Ron DeSantis acolytes who govern the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) had pushed a “loyalty oath” to force a candidate that seeks to be on the ballot as a GOPer in the 2024 GOP Presidential Primary to pledge to support the eventual party nominee.

DeSantis’ supporters pushing this was a naked effort to knock Donald Trump off the ballot in Florida – a very anti-democratic measure to say the least, though it’s not like Trump himself is a great defender of democratic norms.

This past weekend, the RPOF Executive Committee voted to “remove and revoke” the loyalty oath after intense grassroots pressure.

Whatever the case about Trump personally, DeSantis being the autocrat he is, this sort of heavy-handed measure which was meant to serve only one purpose being reversed is a victory for those of us who oppose autocracy…and maybe a ray of hope as we fight the DeSantistans to protect our unique Florida culture, our local government autonomy, our fragile ecosystem and our state’s laws governing transparency. It also is a boost as we fight the pay-2-play oligarchy erected by DeSantistans at a breakneck pace that makes the likes of Rick Scott and Jeb Bush look like liberals in comparison.