Rick Scott's Approval Rating

It is going to be interesting how Gov. Rick Scott's communications director Brian Burgess tries to spin this. The latest Quinnipiac Poll has Scott with a 29 percent approval rating. Scott dropped from 35 percent in April. Ouch.

Two out of three Florida voters dislike the way Governor Rick Scott is leading the state, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday. The rookie governor barely won election, garnering less than half the vote…

And once he took office, his plans to layoff state workers, privatize prisons and freeze regulations brought crowds of protesters to Tallahassee.

Contrary to what Scott thinks the protesters aren't chanting, "Hail Caesar." Apparently, Scott didn't like getting sports talk radio host Sid Rosenberg asking about his approval rating.

Q: The approval ratings came out today -- 29 percent, that's the lowest in the country for any governor. Are you confident that you're going to do things here, that you're going to create the jobs to get that number up? I mean, I know you're going to tell me that the number doesn't bother you. But 29 percent, Rick? That's got to bother you.

Scott: "Here's the deal: I was elected to get our state back to work. If you think about it, when you go make all the tough decisions, when you walk into a budget deficit of $3.7 billion and you hold people accountable — you make eduction is headed in the right direction, you make sure that you're getting the jobs back, it takes time for those things to happen. We're on the right track. The right things are going to happen. ... I'm sorry, I've got a 4:30 meeting I'm already late for."

The Miami Herald reports that Scott had no 4:30 meeting on his schedule. Scott wants to be president and constantly choked when he is asked simple questions. A good politician is prepared for question about bad poll numbers. Scott had staff and time call at 4:45 PM. Scott had a staff and call time at 4:45 PM. Scott can postponed his day end briefing with staff members.



The actual poll numbers are devastating. Scott is losing Republicans.

Poll question and Republican aprroval numbers.

Do you approve or disapprove of the state budget agreed to by Governor Scott and the state legislature?

Republicans - 45 percent

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Rick Scott is handling the state budget?

Republicans - 54 percent

Do you think the new state budget is fair or unfair to people like you?

Republicans that think budget is fair - 47 percent

What do you think about the cuts in state spending in the new budget? Do you think the cuts in state spending go too far, not far enough or are they about right?

Republican that think cuts too far - 29 percent

Republicans that think not far enough - 18 percent

Republican that think cuts are right - 37 percent

It is obvious the tea party base that want slash and burn spending cuts aren't the majority of the Florida GOP.

Do you think that the new spending cuts will help Florida's economy, hurt Florida's economy, or not make a difference?

Republicans that think cuts help economy - 46 percent

Republicans that think cuts hurt economy - 24 percent

Republicans, no difference to economy - 21 percent

There are more Republicans that are unenthusiastic about Scott's budget than support it.

Governor Rick Scott has pledged that in trying to balance the state's budget deficit that he would not raise taxes or fees. Do you think Rick Scott should have made this pledge or not?

Republicans - Scott keep tax pledge - 59 percent

Republicans - Scott will break tax pledge - 34 percent

This one is surprising. No one who follows Scott thinks he is going to raise taxes. Scott should be polling much higher.

Breakdown: Scott is polling low with Republicans. Scott has pandered to the tea party and Florida Chamber of Commerce. Yet, his numbers with Republican voters are tanking. Scott isn't a good enough politician to stage a miraculous comeback. The one piece of good news for Scott is he is likely to run against Alex Sink again. If anyone can tank a race with Scott it is Sink.