President Barack Obama remains above water in Florida, despite the unpopularity of his health-care law -- but there's little enthusiasm for a potential 2016 presidential run by a Republican favorite son, according to a new poll.
A poll of likely voters in Florida, released Thursday from Rasmussen Reports, finds a slight majority of Floridians -- 51 percent -- approve of Obama, while 46 percent disapprove of him. The poll shows Floridians have very strong views of Obama, with 39 percent of those surveyed strongly disapproving of him and only 29 percent approving.
Despite Obamas numbers, a majority of those surveyed -- 55 percent -- see his federal health-care act as unfavorable and only 39 percent view it in a favorable light. While 43 percent see the law as very unfavorable, only 19 percent see it as very favorable.
Obama carried Florida both times he ran for president. The state of Florida, led by then-Attorney General Bill McCollum and later by Attorney General Pam Bondi, was at the forefront of a constitutional challenge to repeal the law. But it was rejected by the Supreme Court of the United States.
The poll finds U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., does not garner much support in his home state if he runs for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. It shows a majority of those surveyed -- 52 percent -- think Rubio should not go for the presidency in 2016, while only 21 percent think he should. Asked if they will vote for Rubio if he becomes the Republican nominee in 2016, only 32 percent say they would back him while 48 percent say they would not.
The poll finds Rubio is above water in his current post, with 45 percent seeing him as favorable; 43 percent see him as unfavorable.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., is in better shape in the poll, with 48 percent viewing him as favorable and 36 percent seeing him in an unfavorable light.
The poll of 750 likely Florida voters was taken April 21-22 and had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
