Rick Scott in the White House? Most sane political observers would simply say its not happening but Florida Democrats are acting like it's a possibility.
The Florida Democratic Party sent out an email on Wednesday warning that Scott could be setting his eyes on the presidency.
Scotts allies and the Florida GOP elite want to make that nightmare a reality. Theyve been working hard behind the scenes to get him to consider running, the Florida Democrats warned.
Rick Scott won't run if we can keep holding him accountable for his failure to lead.
The Florida Democrats are basing all of this on one Sarasota Herald Tribune article in which Joe Gruters simply says hes talked to Scott about the idea and not to totally count it out.
Since the Florida Democrats apparently dont think their voters are properly tuned in -- it could explain why so many Democrats stayed home as ex-Republican Charlie Crist went down to defeat earlier this month -- there are two Florida Republicans thinking about running for president and neither of them is named Rick Scott. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio have their hands much higher up the presidential escalator than Scott does.
A Scott campaign would also only serve to undercut two out-of-state Republicans who both went out of their way to help him in this past election and are possible candidates in 2016: Chris Christie and Rick Perry. In short, dont expect to see Rick Scott hanging out in Iowa cornfields or having coffee in New Hampshire diners any time soon.
The brain trust -- or more accurately the lack-of-brains trust -- at the Florida Democrats have learned nothing from their defeats earlier this month. They put every chip they had behind Crist, failing to come close to beating other statewide Republican incumbents, not even bothering with trying to pick up the Florida Senate and losing six seats in the state House.
All the Democrats had to offer was virulent anti-Scott rhetoric because Crist had managed to undermine whatever faith voters had in him by flipping on a series of major issues. All of that wasnt enough to win the election and its not enough to help them now as they warn of an impending Scott presidential bid which simply isnt going to happen.
Scott might hail from the biggest swing state in the Electoral College, but so do Bush and Rubio and they have won by larger margins. Florida Democrats know that but theyre still trying to work their supporters into a frenzy over a possible Scott presidential bid. It simply isnt going to happen. Florida Democrats need some new material if theyre ever going to get out of the hole they've dug for themselves.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this analysis exclusively for Sunshine State News.
