Scott hits a new low

Rick Scott has hit a new low in PPP's Florida polling with only 26% of voters now approving of his job performance to 58% who disapprove. His previous worst numbers had come in June when he had a 33% approval rating with 59% unhappy with his performance. Scott's numbers with Democrats are pretty much unchanged compared to then and his standing with independents has gotten a little better.  What's really caused the bottom to drop out for him is that even Republicans are starting to really sour on his leadership. In June Scott had a 63/30 approval spread with them. That's now dropped all the way down to 46/31.

Scott is the most unpopular Governor in the country in PPP's polling.

Scott would lose a hypothetical rematch with Alex Sink 53-37. 21% of Republicans say they'd choose Sink before they would vote for Scott again, and she has a 48-36 advantage with independent voters as well.

Scott would have even more trouble though if Charlie Crist decided to change parties and challenge him. Crist, running as a Democrat, would crush Scott 55-32.  In a hypothetical head to head Crist gets 25% of the Republican vote and wins independents by a 52-32 margin.

Crist remains the most popular politician in the state with 48% of voters holding a favorable opinion of him to just 33% with a negative one. Those are better numbers than Barack Obama, Bill Nelson, Marco Rubio, or Rick Scott has in Florida. Crist is strongest with Democrats at 57/23, followed by independents at 45/36, and still has a surprising amount of popularity left over with Republicans at 38/44. Meanwhile voters think he should enter the Democratic fold, with 39% supporting that party switch and only 26% opposed.  Democratic voters are particularly ready to welcome Crist into the wings with 58% hoping for a party switch from him and just 15% against the idea.

Marco Rubio's poll numbers have declined every time PPP's polled Florida this year and voters are now evenly divided on him with 40% approving and 40% disapproving. He began 2011 with a +12 approval spread at 43/31. Here's how Rubio's numbers have moved as his first year in the Senate has progressed:

There's not much evidence Rubio would be a game changer as Republican Vice Presidential pick next year either. Only 24% of Floridians say they'd be more likely to vote for the GOP ticket if Rubio was on it, compared to 41% who say that would actually make them less inclined to vote Republican. The numbers with independents are similar to the overall ones at 22/38.

Finally Democrats lead the generic Congressional ballot in the state 46-40. That's become the trend for the party in big states- we recently had similar findings in Ohio and Pennsylvania- and bodes well for the party's chances to take back the House in 2012.

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