John Morgan — founder of Morgan & Morgan, one of the largest personal injury firms in the country — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about civil litigation, the failures of government regulation, and his plan to launch a third party in Florida. Morgan makes the case that civil litigation has grown precisely because government has failed to regulate — social media is a genuine threat to human wellbeing (especially for children), monopolies are squeezing consumers, and processed foods, he argue...
John Morgan — founder of Morgan & Morgan, one of the largest personal injury firms in the country — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about civil litigation, the failures of government regulation, and his plan to launch a third party in Florida. Morgan makes the case that civil litigation has grown precisely because government has failed to regulate — social media is a genuine threat to human wellbeing (especially for children), monopolies are squeezing consumers, and processed foods, he argues, are the new tobacco: extremely harmful and ripe for legal reckoning. He offers a candid, colorful assessment of his former firm member RFK Jr. — "smart and crazy," a man who falls down some genuine BS rabbit holes but also champions legitimate causes — and walks through the thorny reality that vaccine makers enjoy total indemnity while sovereign immunity exists in some form in all 50 states. Morgan is refreshingly honest about the ethics of his own industry, arguing that ads gloating about settlement numbers are a mistake because the real goal of a settlement is to give someone back something they lost, not to celebrate a payday.
The heart of the conversation is Morgan's plan to launch a new third party in Florida called "Common Ground," rooted in his conviction that the two-party system itself is what's fundamentally broken in America. Morgan argues that moderates should function as the tiebreakers in a polarized system — that picking up just a few seats could turn an uncommitted moderate bloc into a genuine fulcrum of power in Congress — and explains why he'd rather build something new than partner with the existing Forward Party. He handicaps Florida's political landscape with an insider's candor: Byron Donalds likely wins the governorship but it'll be close, the Charlie Crist party-switch playbook never worked, and he's genuinely unsure whether voters can find David Jolly credible after his own party change.. Morgan laments that too many people now enter politics for the pension and salary rather than public service, criticizes DeSantis for appointing cronies as university presidents, and argues age limits are overdue because government should be about the future and very few politicians remain effective past 70. Along the way he explains why he thinks Texas Democrats fielded a more viable ticket than Florida's (James Talarico, he says, simply has "it"), why Andy Beshear won in Kentucky, why charter schools are about money rather than choice, and why DeSantis's property tax proposal could become a Brexit-style case study in voters making decisions that make no sense once the consequences arrive.
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Timeline:
00:00 John Morgan joins the Chuck ToddCast
00:45 What is most difficult about nationalizing a law firm?
01:45 When screening for good lawyers, it’s obvious who stands out
03:00 Lawsuits always seem frivolous until it happens to you
03:45 Ads that gloat about settlement numbers are a mistake
04:15 The goal of settlements is to give back something that was lost
05:00 Thoughts on private equity using civil litigation to hedge?
06:15 Involvement in cases against big tech companies
06:45 Social media is a threat to human wellbeing, especially children
08:30 Civil litigation has grown as government has failed to regulate
10:00 Monopolies are squeezing consumers
10:30 Processed foods are like tobacco, extremely harmful
11:00 RFK Jr. was a member of the firm, he’s smart and crazy
12:15 RFK falls down some BS rabbit holes but also has good causes
12:45 Vaccine makers have total indemnity
13:30 Sovereign immunity exists in some fashion in all 50 states
14:00 What’s your process for vetting science?
15:30 Will be launching a third party in Florida - The Common Ground
17:30 Other wealthy people have considered starting third parties
20:00 The two party system is what is broken in the country
20:30 Why not partner with the Forward Party?
22:00 Moderates should be the tiebreakers
23:30 A few uncommitted moderates could be a swing vote in congress
24:15 All you need to do is pick up a few seats to act as a fulcrum
25:45 It’s likely that Donalds wins in Florida, but it will be close
26:30 Why didn’t the Charlie Crist move work for Florida Democrats?
27:45 Can voters find David Jolly credible after changing parties?
29:30 More people are getting into politics for a pension & salary
30:30 People are going into politics for the wrong reasons
31:45 DeSantis appointed his cronies to be university presidents
32:30 Still deciding on whether to support Donalds or Jolly
34:00 Vindman doesn’t have a chance at winning
35:00 Texas Dem ticket is more liberal, why is it more viable than Florida’s?
35:45 James Talarico is very formidable, he has “it”
38:00 Andy Beshear won because Bevin turned on public school teachers
38:45 Charter schools aren’t about choice, they’re about money
39:30 Parental involvement is the best indicator of school performance
40:45 How would you message against DeSantis’s property tax proposal?
41:45 Americans are less interested in “us” and more interested in “me”
42:15 Implementing the property tax proposal will be like Brexit
44:30 Voters can make decisions that make no sense
45:15 Had the itch to run for office, but unlikely to do it
45:45 Government is for the future, should be age limits for elected officials
47:00 Very few elder politicians remain effective past 70 years old
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