Five years ago, when Sunshine State News launched, Rick Scott wasnt known to most Floridians outside of some financial and health-care circles.
Even his work with Conservatives for Patients Rights (CPR) against President Barack Obamas federal health-care law never got him much attention.But Scott came out of nowhere in 2010 to win the governorship and has proven to be the most influential shaper of Florida politics over the last five years -- and probably since Gov. Jeb Bush left office in 2006.
Last week, Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., taking a page from Lyndon Johnson and others, said, We need a president who wants to do something, not just be somebody. That line can be used for politicians at every level. Some of them want to collect offices and display them like trophies in their den, constantly campaigning and moving up the political ladder while offering little in the way of accomplishments. James Buchanan who held legislative, diplomatic and Cabinet offices on his way to a disastrous presidency, exemplified this type of politics. Closer to home, so did former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, whom Scott defeated in last years gubernatorial election.
Scotts a different beast altogether. One of the reasons politicians, strategists and the media never fully fathomed him in 2010 was a failure to understand Scott had already made his mark on the world. He did not need to become governor to be a big fish; he already was one. Scotts time at Columbia/HCA has gotten the most attention -- certainly from his enemies -- but he also excelled as a venture capitalist, launching Solantic and other companies.
From the start of 2010, Scott didnt need to be somebody -- he already was. His life optimizes much of the American dream. Scott wanted to do something and that was to get Floridas economy back on track. Scotts focus on job creation and economic growth helped him beat then-Attorney General Bill McCollum in the Republican primary and then-state CFO Alex Sink in the general election. It also helped Scott beat Crist last year. Florida voters might think their governor cuts an awkward, sometimes grating, public figure, but they trust him on economic issues.
For the most part, Scott has delivered. Floridas economy is in far better shape than it was when he took over from Crist at the start of 2011. Not relying on the tried and true trinity of tourism, construction and agriculture to keep Floridas economy afloat, Scott has pointed to new opportunities in manufacturing and trade, especially as the Panama Canal expansion nears completion.
Scott has also done well in helping reform higher education in Florida, urging colleges and universities to hold the line on tuition while ensuring they offer degrees that will help young Floridians make their way in the future workforce.
But there have been problems. Revenue is up in Florida but so is state spending and its very possible the Legislature will authorize a budget in excess of $80 billion next year, considerably higher than the $65 billion Scott inherited. The governor didnt help matters during the last campaign when he showcased his support for more spending on education and the environment. While hes done well on cutting taxes and fees, Scott could have done more to cut state government.
Scott let conservatives down on immigration. During his 2010 campaign, Scott called for an Arizona-style immigration law and savaged McCollum on E-Verify and other immigration issues, only to jettison his concerns on this front once he arrived in Tallahassee.
There have also been concerns with the administrations management with Scott now on his fourth chief of staff with questions abounding on transparency and how the leadership of the state government operates. In his first term, chiefs of staff came and went -- and so did Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll who provided Scott a few administrative headaches before he dismissed her in 2013. Sometimes, Scotts administration has gone too far and that has been front and center in recent weeks: making Barton Bibler from the Department of Environmental Protection (FDLE), take a leave of absence and get a mental health evaluation for using terms like climate change and global warming in a report; sending the Department of Law Enforcement after a liberal blogger who attacked the governor by quoting Beatles lyrics. This kind of use of executive power should never be employed in America, especially in light of the fact that much of the Declaration of Independence was a bill of grievances against King George IIIs misuse of executive authority.
Scotts enemies never quite figured how to beat him over the last five years. McCollum and Sink tried to use his record in the private sector against him. Crist did much the same thing and then tried to quibble over how many jobs Scott promised to create when he first ran, not realizing a debate over whether Scott said he would oversee 700,000 or 1.7 million new jobs only reinforced how many jobs were lost under Crist. The Florida Democratic Party has shown little competence over the last five years, having to turn to a flip-flopping party-switcher like Crist to run last year. Scott generally ignored the mainstream media both times he ran and took his message to the voters directly, thanks to his personal wealth in 2010 and his campaign coffers four years later. In return, the media have often prodded and jabbed away at Scott, sometimes overplaying their hand, as in the removal of Gerald Bailey at FDLE earlier this year. Scott has easily survived the controversy despite the medias best attempts to nail him over Baileys removal.
Like so many others, Scotts enemies have fundamentally misread the man, which is very easy to do. Scott is different, to say the least. He is a businessman in the political realm. In a party dominated increasingly by political dynasties -- Bushes, Romneys, Macks, Gaetzes, Bilirakises, Bense and Weatherford, Kirk and Crenshaw, Diaz-Balarts, de la Portillas, Rooneys -- Scott is a self-made man who rose from poverty. While he has won support from the tea party movement and social conservatives over the years, he is fundamentally more concerned with economic issues and education, leading to the increasing conservative discontent with him on testing and Common Core.
From all his experience in the private sector, Scott is, of course, a very practical man. But theres still something of an idealist under it all and it sometimes emerges, even as Scotts less-than-compelling communications skills get in the way.
Scott can often wax rhapsodic over how jobs can transform people, improve their lives, help provide for their families. Certainly his own life offers a perfect example of this. Sharing his vision for Floridas future, Scott talks about families leaving deep roots in the Sunshine State, achieving their goals due to a thriving economy, good-paying jobs and excellent schools. At his rhetorical best, Scott traces how dreamers have left their mark on Florida over the years. During his State of the State address in early March, Scott touched on Henry Flagler, Walt Disney and George Jenkins who founded Publix and how they all left their marks on the state, making Florida a better place due to their dreams. Underneath it all, as his ideal for Floridas future shows, Scott is something of a dreamer too and for the work he has certainly done to move the Sunshine State in line with his vision over the last five years, he is easily the period's most important political figure in Florida.
(ABOUT THIS SERIES: Rick Scott is the 20th in a special anniversary series of 20 political personalities who loomed large since early 2010, when Sunshine State News set up shop in Tallahassee.Who else made the list? Click here to find out.)
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
