Gov. Rick Scott doubled down that he could outlast Obamacare. He lost.
Tuesday's re-election of President Barack Obama, along with the return of a Democratic-led Senate, guarantees the Affordable Care Act will keep moving forward, including here in Florida, where Scott has been among its staunchest opponents.
Scott placed his bet just days after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law in June, saying Florida wouldn't implement two key provisions: the expansion of Medicaid for poor adults and the creation of a state-run marketplace where residents shop for and buy commercial health insurance policies.
He was confident Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney would win the election and promptly repeal the contentious law. But experts from both sides say Obama's win -- and wide voter sentiment that there should be an end to partisan bickering -- will force Scott, Florida's Legislature and the U.S. Congress to seriously address health care reform.