Tallahassee Democrat, February 22, 2016
…Republicans hoping to deny Nelson a fourth term in 2018 likely will brandish his high presidential support score to portray him as out of touch with voters in the nation’s largest swing state.
But Keith Fitzgerald, political science professor at the New College in Sarasota, doesn’t think that will work, given Nelson’s general reputation as independent-minded.
“Bill Nelson is a very trustworthy figure,” said Fitzgerald, who served as a Democratic lawmaker in the Florida State House. “They’re going to say he’s an Obama Democrat whether his support scores say so or not. I don’t think people are going to buy it because they know Bill Nelson (is) nobody’s stooge.”