As Democrat lockdown governors Gavin Newsom and Andrew Cuomo struggle like drowning mice to lead their states out of 'science'-based pandemic restrictions while embroiled in political scandals, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) - who notably did not lock down his state - is looking so good that even CNN hit pieces can't help but give him credit for a booming economy and low COVID numbers - even if they only go so far as to call it a happy accident.

In a Wednesday article titled "A year into the pandemic, Florida is booming and Republican Gov. DeSantis is taking credit," CNN's Jeff Zeleny writes:

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.

Despite far fewer rules and restrictions, Florida lands nearly in the middle of all states on a variety of coronavirus metrics. The state has had about 3% more Covid-19 cases per capita than the US overall, but about 8% fewer deaths per capita.

"If you look at what's happening in South Florida right now, I mean this place is booming. It would not be booming if it was shut down," DeSantis said last month as tourist season began to heat up. "Los Angeles isn't booming. New York City's not booming. It's booming here because you can live like a human being."