On Sunday, Florida governor Ron DeSantis dropped out of the Republican presidential primary race. His campaign’s spending of at least $2,263 per vote through the primary season, set a high water mark for futility that seems likely to stand for decades.
DeSantis detractors recall him making headlines across the country for taking on Disney with his “Don’t Say Gay” bill and COVID-19 policies. By contrast, supporters (few as they may be) tout what they believe was a successful governorship of the Sunshine State. DeSantis was, just a few months ago, thought to be a strong candidate for the presidency. He is also thought to be 5 feet, 11 inches tall.
DeSantis' height could have been seen as irrelevant, if not for the fact that he seemed bothered, even obsessed with it, himself. Internet speculation ran rampant that the Governor wears height boosters in his shoes. The DeSantis campaign swiftly and consistently denied the allegation that he wears lifts in his boots — photographic evidence be damned.
The United States has elected six presidents who stood between 5’11 and 6’0, so logically speaking, DeSantis alleged worry about his height was superficial at best and ruinous, at worst.
While DeSantis's footwear is not the most important part of his campaign nor his political reputation, it caught the attention of the public. Forbes, Reuters and Politico all published pieces on his shoes, for example.
DeSantis’ perceived habit of wearing shoe lifts was easily satirized. It was all over late night television with discussions on The Daily Show, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. On The Daily Show, radio host Charlamagne tha God said, “Now, I know why DeSantis is in that huge fight with Disney. It’s not because of wokeness, it’s because you’ve got to be this tall to ride the magic teacups.”
It is true, however, that the United States has a penchant for electing taller candidates.
Abraham Lincoln was America’s tallest president, standing at 6 feet, 4 inches. The shortest president was James Madison, who served as the fourth president of the United States, standing at 5 feet, 4 inches. Madison is not remembered for his height, but rather for being the “Father of the Constitution” and writing the Federalist Papers.
Current president Joe Biden is 5 feet 11 inches tall. The United States hasn’t elected a president under 5’11 since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Despite that, George W. Bush was taller than both of the opponents (Al Gore and John Kerry) that he defeated.
Of course, DeSantis may not have been wearing shoe lifts throughout his campaign at all, but once an idea or joke catches on, it often sticks. For example, the historical figure possibly most famous for being short, Napoleon Bonaparte, was above average height for Frenchmen of the time but was depicted as short in a political cartoon that gained popularity. While DeSantis is not in the same position of power as the Emperor of the French, the appearance of political figures is universally observed and DeSantis has a critic Napoleon never had: the internet. In “Is Laughter the Best Medicine for Politics?” Todd Belt argues that in “entertainment and persuasion are not mutually exclusive.”
In humor videos or memes that travel across the internet, people are engaging with the humor of the piece but are also receiving the message that the piece of media is conveying to them about the subject, in this case, DeSantis.
Whether or not Ron DeSantis wears lifts in his boots does not measure whether or not he is an adequate politician. It doesn’t indicate his level of political acumen or capacity for leadership. Regardless, the public’s reaction to the idea that he might be wearing lifts in his boots is important because it reflects the power of social media to affect campaigns, elections and therefore, the American presidency.
Erin Drumm is a senior at Notre Dame studying American Studies, journalism and history. She is from Philadelphia and spends her summers (and every weekend possible) at the shore in Cape May County, New Jersey. Outside of The Observer, Erin can be found cheering on the Fighting Irish and the Phillies, reading and talking about pop culture and history. She can be reached at edrumm@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
