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Gov. Rick Scott’s popularity is climbing ever so slightly out of the toilet. Now 35 percent of Floridians approve of the way he’s handling his job. That’s up from only 29 percent in May. That makes Rick Scott probably the only politician in America who’s happy with a 35 percent approval rating.
The numbers come from Quinnipiac, and the 35 percent approval rating is the same number the polling firm reported in April and February. His numbers slipped to 29 percent in May.
Meanwhile, 52 percent of Floridians disapprove of the way Scott is taking care of the state’s business.
It seems much of the jump can be attributed to Scott’s growing popularity in his own Republican Party. In May, only 51 percent of Republicans approved. Now 61 percent do.
Scott has also gone on a bit of the “please love me” offensive lately. After killing the high-speed rail project in Florida, a highly unpopular move, he approved Central Florida’s SunRail system. He also began playing nicer with the press and urged his supporters to write positive letters to newspapers. He’s even working at doughnut shops. We’ve seen a softer, gentler Scott in the past few months, and it’s marginally paying off.
However, only 34 percent of Floridians say they like Rick Scott as a person. And only 48 percent of Republicans say they like him personally, despite 61 percent approving of his job handling. The man still has a long way to go.
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