Joe Henderson
Get popcorn and drinks ready. The (counting on my fingers) first, second, fifth, ninth, twentieth fight for the soul of Florida’s Democratic Party is underway.
It began about 12 seconds after it was clear Donald Trump was going to win the state’s 29 electoral votes. The rout was on and Dems proceeded to do what they do best – squabble with each other.
“We need to clean house,” progressive state Rep. Anna Eskamani told the Orlando Sentinel. “Leadership within the [state] Democratic Party and the caucuses needs to resign. Step back and let others step in.”
A scalding rebuke of state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried by powerhouse attorney John Morgan followed. Fried, the only Democrat to win a statewide race since 2006, is widely assumed to be preparing a challenge to Gov. Ron DeSantis two years from now.
Not so fast, Morgan said.
She didn’t respond with enough pep and sizzle to support the amendment to raise Florida’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. Morgan put his name and $6 million to get the amendment to the finish line.
It needed 60% of the votes to pass.
Instead of a victory lap though, Morgan looked to settle accounts with Fried. She told the Tampa Bay Times she had concerns about the timing of Amendment 2.
The pandemic was her stumbling block. “… times are very different now,” she said.
Morgan didn’t hold back.
“That bullsh*t doesn’t work with me,” Morgan said at a news conference. “To me, Nikki Fried has disqualified herself from any future or statewide office in the Democratic Party and I’m sorry to say that because I really thought she had a bright future.”
The battle lines are drawn and Eskamani held the pen.
Losing Florida to Trump was bad enough, but Democrats also got whomped in state races and two key congressional seats in Miami-Dade. Republicans control all three branches of the Legislature, as usual, and erased inroads Dems believed they had made in 2018.
It has basically been this way since Jeb Bush took over as Governor in 1999. The GOP held the so-called “trifecta” of state government since then, except from 2009-2011 when Barack Obama led the Democratic ticket.
Democrats have tried to win back the Governor’s chair with moderates like Buddy MacKay and Jim Davis. They tried business leaders like Bill McBride and Alex Sink. McBride was even a decorated war vet.
Rep-turned-Dem Charlie Crist swung and missed.
They went progressive with Andrew Gillum, who surprised everyone by winning the primary over moderate Gwen Graham. He couldn’t beat DeSantis in the General Election though.
So, here we are.
Try, try again.
They won’t play it safe because that’s not working.
By 2022, Florida Democratic candidates will look younger and sound more progressive. They’ll demand the expansion of health care resources and income equality. The Green New Deal will be the starting point for a serious discussion about climate change, assuming Florida hasn’t been blown away by more Cat 5 hurricanes by then.
Eskamani will excite younger voters, who Republicans largely believe should pipe down and let the grownups handle things – especially with gun control.
Fried won’t back down because of Morgan’s angst, but she will have fences to mend with progressives.
Wait, didn’t we just finish one election?
Yep.
This is Florida, though. When one race ends, another begins.
4 comments
Brenda Heistand
November 5, 2020 at 2:10 pm
The last thing we need is another radical liberal to become governor in Florida! The only “swing states” that did not have issues with mail-in ballots are Florida and Ohio with Republican governors. In addition our major cities were not destroyed as those in liberally run states. Our governor protected Florida citizens and our beautiful cities as did the Ohio governor! No thank you John Morgan or any radical democrat! Bring it on John, we’ll be ready!!!
Ron
November 5, 2020 at 2:33 pm
Another “radical liberal”? Who are you referring too? I’m old enough to remember Gov.’s Chiles, Graham and Askew and I don’t think any of them were overly radical or liberal.
Sam
November 5, 2020 at 3:20 pm
To a previous comment: Governors have little or nothing to do with elections. That’s all in state law, so if there’s problems look at the legislators to fix it. Florida was a yahoo state in this area until the wake up call came exactly 20 years ago.
Palmer Tom
November 6, 2020 at 9:11 am
I think he meant all three branches of state government. Askew brought open government and presided over the first decent environmental regulations. Graham signed the state’s first decent growth management laws. The Republicans have been trying to dismantle all of that since they came to power.
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