Angie Nixon and Democratic Socialists are counting on voter frustration over corporatism and crony capitalism to win over independent voters to their side for the 2026 midterm.

In this episode of the Florida Daily Show, hosts Ed Dean and Lindsay Randall discuss how corporatism and corporate welfare have ruined the image of capitalism and benefited Democratic candidates. They were joined by New South Politics editor Matt O’Hern.

Transcript:

Florida Politics Roundtable: Debates, Democratic Socialism and the Growing Frustration With Corporate America

Florida Daily’s political roundtable examines the decision to skip debates in Florida’s statewide elections, the growing appeal of anti-corporate messaging, and the differences between free-market capitalism and government-backed corporatism.

Why Aren’t Florida’s Statewide Candidates Debating?

Ed: I want to get into a couple of issues, including Democrats, Republicans calling out other Republicans, and the growing debate about socialism and government involvement in the economy.

But first, let’s talk about Florida’s statewide elections.

Matt, from what I understand, Ashley Moody isn’t participating in any debates, and neither is Byron Donalds. Is that correct? Are we going to have no debates in either statewide race?

Matt: From everything I’ve read, neither statewide race will feature a debate. Interestingly, it’s candidates from opposite parties who have declined. Moody rejected a debate, and David Jolly rejected one.

Ed: I like Ashley Moody, but why did she turn down the opportunity?

Matt: She said she wasn’t going to provide a platform for socialist propaganda.

That’s a good Republican talking point, but it makes me wonder whether she’s concerned about the race tightening.

Ed: Do you really think it’s tightening? I’m not buying that. I think Moody is going to win comfortably.

Matt: The reason I think it could be closer than expected goes back to my experience conducting in-person exit polling during the primary.

Nearly every woman who spoke with me supported Angie Nixon. Several even said they wouldn’t normally participate in a midterm election.

I think there are a lot of frustrated mothers out there.

To be clear, I’m not endorsing Angie Nixon. I disagree with virtually everything she advocates. But for voters who don’t follow economics closely—and that includes plenty of men, too—her message about the cost of living resonates.

They see someone talking about rising expenses, and they perceive Ashley Moody as representing the opposite side of that argument.

Sometimes it’s that simple.

Ed: I would have participated in the debates.

I’m a big Ashley Moody supporter, but her decision doesn’t make sense to me.

The Republican Party of Florida has criticized Jolly for refusing to debate, suggesting he has something to hide. But couldn’t Democrats make the same argument about Moody?

Lindsay: I agree. I don’t understand why Moody declined.

She’s one of the most capable debaters I’ve seen. Just watch her in congressional hearings. She’s incredibly sharp, intelligent and effective.

Conservative policies are winning policies when they’re actually implemented. Moody has a strong record from her time as attorney general, and I think she could defend that record effectively.

Ed: She received more votes than Ron DeSantis did in her reelection campaign.

Lindsay: Exactly. That’s another reason I think she should have debated Nixon.

I strongly disagree with Nixon’s positions, and I don’t think many of her arguments would hold up under serious scrutiny.

Matt: Nixon makes effective surface-level talking points. But I think Moody could challenge her by getting into the details and substance behind those positions.

Could “Corporatism” Become a Winning Political Message?

Ed: That brings me to one of Angie Nixon’s talking points.

There’s a word that’s becoming increasingly prominent among democratic socialists: corporatism.

The idea is that large corporations aren’t looking out for ordinary Americans.

I want to play a clip from Abdul El-Sayed, who’s running in Michigan. He’s making arguments similar to those we’re hearing from Angie Nixon and other democratic socialists.

In the clip, he’s asked what he means when he describes himself as a capitalist.

Abdul El-Sayed (recorded clip): “Capitalism is the process by which we enable supply and demand to allocate capital so that it’s the most productive in an economy. We are not in a situation where we have capitalism. We have corporatism.”

Ed: Lindsay, let me start with you.

Democratic socialists have traditionally emphasized issues such as defunding the police, abolishing certain institutions and opposing immigration enforcement.

But I think they’re developing a message that could reach a broader audience.

I’m not saying everyone will buy into it, but people are listening.

The average voter isn’t following Florida politics every day. They’re not reading Florida Daily or listening to political radio programs regularly.

They hear sound bites.

And when they hear the word corporatism, it can sound appealing because it speaks to frustrations they already have.

Think about some of the problems people encounter with corporations.

They don’t like how social media companies handle their privacy. They’re frustrated with rising property insurance rates and insurance companies delaying or denying claims.

They get angry when their health insurance provider tells them they have to wait for medication.

Then you have technology companies developing artificial intelligence data centers while residents complain that corporate executives aren’t listening to their communities.

People start thinking, “I don’t like the way corporate America is treating me.”

Now, let’s be fair. Corporate America provides millions of jobs. Many companies offer good wages, benefits and even student loan repayment programs.

But there’s also corporate welfare.

When democratic socialist candidates talk about these frustrations without making the message overly complicated, they can get people’s attention.

Florida property insurance is a perfect example. People are frustrated with the cost, and criticism of insurance companies isn’t limited to Democrats.

Corporatism is a populist term that I think could sell with voters.

Lindsay: You’re absolutely right.

We’re supposed to be living in a capitalist, free-market economy, but in many ways we’re not.

What we actually have is crony capitalism, which isn’t genuine capitalism.

Unfortunately, capitalism gets blamed for problems created by government favoritism and intervention.

The average voter doesn’t study Austrian economics or understand the distinctions between these systems.

They just know they’re frustrated.

They look at high prices, affordability problems and the cost of everyday necessities.

Some of those voters supported Trump and other Republicans who promised free-market policies. When they don’t see the results they expected, they become willing to give someone else a chance.

I understand why that happens.

Being Pro-Capitalism Doesn’t Mean Being Pro-Business

Ed: Matt, I want to expand on that.

I’m pro-capitalism, but I’m not always pro-business.

Look at Wall Street during the financial crisis. Major financial institutions couldn’t wait for government bailouts.

That’s not free-market capitalism.

Lindsay raises an interesting point about the federal government becoming a major shareholder in private companies.

If Joe Biden had pursued some of these same policies, many conservatives would have called them socialist.

Yet Republicans are increasingly accepting forms of government intervention they once opposed.

We’re creating a political environment that Democrats could eventually use to their advantage.

Democrats rarely argue against big government. They generally argue against big business.

But to me, the combination of big business and big government working together is particularly troubling.

Obamacare is one example.

We also need to do a better job explaining how markets work.

I don’t believe oil companies are simply gouging consumers whenever gasoline prices rise. Oil is a commodity, and global markets influence its price.

There are also legitimate economic explanations for some insurance costs.

But Republicans need to explain those things to voters rather than assuming everyone understands them.

I wish we had more genuine free-market capitalism. Unfortunately, there’s too much crony capitalism, and Republicans are involved in it, too.

Matt: One of the best political messages I’ve seen was