President Barack Obama and Gov. Rick Scott

The ever-shifting sands of political popularity swirled around the capital city this week as Florida's unpopular governor became less so, the nation's unpopular president became more so, and undecided Republican voters remained so as the GOP looks for a challenger to unseat a popular U.S. senator.

Florida health officials, meanwhile, submitted their long-awaited blueprint to their federal counterparts in the ongoing effort to shift most of the state's nearly 3 million Medicaid recipients into managed health care plans. The proposal, which backers say will cut costs in the $21.1 billion-a-year program, has its detractors, including the Florida Medical Association, which came out last weekend to officially criticize the plan.

Doctors weren't the only group asking Washington for help. Florida Democrats have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to oppose sweeping changes made by the Republican-packed Legislature to Florida's elections law, while state environmental officials tweaked proposed water standards in hopes of replacing federal guidelines critics say are too rigid.

The state's economic malaise continued as statewide property values maintained their drift through the doldrums, despite modest improvements in the nation's employment picture that showed fewer government jobs but stronger hiring demand from private-sector employers.

The property value slump prompted state economists this week to warn that there will be less money than expected this coming year to pay for schools.

Q-POLL SHOWS UPS AND DOWNS OF PUBLIC LIFE:

Nothing better in the dog days of summer than a good poll, and Quinnipiac University didn't disappoint this week as it released data on how Floridians feel about their president, their governor, and the recent debt ceiling drama.

Gov. Rick Scott's root cellar approval rating has ticked up slightly, moving from 29 percent in May to 35 percent in the university's most recent poll released Friday. Scott's popularity push came even before the governor donned an apron to make doughnuts in Tampa this week as he returned to his deep-fried roots on his first "workday."

The gimmick, which takes a page from former Gov. Bob Graham's playbook, appears part of a larger effort to make Scott more likeable -- a push that includes less formal attire and more frequent visits with the capitol press corps and editorial boards around the state.