Rick Scott seems confident that his initial investment of $73 million towards his seat in the governor's office has paid off, so much so that he can sit back and reap the benefits come his re-election campaign?
Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday that not only will he seek a second-term in 2014, but he predicted that he won't have to reach into his own pocket to pay for a re-election campaign like he did the first time.
"I won't have to," Scott said, adding: "I'm running for re-election. I like this job. This is the best job you can imagine ... In this job, if you care about anybody's family in this state, you can have a positive impact. You can impact their education system."
Never mind that we're still waiting for that "positive impact" Scott speaks of, and exctly which families would those be?
As for that impact on the education system? Well he's right about that one. Thanks to Rick Scott and his cut-happy cohorts, the impact he's had on Florida's education system (so far) will indeed devastate schools and universities for years to come, long after Scott has moved on to his next "business deal."
Getting back to the money:
Asked how much a 2014 race would cost, Scott said: "I don't know what it will cost, but we'll have the money to win."
Note that he says he'll "have the money to win." Not the votes. The money.
That pretty much says it all given that his approval ratings continue to all but scrape bottom. He doesn't appear to care about how the people of this state feel about him. He doesn't have to. He'll have "the money to win." He's got the big donors and their deep pockets, and he's doing everything he can to keep them happy for his next three years with all those big tax cuts he gave them.
Votes? (How quaint.) Yes, unhappy voters are pesky things when the most unpopular governor in the country is faced with re-election, but that's where the Florida Legislature and severe voting restrictions come in.
Again, getting back to the money:
Scott's political fund-raising 527 organization, Let's Get to Work, collected $910,000 in the first quarter of this year. Four donors kicked in $100,000 each: Miami investor Miguel Fernandez, The Villages, Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Group Underwriters, a Miami Gardens insurance firm.
These days, while corporations may qualify as "people" in the wallet department, they still can't "vote" (so far) but they can buy you one heck of a campaign machine when big profits are on the horizon if you get the right guy in office.
In his comments, Scott appeared relaxed and upbeat and sounded eager to hit the campaign trail, despite his persistently low approval ratings in public opinion polls.
As for governing, just a little over one year in office and Rick Scott is too busy thinking ahead to re-election while in absolute denial of what his policies so far have done, and will do to Florida.
Still, a little over two and a half years is a long time and some of those impacts Scott speaks of will begin taking their toll come election time. When you put the kind of bad ideas in place that Scott has, it won't just be the voters he's alienating and driving out of the state.
Those who run businesses have families, and they have to live here too. Plus, it's hard to run a business where there's no consumer demand.
