Why are Rick Scott's Supporters So Surprised?

Something very strange is happening, sort of a slow motion train wreck, with Rick Scott's campaign. His formerly loyal adherents are dropping him in droves. 

Why?

Because he signed the Florida DREAM Act. 

Really, they were already pretty pissed before that, about Common CORE. (Makes their kids get stressed out, you know. Not nice and relaxed any more, the way those starving kids in the Third World are.) But now it's like a bunch of miniature nukes went off. Just look at these samples from Scott's Facebook page, which I'll allow to speak for themselves:

 How about getting the illegal immigrants OUT, rather than subsidizing them with OUR tax dollars?

 you can take every measure to keep roaches out of your house but if you create an environment that is hospitable to the roaches, they will always find a way inside.

Kick this RINO out and vote Adrian Wyllie! Let's pull a "Cantor Upset" right here in Florida.

  I am disgusted that you are catering to illegals You will not get my vote in the next election. I am also going to convince all of my friends that you need to be removed.

Selling out his constituency to buy a few more votes from the brown skinned people using our money = 1 step forward, 3 steps back = one DUMB politician 

 In light of all of this, the main question I have here is -- why are these people so surprised?

Before he was elected, everyone knew Scott oversaw the largest case of Medicare fraud in history at the time, and had pled the 5th more than 70 times during a deposition. No problem, said the people who voted for him.

Before in office, Scott fought Obamacare tooth and nail. Once in office, Scott flipped on the most critical part of that a state governor can impact, the Medicaid expansion. One member of the Tea Party here famously quipped, "Will Medicaid expansion cover me for the knife @FLGovScott just buried in my back?" No one else remembers this?

All politicians lie, but Rick Scott has told whoppers, especially about critical election issues, that would allow Pinocchio to go pole vaulting. The number of jobs he promised to create. Florida's credit rating. Not cutting the education budget. Incentives for Deutsche Bank. (He did that one on national television, no less.) Bill McCollum's record. The cause of the recession. The effects of Obamacare. 

And how many more signs were there he wasn't trustworthy? What about constantly dodging questions from the media? Keeping his travel records secret? Violating the Sunshine law five ways till Sunday? Giving special favors to donors? The whole scheme where he tried to keep Solantic tied behind his back while governor?

From the time before he was elected up until now, Scott's walk has been paved with bricks like these. But only now, it seems, have a raft of those who voted for him woken up and said, "Hey, hold on..." Even the Heritage Foundation has slammed Scott for this signature, and has suggested that in so doing, he broke a law signed by Bill Clinton in 1996. (Which, if true, could make for yet more state money wasted by Scott as he defends himself in court; but that's another issue.)

If we are sympathetic to those who will benefit from the Florida DREAM Act (as I am), we'll watch all of this with a certain detached wonder, tinged with disgust. Scott's signature has brought out some of the worst in those who voted for him. We can also wonder of, indeed, the possibility of a Cantor-like defeat for Scott, who is no doubt asking himself right now if $100 million really will be enough to buy the governor's seat again, even before he faces the Democratic challenger. True, unlike Florida, Virginia has open primaries, which may have had some effect there. But as you can see from one of the comments above, the seed has been planted, and Scott not only will have Wyllie to worry about, but also three other Republican primary candidates who up until now, most of his followers may not even be aware were running.

The next poll should be, to put it mildly...interesting.