'Least popular man': Why Rick Scott has lost popularity among the GOP
A new analysis is explaining why Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is considered to be the "least popular man in Washington."
In a new piece published by Time magazine, Molly Ball explained the downward spiral of the Florida lawmaker's career over the last several years.
"Over the past couple of years, Scott has transformed from rank-and-file Republican in good standing to self-styled bête noire of the GOP establishment," Ball wrote, adding, "It began with his stewardship of the party’s Senate committee in last November’s midterms."
She continued, "What was supposed to be a slam-dunk election cycle ended disastrously: Scott presided over a botched fundraising strategy, fielded a slate of awful candidates as a result of his insistence on staying out of primaries, and released a personal policy platform full of unpopular ideas that continues to bedevil his colleagues and provide fodder for Democratic attacks."
Although Scott has pushed back against the ideals of his political party, critics argue that his agenda is personally motivated.
"To Scott, his crusade against the GOP establishment is a form of protest. His critics see it as a product of his ambition and arrogance. In the Senate GOP’s closed-door, secret-ballot leadership election last November, he did not come close to unseating McConnell," she wrote.
"But the 10 votes he got represented a fifth of the conference, deepening the fissures that have crippled the party for years. He has laid down a marker that he plans to continue to be a thorn in McConnell's side on looming battles over the debt ceiling and government spending. And he has set a question echoing through the staid corridors of Washington: What, exactly, is Rick Scott's endgame?" Ball asked.
According to Ball, the end game is said to include the possibility of him running for president although it's something he still denies.
Ball's full report is available here.
