A new poll shows President Barack Obama and his signature health-care law remain underwater in Florida -- while a possible presidential candidate shows he's in friendly country back home in the Sunshine State.
Rasmussen Reports released a survey of likely voters from Florida on Monday which finds Obama in bad shape despite carrying the state twice. More than half -- 51 percent -- of those surveyed disapprove of Obama while 47 percent approve of him.
The poll finds Obamas federal health care is in even worse shape in Florida than the president is. Only 44 percent of those surveyed see the law as favorable while 53 percent see the law as unfavorable. Florida led the coalition of states that unsuccessfully took the law to the U.S. Supreme Court, challenging its constitutionality.
Republicans remain fiercely opposed to the law with 82 percent of them seeing it as unfavorable. Democrats largely support Obamas health-care law with 70 percent of them seeing it as favorable. Voters outside the major parties go against the law with 55 percent of them seeing it as unfavorable while 39 percent see it in a favorable light.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is in good shape in the poll with a majority of those surveyed -- 52 percent -- viewing him as favorable while 38 percent see him as unfavorable. A majority of independents -- 51 percent -- view him as favorable while 41 percent see him as unfavorable. If Rubio runs for president in 2016, he should have a solid base in his home state as 80 percent of Republicans view him as favorable and only 13 percent see him as unfavorable. Most Democrats -- 62 percent -- see him as unfavorable though a quarter -- 26 percent -- view him favorably.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., whose third term is up in 2018, is also in good shape in the poll with 48 percent seeing him favorably while 32 percent view him unfavorably. Almost two-thirds of Democrats -- 64 percent -- see Nelson in a favorable light while only 16 percent view him unfavorably. Almost half -- 47 percent -- of Republicans see Nelson as unfavorable but a third-34 percent -- see him as favorable. Voters outside the major parties go Nelsons way with 43 percent of them seeing him as favorable while 32 percent view him as unfavorable.
The poll of 1,114 likely Florida voters was taken from Oct. 15-17 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
