By far the best reason to support Governor DeSantis, or at least admire him as an outstanding governor, is that he is uber-competent when it comes to actual governing.

This is not a post explaining why I support DeSantis over Trump–that is, at the moment, a pointless exercise anyway. All I really want to do is highlight the fact that being a good leader requires something besides saying the right things, but actually accomplishing the important things. And how accomplishing the important things allows you to say the right things and move the ball forward.

DeSantis has proven to be an exceptionally competent governor, and while most Republicans outside Florida think of the governor in terms of his bravery in fighting the culture war, most of his popularity in Florida stems from his ability to actually do the meat and potatoes of governing exceptionally well.

He has shown this time and again, and especially so in responding to hurricanes. DeSantis does what few politicians do well: do a deep dive into the mechanics of an issue, think through priorities, prepare, and then execute a plan. The results speak for themselves. Even his detractors have a difficult time criticizing his emergency management skills.

He is that good.

🚨 CBS NEWS: “Almost immediately” first responders were in the area where Hurricane Idalia first hit.

“The response is pretty quick.” pic.twitter.com/RzyhSlm8Nj

— Chris Nelson 🇺🇸 🏝 (@ReOpenChris) August 30, 2023

It is only after achieving the primary goal that he turns to controversial issues, and this gets us to his second great virtue: he is fearless in the face of criticism. You saw this during COVID–not only did he do his deep dive, but once he decided to go down a politically dangerous path he never wavered. He took the slings and arrows, and the people of Florida trusted him to go down an unconventional path because they knew he was competent.

DeSantis vs. the CDC during COVID? Who would you trust after watching the CDC bungle everything?

He is doing the same thing with Hurricane Idalia. He did everything possible to ensure that emergency response crews were ready and mobilized, and immediately unleashed them to start the cleanup and repairs. So far everything has gone amazingly well.

Next, he turned to the cultural issues: crime and looting.

DESANTIS WARNS LOOTERS AFTER #IDALIA: "We are not gonna tolerate any looting in the aftermath."

"You never know what you're walking into […] This part of Florida – you got a lot of advocates and proponents of the 2nd Amendment […] 'You loot, we shoot.'" pic.twitter.com/beEzGum7Ba

— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) August 30, 2023

Every conservative sees this and applauds. But what DeSantis is saying here turns off half the country. You can expect the pundits on the Left to go nuclear on DeSantis as a bloodthirsty tyrant, reveling in violence. People over property! and all that. It may not seem like it, but it takes guts to take a stand like this, and more guts to empower homeowners to defend their families and their property so strongly.

What DeSantis is doing here is not just making a policy statement; he is putting a stake in the ground. His recovery work is about restoring the benefits of civilization, and his warning is about defending civilization itself. Looting is anti-civilization, and you may face the death penalty if you cross that line.

This is how it is done. We are in the midst of a cultural battle over whether our civilization deserves to live. I am completely serious about the stakes: Will we have a civilization or not? The Left’s vision is the Portland/San Francisco/open borders/high crime/drug-infested world they have created and continue to defend.

And those property crimes the Left has decriminalized are no less decivilizing than drug abuse or robbery on the streets. Homeless encampments are as great a threat to civilization as violent crime. This is true because the root of all of it is the rejection of law and limits.

Think “broken windows,” which proved that all crimes including violent crimes have their root in declining respect for civilization itself. Take care of the small things and you have fewer instances of the big things to worry about.

“You loot we shoot” is a straightforward defense of civilization itself. It’s not just about silverware, cameras, or big TVs. It is about preserving individual rights, respect for laws, and respect for each other. People over predators.

DeSantis couldn’t be clearer about defending the foundation of civilization: he does the basics of governing exceptionally well, then takes back cultural territory that never should have been lost.

This is how it’s done.