If this holds up, it’s brutal. We already know that American voters largely support the Florida bill that prohibits gender theory and sexual orientation discussions with students below the fourth grade. A Morning Consult poll scored support for such a policy at 51/35, while another poll commissioned by the Daily Wire put it at 65/21. In both polls, respondents were asked about the specific policy rather than use the dishonest “Don’t Say Gay” framing pushed by Democrats nationwide and especially in Florida.

How is the policy selling among their target audience? A poll of likely Democratic primary voters in Florida also asked respondents, “Should students in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade be taught about sexual orientation in the classroom by their teachers?” The result from Alvarado Strategies shows 52% of Democratic voters oppose that policy, and thus support the bill Ron DeSantis championed.

Uh oh …

Poll shows FL DEMOCRATIC primary voters support the GOP Legislature’s “Parental Rights”/LGBT education bill by 52-36%

FL Capitol Dems opposed it & made it a top messaging priority

(This is unmentioned for some reason in the story I QTd. This poll jibes w/others I’ve seen) https://t.co/6HBMz2MW4d pic.twitter.com/bfS9ulp58A

— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) March 24, 2022

The poll was conducted by Alvarado Strategies, headed up by former Republican strategist Alex Alvarado, for a PAC titled Floridians for Economic Advancement, which has been bipartisan in its efforts. Florida Politics, which reported on the poll, notes that FEA has supported candidates for both parties, and the demographics in the Alvarado poll look pretty solid in any case.

In an earlier look at the results, Florida Politics reporter Jacob Ogles noted the outcome at the end:

The poll suggests there may be less concern than might be expected about what critics dub the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. About 52% of respondents say students in kindergarten through 3rd grade should not be taught about sexual orientation in class by teachers.

Oof. In the later link Marc highlights, Florida Politics also reported that Nikki Fried may lose union support over her opposition to the bill:

In Jacksonville Tuesday, Fried spoke to labor union leaders and representatives from around the region, and questions were pointed as to whether she could prevail in the Primary and the General Election. One union rep said that while he personally might be open to support her, many of those in his union liked DeSantis and the much-discussed “Parental Rights in Education” legislation, which critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

This may turn out to be a disaster for more than just Democratic Party leaders. A few corporate entities, most notably Disney, got pushed into knee-jerk responses from progressive activists based on their wildly dishonest characterizations of the bill. That also leaves them in the peculiar position of arguing that teachers should instruct children under the age of eight on issues like sexual orientation and gender identity, which turns out to be a fringe position even among Democrats. This might be one of the biggest self-inflicted political disasters since, um … Joe Biden picked Kamala Harris as a running mate. Democrats apparently like to keep the hits a-comin’.