Just when things cant get any worse for Democrats in Florida, two of their leading figures are going at each other in a fight that wont help them keep the state in their column come 2016.
In one corner is Debbie Wasserman Schultz who has been in the spotlight in recent days as she looks increasingly likely to run for the Senate in 2016. In the other is John Morgan, star of his law firms ubiquitous television, radio and billboard ads, big-time Democrat donor and supporter of medical marijuana.
The two engaged in a spat last year when they stood on opposite sides of the Amendment 2 debate. But neither of them covered themselves with glory in last years elections. A Web video of Morgans profanity laced speech at an Amendment 2 rally went viral and didnt help his cause. Charlie Crist, who had been employed by Morgan and starred in several of the firms ads, went down to defeat against Rick Scott. In her role as chairwoman of the DNC, Wasserman Schultz was also a huge loser of the 2014 elections as Democrats lost the Senate and blew key races across the country.
Now the two are locked in combat again. Morgan claims Wasserman Schultz was willing to change her position on medical marijuana for campaign cash. Wasserman Schultz says Morgan is full of malarkey.
The fight is starting to spread in other directions. The DNC had Allison Tant, the hapless chair of the Florida Democrats, talk to the media about Marco Rubio on Friday and she got sidetracked into the Wasserman Schultz-Morgan feud, saying she was disappointed about it but not taking sides.
Florida Democrats simply cant afford this kind of fight after their disastrous performance last time out. Besides Crist losing, Tant failed to recruit serious candidates to run against Jeff Atwater and Adam Putnam. Democrats lost six seats in the Florida House and couldnt even find a candidate to take on David Jolly in a competitive congressional race.
Democrats pretty much need to keep Florida blue if they want to keep the White House in 2016, and having Wasserman Schultz and Morgan at each other's throats isnt going to help that.
That means the grown-ups have to intervene -- namely Hillary Clinton who has the most to lose in Florida next year. Wasserman Schultz has always been an ally of Clintons, often serving as one of her attack dogs against Barack Obama in the 2008 primaries. But Clinton also needs to keep Morgan, who helped her husband and Obama over the years, happy as well. Not an ideal situation for the Democratic front-runner.
Still, there could be a way out. If Wasserman Schultz starts focusing on her Senate bid, she wont be at the DNC, probably a relief for Democrats after her poor performance there last year. Clinton could also conclude that Tant has no business running the show in the most important swing state in next years election. But right now, Clinton looks like the only person to clean up the mess as two of the most important Democrats in Florida continue to bicker.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this analysis exclusively for Sunshine State News.
