Obamacare’s Revenge: The ACA Powers Charlie Crist To a 7 Point Lead Over Rick Scott

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Former governor Charlie Crist has been one of the few Democrats running on Obamacare, and it is paying off. Crist has built a seven point lead over incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Scott in Florida.

A PPP poll of Florida found that Gov. Rick Scott’s refusal to expand Medicaid is hurting him with voters in the state. Democrat Charlie Crist has openly campaigned on the virtues of the ACA, and voters are responding positively. Crist leads Rick Scott 49%-42%.

Respondents were asked if they thought that Florida should have accepted the federal Obamacare funding to expand Medicaid and by a margin of 58%-33% they said that Scott should have taken the money. Those polled said that they were more likely to support Crist because he supports expanding Medicaid by a spread of 42%-33% with 24% saying that it made no difference to them. On the other hand, Scott’s refusal to expand Medicaid made 42% of those polled less likely to vote for him. Only 31% said Scott’s refusal of the ACA money made them more likely to vote for him.

It looks like the tide is turning on the ACA. Democratic candidates can have success with voters by supporting the ACA. Crist’s good numbers blow a hole in the Republican theory that Obamacare will drag down every single Democrat. Last month, Crist urged Democrats to stop running scared. Crist has been arguing that Republicans have no alternative to offer, so Democrats need to be challenging them on healthcare.

Charlie Crist is showing Democrats how they can successfully run on Obamacare. Crist’s poll results also reflect the changing perception of the healthcare law. As more Americans get covered, and realize that Republicans lied to them, the popularity of the ACA continues to grow.

Rick Scott is one of many Republicans who rejected Obamacare for strictly political reasons, but the Republican plan to run against the ACA may be blowing up in their faces. We could be witnessing Obamacare’s revenge, and Gov. Scott might be one of many unemployed Republicans the day after Election Day thanks to the success of the ACA.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association