Florida's Primary More Key Than Expected

The Florida primary, scheduled for Tuesday January 31, is going to be a far more important battleground than previously anticipated. On this South Carolina primary day, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has surged and could easily end the day with a victory. Combine that with a revised result coming out of Iowa where the GOP has now declared Rick Santorum as the winner, and Mitt Romney's clear win in New Hampshire, and we could head into Florida with a different winner in each of the three prior contests.

Florida is a large and expensive place to operate a campaign, and with the biggest bankroll and best ground game in the state, Romney has a definite advantage, but with strong performances likely in South Carolina, Santorum and Gingrich will have momentum. Barring new revelations about three-ways, hookers, or internet porn addiction from Newt's ex-wives, the race into Florida, while still Mitt's election to lose, should still be competitive.

Friends in Florida - the bad news is that yard signs, television ads, and robo-calls will ramp up big time tomorrow. The good news is - your votes will have a significant impact on the direction of the Republican presidential race.