Insults are in the eye of the beholder.
If you feel insulted, you get angry, and you want to get away from the person who insulted you, or, maybe, fight them. You certainly don't want to vote for them.

If I say something to you, that you take as an insult, for you, it is an insult.
You will continue thinking it is an insult until I say, "Oh, I didn't mean it that way."
And then you will probably continue feeling angry until I say something like, "I'm sorry. I get how you might have interpreted my words that way. I'll be more careful with what I say from now on." The relationship heals. You might work with me in the future. You might vote for me.

If I say something to you, that you take as an insult, and you tell me, "hey! Don't insult me like that!" but I just say "don't be absurd" in reply, what does that indicate? It indicates that I don't care about your feelings and that I think you're absurd. You won't work with me. You won't vote for me.

I want DeSantis to win and I want my darker skinned friends and neighbors to be OK with him winning. He needs more votes and more good vibes. He should sincerely apologize for a poor choice of words.

---