CNN admits Gov. Ron DeSantis succeeded despite refusing to lock down Florida and social media is melting down

A CNN report admitted that the pandemic plan by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida has been largely a success, and many on social media fired off angry responses at the article and the journalist who authored it.

The article by CNN's chief national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny cautiously admits that DeSantis has been able to save the economy of the state without the massive death toll that many were predicting.

As many parts of the country embark on an uneasy march toward normalcy, Florida is not only back in business -- it's been in business for the better part of the past year. DeSantis' gamble to take a laissez faire approach appears to be paying off -- at least politically, at least for now, as other governors capturing attention in the opening phase of the pandemic now face steeper challenges.

Zeleny goes on to document how Florida is in the middle of the pack when it comes to the coronavirus cases, ranking 23rd worst out of 50 states. But California, which was first to lock down statewide and implemented very stringent lockdown policies, came in at 22nd.

The article also pointed out that Florida is booming compared to other states that locked down their economies.

DeSantis refused to implement a mask mandate in the first place, making him an outlier a year ago. At the time, he was hewing closely to President Donald Trump's playbook, which he argued at the time was good for business.

The unemployment rate in Florida is 4.8 %, according to the latest figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared to 6.8% in Texas, 8.8% in New York and 9% in California.

Although Zeleny was cautious in his praise and noted the controversy surrounding accusations of privileged access to vaccinations in Florida, critics of DeSantis were furious at any concession to the Republican governor.

Many of them took to Twitter to express their outrage:

"CNN you're out of your f***ing minds for this headline," tweeted DJ Ross One.

"Get the f*** out of here with this s**t," replied screenwriter Dan Hernandez.

"CNN pushing this narrative that DeSantis is some kind of hero is f***ing bulls***," said David Weiner.

"Like, What The Actual F***, CNN? Don't you have access to the same information *I* have on DeSantis' execrable record on his pandemic response?" replied another user who identified herself as a mother.

"Who the f**k wrote this nonsense article? Desantis has shunned science and silenced the public health officials in his state. He makes sure upper class, white people get vaccinated over minorities. He's such a leader," responded another sore user.

DeSantis came in second in popularity behind former President Donald Trump in the last CPAC straw poll, and is considered by many to be a presidential favorite in 2024.

Here's more about Florida's success from CNN:

Florida Governor DeSantis' Covid-19 response gets a second look | CNN Internationalwww.youtube.com