immediately remove him from office. Then assisted in any way possible to quickly find him guilty of all crimes he committed and thrown his ass in Supermax to rot. And hundreds of others, including Ivanka and Jared along with them.

[Irish_Dem]

73. Exactly. They damage and destroy the US and Americans, every day.

And they enjoy it. They will destroy as much as they have to for money and power.

Many of the GOP members were directly involved in J6 or certainly knew about it.
They weren't just protecting Trump in the cover up, they were protecting themselves.

I will never forget the pictures from that day. Marge TG and other GOP members of congress,
laughing, joking, having a good time. The Dem members obviously terrified.

It doesn't look like the GOP MOC will ever be held accountable for their part in J6.

[paleotn]

19. Yep, the poor judgement is mind boggling.

Picking a fight with Micky Mouse? That's just crazy.

[Irish_Dem]

40. Poor judgment, ignorance and so much arrogance. Zero charisma. In fact, obnoxious.

Turned out to be a bad combination for Ron.

[OAITW r.2.0]

5. What's the Quid Pro Quo? Sec. of State? Department of HS?

Maybe control of Health and Education?

[hlthe2b]

6. Even the "least schooled" person in Disney's history, its corporate power and yes, its Public Relations

juggernaut should have been able to predict that this would be a "killer" for DeSatan. And it has been and will be. GOOD.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. The Disney legal team is really strong

I have enjoyed reading the briefs in this case. There are some real heavy hitters on the Disney legal team

[hlthe2b]

10. My favorite "bit" of their strategy--taking the arcane "Rule Against Perpetuities" and using it

fully to their advantage in their contract:

The contract included this sentence: “If the agreement is deemed to violate rules against perpetuity, it will be in effect until 21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of England’s King Charles III.”

The casual contract reviewer (or ignorant DeSantis staff attorney) undoubtedly missed the fact that this can end only "21 years after the death of the last survivor of King Charles's descendants" and probably didn't even realize it was referencing the NOW King of England and former Prince of Wales.

[edbermac]

8. This pretty much sums up my feelings right now

Link to tweet

[ShazzieB]

29. Endorsing a man who mocked, defamed, and humiliated him?

Now, let me see...who does that remind me of? Ted Cruz? Lindsey Graham? Oh wait, that reminds me of a whole long list of Republican politicians!

Tbh, one of the most disturbing things about Trump is the way he can get people he's treated like dirt to grovel to him. It would be funny if it wasn't so disgustingly gross!

[Cha]

38. TY.. Excellent Mary T & Mickey Tweet!

Link to tweet

[BWdem4life]

9. Don't mess with the mouse. nt

[PCIntern]

11. Good post...

I recall distinctly that I and many others here said that his war on Disney was beyond stupid for a variety of reasons. Fuck him, his stupid wife, and the horse’s asses they rode in on.

[Skittles]

13. endorses Donald Fucking Trump

DeSantis is an anti-American PIECE OF SHIT

[DinahMoeHum]

14. You don't fuck with that mouse in Orlando. . .

. . .that's for sure.

[SallyHemmings]

15. The problem with DeSantis...drum roll please

is DeSantis.

The more he was exposed to real people, they less they liked him.

It is tragic that he can't simply go away. He will spend what is left of his political career tormenting the people who didn't vote for him...

[Xolodno]

16. Gee, that's too bad.

Link to tweet

/photo/1

Link to tweet

/photo/1

[paleotn]

17. Don't F with the mouse.

[CaptainTruth]

20. DeFascist cost FL more than $2 billion in business investments...

...& that's what we know about.

[PortTack]

26. FL DUer's keep your head down! Incoming from a vengeful little man that will make someone pay for HIS failure

[Baitball Blogger]

28. Keep the pressure on him, Mickey!

Let's sweep him out of Florida!

[Deuxcents]

32. Yes, please

[Maraya1969]

30. Never go against Mickey

[DemocraticPatriot]

37. Mickey Mouse was about to out-poll DeathSantis in New Hampshire---

that's why he got out before the primary! LOL

[Cha]

39. DeathSentence FAFO with MICKEY!

[speak easy]

45. 'Thick As A Brick'

So you ride yourselves over the fields
And you make all your animal deals
And your wise men don't know how it feels
To be thick as a brick
-Jethro Tuill

[dlk]

41. DeSantis' feud with Disney showed very poor judgement by pandering to minority extremists

This precluded him ever winning a general election

[LetMyPeopleVote]

49. These tweets also make me smile

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[tulipsandroses]

59. The problem with Desantis' campaign was Desantis

From the get go, there were quite a few talking heads saying, he ain’t it. They were saying, once the general public got to know him, they would not like him. MAGATS don’t want fake Trump when they have the real thing.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

66. Mickey Mouse is #RidinWithBiden to celebrate the end of DeSantis' presidential campaign!

Link to tweet

[Blue Owl]

76. I'm still looking forward to the upcoming Disney animated movie

Where the villain is a caricature of Ronny....

A villain who in squeamish and eats pudding cups with his fingers would be hilarious!!!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

79. presented without context 😶

Link to tweet

[LetMyPeopleVote]

83. Ron DeSantis' campaign was over when he decided to have a popularity contest against Mickey Mouse

DeathSantis' attack on Disney killed his campaign

Link to tweet

https://www.businessinsider.com/desantis-campaign-disney-mickey-mouse-reedy-creek-2024-1

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis seriously miscalculated in trying to overtake former President Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential race, having come in a distant second place in Iowa and pulling in dismal numbers in New Hampshire.

But after DeSantis ended his presidential campaign on Sunday, we can trace this back to his first great misstep, where this all started to sour and go wrong: his war against Disney, which hobbled his candidacy before it officially began.

While DeSantis' political brand is rooted in a more confrontational style of conservatism, his crusade against a major state employer and one of the most prominent companies in the world set him apart from the rest of the field — and not in a good way.

Disney has produced 263,000 direct and indirect jobs in Florida and in 2022 generated $40.3 billion in economic impact in the state, according to a company study. For decades, tourists have come to the state from all over the world to visit Walt Disney World.,,,,,

The fight with Disney went back and forth, with the Mouse at one point scoring a damaging legal win over DeSantis when it was revealed that it had severely undermined his appointees' ability to mess with Disney World. It wasn't the clean win DeSantis needed, but rather a bruising boondoggle.,,,,

But in the end, it was DeSantis' fight with Mickey Mouse that stunted his campaign, and he never recovered.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

84. From the Daily Show

Link to tweet

[LetMyPeopleVote]

85. This made me smile

Link to tweet