Compromise and civility are nonexistent in Florida, according to a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a former mayor of Jacksonville and a former state senator.
Lucy Morgan, John Delaney and Rod Smith spoke to a crowd of about 50 people at “Bipartisanship in Florida?” Wednesday night in Pugh Hall.
“If we’re going to limit the topic of bipartisanship,” said Morgan, the journalist, “it would be a 30-second conversation and we would say goodnight.”
The state’s capital and the nation’s capital simply lack bipartisanship and civility, Morgan said.
“There is no civility anywhere,” she explained. “It has evaporated from politics.”
John Delaney, former mayor of Jacksonville and University of North Florida president, expanded on the idea of civility.
“I’ve long hoped for more civility in public debate, because there is a need for it,” Delaney said. “We can disagree, but let’s find a compromise.”
He said finding a balance will leave people walking away happy and satisfied.
Rod Smith, former Florida senator, said compromise is not a bad thing all the time. The United States was built on compromise, he said.
“You have to make sure that within your own party you don’t get too narrow,” Smith said. “Talk to people you don’t agree with and find a middle ground.”
Jordan Barrish, a public relations junior, holds the same mindset as the three-member panel.
“I completely agree that we need more communication between parties,” she said.
Nicole Flikier, a public relations senior, felt the political conversation lacked a means to an ending of bipartisanship.
“I believe that bipartisanship and civility need to happen,” she said, “but I would have liked to know how they’re working to make it happen.”
Ann Henderson, director of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, said the event was the perfect way to highlight the issue of bipartisanship in Florida before it is brought up in the state legislative session in March.
Henderson said none of the speakers were paid to speak.
Correction 2/25/10: The headline originally read "Panelists say nonpartisanship lacking in politics."
