Romney expects a win, but 2nd place OK

Former Gov. Mitt Romney said he thinks the top two candidates in Florida will advance strongly going into the following Feb. 5th primary day, in an interview with Political Connections and Times Political Editor Adam Smith (in connection with Bay News 9), which will air on Sunday.

"I think the first two spots coming out of Florida will have a good shot at becoming the nominee, I think it would be hard if I came in third, fourth or fifth to consider it a successful campaign beyond that," Romney said. "But I'm expecting to come in no. 1. If I don't get no. 1, I expect no. 2, and therefore I'll continue."

Baxley dialing for Mitt

The Buzz is that former state Rep. Dennis Baxley, the incoming Christian Coalition chair, is urging social conservatives to vote for Romney in recorded calls. Some Huckabee folks are fuming  that Baxley is improperly invoking the Christian Coalition, even though he's speaking for himself.

Other robo calls we're aware of: Bay Buchanan for Romney, Jack Kemp for McCain and John McCain for McCain.

Who else have you heard from?

Pro-lifers for Huckabee

John Stemberger and Dr. David Uth, heads of the Florida Huckabee Faith and Values Coalition, announced a round of endorsements today, calling Mike Huckabee the most qualified candidate for social conservatives.

Names include Rep. Frank Attkisson, Barbara Collier of the Christian Coalition in Broward County and Pam Olson of Florida Prayer Network (full list in jump).

"Florida 's closed primary is a different ball game than in New Hampshire and South Carolina where independents and liberal democrats can cross over and vote for a candidate like John McCain," Stemberger said. "Social and religious conservatives comprise upwards of forty percent of the primary voters in Florida and Governor Huckabee can be very competitive and could win Florida as the consensus continues to build."

Huckabee's debate prep

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee went for a four-mile run with staff and supporters in Ft. Lauderdale on Thursday. He plans to spend the rest of the day working on debate preparation.

"I challenge all my other colleagues running, to come out here on the beach and run along with me today," said Huckabee wearing a running shirt that said "ARKANSAS" on the back. "I hope that all three or four of the others will make some statement that takes them out of the race and I'll make one that puts me at the very front. Tonight we can settle it all."

Huckabee's mysterious Tally stop

Gov. Mike Huckabee said in a speech on Wednesday that he had just gotten in from Tallahassee. Huckabee touted later that he met with lawmakers.

UPDATE: A meeting with lawmakers was supposed to be organized by House Speaker Marco Rubio, but Rubio said through his spokeswoman that "the timing was such that they were unable to set up a meeting on such short notice," according to the Speaker's press spokeswoman Jill Chamberlin.

Yet, when asked for clarification of the Tallahassee meeting on Wednesday night, Huckabee said that he met with lawmakers and made phone calls.

When asked if he had met with Gov. Charlie Crist, Huckabee answered, "I wish I did, but I didn't."

Huckabee: Don't believe the rumors!

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee wants to set the record straight.

During a rally at a private airport hangar in Fort Lauderdale Wednesday evening, he repeated his intent to stick it out and campaign hard in Florida.

"There's some pretty crazy rumors going around that the Huckabee campaign is pulling out of Florida," Huckabee said. "Well, it doesn't look like it to me," he added over a chorus of "We Like Mike!"

Later during a late-night media availability, Huckabee added: "Those news reports that our demise is imminent are much exaggerated."

What his campaign lacks in organization (the rally was planned a few days ago) and money (they're still not on TV) they make up for in grass-roots charisma and ingenuity.

Thompson's supporters split among rivals

Top Fred Thompson supporters have been inundated with phone calls from rival campaigns since the news he'll withdrawal from the race. But so far, few have decided on their next horse.

Read below to see some early converts and others who are on the fence.

Huckabee goes slow in Florida

Update: Huckabee will be in Florida Wednesday for a 7 p.m. rally at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport/Elite Jet Hangar.

Tuesday brings another light day in Florida for Mike Huckabee -- a single event (a private fundraisier) in Gainesville. His schedule has him back in Atlanta to raise more money and a noon anti-abortion rally.

What gives? His performance at the CNN/YouTube debate in St. Petersburg cemented his rise among the GOP field and he has a growing and eager roster of supporters here.

From the AP: "Winning Florida would be great," Huckabee told an Orlando airport crowd of about 100. But winning the nomination is the bigger goal, he said. "Nobody is going to have this wrapped up by Florida," he said.

Push pollsters for Huckabee

We heard of one to a St Petersburg household asking favorable questions about Huckabee, and negative ones about Giuliani (abortion rights) and Romney (taxes). We heard of another in Jacksonville---robo calls from Herndon, Virginia trashing Romney's record. Sounds like ccAdvertising, which was busy in SC and other early states too.

Poll: Romney leading FL

Rasmussen: Romney 25%; McCain 20%; Giuliani 19%; Huckabee 13%; Thompson 12%; Ron Paul 5%

Huckabee heads to Orlando to raise coin

Mike Huckabee, who needs a strong showing in Florida to remain a player in the GOP race, heads to Orlando tomorrow. He's got a 4 p.m. media availability at Signature Flight support followed by a private fundraiser. Later in the week, he begins a bus tour.

Huckabee faithful: 'Florida is big time open'

Seemingly hurt by Fred Thompson's showing, Mike Huckabee came up short in South Carolina. That leaves him further weakened in advance of Florida.

But his backers here remain confident. "Florida still looks good," Sen. Mike Haridopolos said in a telephone interview. "And we're raring to go. The more people who see Mike Huckabee, the better we'll be. Florida is big time open territory." Haridopolos noted that Thompson tonight seemed to teeter on dropping out, a move that would eliminate a hurdle for Huckabee.

Huckabee will hit central Florida on Monday, and a bus tour will follow later in the week. Details are still being worked out.

Huckabee looks to Florida

TIGERVILLE, S.C. - "Hey, we'll be down you're way real soon. Probably Monday,'' Mike Huckabee said as he caught sight of a Florida reporter at North Greenville University, a Baptist school in the Upstate. After he signed a "No Amnesty" pledge to oppose any path to citizenship for illegals , the former Arkansas governor said he had no worry how his new tough-on-immigration persona would play in Florida, where Sen. Mel Martinez, and Govs. Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist backed John McCain's controversial immigration bill last year.

"What I heard from a lot in Florida were legal immigrants who resented that people looked at them and thought they were illegal,'' Huckabee said.

Adviser Ed Rollins on immigration: "Florida obviously is more complicated, but I think it still will be a significant issue."

Meet team Huckabee in Orlando

Sen. Daniel Webster, one of Mike Huckabee's earliest backers, is throwing open the doors this evening to the campaign's HQ in Orlando. Invite here.

Romney returning to FL airwaves?

The Buzz is that the Mitt Romney campaign, having gone dark on FL TV is making inquiries with TV stations about going back on the air in Florida (or at least Tampa Bay) by this weekend.

The renewed optimism, we assume, comes from the GIANT win in Hernando County on Jan. 10: a straw poll at the Timber Pines Republican Club found Romney with 34% support, John McCain with 31%; Rudy Giuliani with 19% (ouch-this is Bill McCollum's native county!);  Mike Huckabee at 12% and Fred Thompson at 3%.

Stemberger jumps from Fred to Huckabee

The Huckabee campaign is touting a high-profile defection from Fred Thompson's camp. "John Stemberger, a leading voice in the conservative movement of Florida has switched his personal endorsement in the race for the Republican presidential nomination ..., " a news release boasts. Stemberger will co-chair Huckabee's "Faith and Family Values Coalition for Florida."

"Gov. Huckabee is without question the best candidate to breathe new life and fresh hope into a nation and its people who are fed up with scandal, corruption and big-money power politics. Mike Huckabee is a proven leader with executive experience and a solid record as a champion for pro-life and pro-family values, Stemberger said. "As a result, he has won the trust of more social conservative leaders across America than any other candidate. He has also proven that he is a viable candidate who can take us all the way home by winning both the primary and the general elections."

Huckabee's Florida shop up and running

The phone was turned on Thursday, the Internet came to life Friday and bumper stickers and signs arrived Saturday ... Mike Huckabee's Orlando headquarters is open for business.

A call Saturday afternoon revealed a familiar voice - Jaryn Emhoff, aide to Sen. Daniel Webster, R-Winter Garden, who is one of the campaign chairmen in Florida. Emhoff has taken leave to help with the grassroots component of the campaign.

Also working out of the office is Ocala native Robert Kuykendall, who helped deliver the Huckabee victory in Iowa. (An early, pre Huckabee surge story involving Kuykendall is here.)

McCain lures a Thompson supporter

Update: The Tampa Tribune has endorsed McCain.

Former Florida legislator Sandy Murman is bolting from Fred Thompson's camp and joining up with Sen. John McCain, according to Mark Sharpe, who co-chairs McCain's Hillsborough effort. Just last month, Thompson announced Murman would help lead Thompson's Hillsborough push. McCain will criss-cross Florida with his Straight Talk bus tour beginning Jan. 20, the day after the South Carolina primaries. Sharpe said the itinerary will include a swing through Tampa.

Exact dates haven't been set, but McCain plans to be in the Sunshine State through the Jan. 29 primary. Polls show McCain neck-and-neck with Mitt Romney for first place in Michigan, second to Mike Huckabee in South Carolina and his numbers are on the rise in Florida. "He's doing beautifully," Sharpe said. "It's right where he wants to be."

Janet Zink, Times staff writer

'Huckabus' sets GPS for Florida

Mike Huckabee's Florida organizers are planning a bus tour for the last five days leading up to the Jan. 29 primary. The tour will take the Republican presidential candidate across the state. Exact details are to be worked out. Huckabee might also appear in between contests in other states.

"The governor is an early riser and an energetic guy. We'll be out there with him," said state Sen. Mike Haridopolos, co-chairman of the Florida campaign. "Florida is huge and what's so neat about this is he's got these meet up groups across the state. We want to meet as many as possible to get them even more motivated about the big day."

Also, check out this YouTube pitch from Haridopolos and House Speaker Marco Rubio, standing on a street corner in New Hampshire earlier this week. (Is that Rep. David Rivera juggling oranges in the background?)

FL poll: Rudy Leads; Clinton's lead shrinks

InsiderAdvantage 1/7 poll for Southern Political Report: Giuliani 24%; Huckabee 19% McCain 19%; Romney 13%; Thompson 8%; Paul 5%; Hunter 1%; No Opinion: 11%.

Clinton 40%; Obama: 32%; Edwards 9%; Richardson 6%; Kucinich 2%; No Opinion: 10%

FL Poll: Huck Leads, Rudy in 4th place

Jan. 5-7 Datamar robo poll: Mike Huckabee 24%; Mitt Romney 20%; John McCain 18%; Rudy Giuliani 16%.

Hillary Clinton 40%; Barack Obama 28%; John Edwards 19%.

Florida reacts to Huckabee's Iowa victory

Huckabee backer Rep. David Rivera tells the Buzz: "This victory anoints Gov. Huckabee as the undisputed favorite among conservative Republicans. ... (It) will help lead him to even greater heights in Florida, where Republican voters have already propelled him to the top of the GOP field."

Sen. Daniel Webster: "Somebody's going to have to rewrite the 'how to win a presidential campaign manual.' Here's a guy who went against all the odds, didn't have the financial backing and was blistered by millions of dollars in negative ads. He built the campaign from the bottom up. That strategy has paid off and he has that same network in other areas coming up, including Florida."

Mitt Romney backer Al Cardenas: "Iowa was the perfect market for a candidate like Mike Huckabee and the evangelical community did a great job of turning out for him. Mitt is still very much strong in terms of resources and momentum," he said, citing national polls. "It's a two person fight now and we're in the finals."

Katherine Harris and Huckabee

Anybody else out there see Mike Huckabee's odd press conference yesterday -  drawing cynical laughter from the press corps for showing off an anti-Romney TV spot that he won't run - and wonder if Ed Rollins is a magnet for campaign weirdness? Prior to teaming up with Huckabee, Rollins worked with Katherine Harris, a candidate known for some unusual press interaction herself.

Who will still be standing by Jan. 29?

"Those first couple races are going to dictate what happens next," said Democratic pollster Dave Beattie. "If Hillary wins Iowa it's much more difficult for Obama or Edwards to close the gap."  But the Republican race is so full of viable candidates that even talk of the primary stretching into a brokered convention no longer seems entirely far-fetched.

"Everybody's goal, on both sides, is to be one of the two or three people still viable on Feb. 5," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "If there are three viable Republicans still standing on the morning of Feb. 5, you have the possibility this could go on a long, long time, possibly to the convention."

The scenarios are countless, but we've narrowed it to seven. See here.

Jumping ship from Mitt

From the PB Post today: "...Former state senator Dick Langley, who had been a co-chair of Mitt Romney's Florida campaign, ripped a Romney sticker off his lapel and replaced it with one of Huckabee's..

"I just couldn't figure out where Mitt stood," Langley said to applause from the crowd. "I had to have somebody that I could know where he stood, with the right values for this country and for a future for this country." "

Langley was a co-chair for Lake County.

Did Huckabee botch Pakistan question?

From CBS News with Huckabee in Orlando today: "...He made a bad choice of words when saying the U.S. needs to consider 'what impact does it have on whether or not there’s going to be martial law continuing in Pakistan.' He should have said whether or not martial law will be reinstated – it was lifted nearly two weeks ago. A minor slip, maybe, but not a subject he wants to mess up on when he is already considered weak in the area of foreign policy."

Haridopolos digs Huckabee

State Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Indialantic, is jumping aboard team Huck: "I support Mike Huckabee because of his positive, optimistic message," Senator Haridopolos said. "He, better than any candidate on either side, is listening to the voter and projecting a message that communicates with all Americans."

Huckabee's early bird special in Orlando

Mike Huckabee's not wasting time grabbing Florida cash next week in the Orlando area.

He has a 7:45 a.m. fundraiser Thursday at Casa Feliz, a Spanish farmhouse overlooking a golf course in Winter Park. Then the surging Republican has a 9:30 a.m. fundraiser at David Matthesen's home in Windemere. He concludes the Florida run with a 10:50 a.m. media availability at Showalter Flying Service in Orlando. Buzz already detailed Huckabee's fundraiser Wednesday in Miami.

Diaz de la Portilla helping Huckabee

Along with Marco Rubio and David Rivera, Miami state Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla is hosting the 12/26 $200-per-person Mike Huckabee fundraiser at the Miami home of Carlos and Michelle Pastor.

Poll: Sorry Rudy, FL's wide open

From Quinnipiac today: Rudy Giuliani 28 percent; Mike Huckabee with 21 percent; Mitt Romney with 20 percent; Sen. John McCain with 13 percent; Fred Thompson 8 percent and 6 percent undecided.  “Most Republican voters have not completely locked onto a candidate, so Giuliani, Huckabee and Romney all remain in play in Florida, and McCain could stage a comeback,” Peter Brown said.

On Democratic side, Hillary Clinton still looks safe in FL, with 43 percent support among Democrats, 21 percent for Barack Obama and 19 percent for John Edwards.

The 12/12-18 poll of is the first Q poll where the pollsters have shifted from registered voters to likely voters --397 Dems and 397 Reps (4.9% moe)

Huckabee's post Christmas visit to Florida

The Buzz is Mike Huckabee is coming back to Florida next week with possible appearances or fundraisers in Orlando, Miami and the Panhandle.

Banking those absentee FL votes

As the political world consumes itself with how Iowans might winnow the presidential field on Jan. 3, many Floridians aren't waiting to see what happens in church basement caucuses 1,300 miles away. It's a little-noticed wrinkle in this topsy-turvey election: Floridians already are voting, earlier than anyone else in America, which creates a complication, and opportunity, for the presidential contenders.

By some estimates more Florida Republicans could vote by year's end than the roughly 85,000 Republicans who show up for Iowa's all-important caucuses in 2 1/2 weeks. Not only can presidential candidates bank votes, but so can supporters and foes of the tax-cutting initiative on the ballot.

"Absentee voting and early voting is something we care about very much, it's something we get, and it's something we will invest significant resources in," said Mike DuHaime, Rudy Giuliani's national campaign manager. "In states like Florida and California, early voting and absentee voting is so important you almost need a separate operation to focus on it."  Story here.

Polls: Huckabee surging in FL

Two more polls show Mike Huckabee giving Rudy Giuliani a run for his money in Florida. Maybe that explains why Rudy's campaign has cut back his TV expenses in New Hampshire, to give it more flexibility and resources for must-win Florida.

Strategic Vision's 12/14-16 poll : Rudy Giuliani 25%;  Mike Huckabee 21%; John McCain 15%; Mitt Romney 13%; Fred Thompson 10% Ron Paul 4%; Tom Tancredo 2%; Duncan Hunter 1%; and 9% undecided. “Republicans could potentially have four to five viable candidates when the race comes to Florida.  Such a scenario would benefit Guilaini as it would divide the conservative vote.  Most interesting is the McCain revival particularly in the I-4 corridor,” said  a statement from Strategic Vision CEO David "Not DJ, the former RPOF executive director" Johnson.

Then there's the new SurveyUSA automated poll: Giuliani 29%; Huckabee 24%; Romney 20%; McCain 10%; Thompson 8%; other 6%, undecided 3%.

Huckabee helping Giuliani

Giuliani's standing in national polls has slipped in recent weeks, but he has at least two bright spots going for him. One is Florida, a Giuliani stronghold and the first big state to vote in the GOP primary, on Jan. 29. The other is Mike Huckabee, the amiable former Arkansas governor whose surging campaign could help Giuliani withstand potential losses in the elections leading up to Florida.

"I like Mike a lot," Giuliani told the St. Petersburg Times on Saturday. "He's a really good man. It's not a question of whether he's qualified; it's a question of whether you think you're better qualified." Anything that knocks the wind out of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney early helps Giuliani, whose late-state primary strategy no longer looks as risky as many observers thought.

Story here.

Another poll with Huck leading FL

From Datamar, 12/9-13 (656 Rs): Huckabee 25%, Giuliani 21%, Romney 19%; McCain 10%; Thompson 9%; Paul 5%. Among 600 Ds: Clinton 44%; Obama 20%; Edwards 14% Richardson 4%.

We don't vouch for all these polls, we just blog em

'Huckaboom' in Tampa

TAMPA - How Joanne Rush came to sit among complete strangers in a dimly lit room at Bonefish Grill is a story, she explains, of divine intervention.

The Realtor and evangelical Christian from Valrico happened to catch the recent presidential debate in St. Petersburg on TV and was struck by one of the men on stage. He seemed genuine and spoke convincingly of God. "He really tugged at my heart," she said. "It's funny he's from Hope Arkansas, because he seems like the next hope for America."

Rush, 55, arrived at the restaurant Thursday evening for a "meet up" with more than 20 others mesmerized by Mike Huckabee, the Baptist minister turned politician who has exploded from obscurity in a crowded field of Republicans.

"The great thing is all these people came on their own," said Eric Rathburn, a 28-year-old civil engineer from Tampa, his shirt bearing an "I like Mike" button. "I don't know them from Adam. As they say, it's a Huckaboom!" (rest of story here.)

So much for Katherine Harris' endorsement

Ed Rollins, whose most recent Florida experience was as Harris' U.S. Senate campaign strategist-turned arch enemy, has signed on with Huckabee as his national campaign chairman. "I have always said that I want to work for candidates with convictions who can communicate those convictions. And Gov. Huckabee is that candidate," said Rollins, Reagan's campaign director in 84. "He has the ability to change the political conversation in this country. Among the presidential contenders, he is also the one with the most executive experience."

Poll: Huckabee leading in FL?!

Take it with as many grains of salt as you want, but here's what Rasmussen's latest survey of 685 likely Florida GOP primary voters shows: Huckabee 27 percent, Romney 23%, Giuliani 19%, Thompson 9%; McCain 6%, Paul 4%.

"Just 49% of voters are “certain” they will vote for their current favorite when the election actually rolls around. If voters do change their mind, Giuliani narrowly tops the list as a second choice. Eighteen percent (18%) say the New Yorker is their second choice followed by McCain at 16%, Romney at 15%, Huckabee at 13%, and Thompson at 12%. Among those who say there is a good chance they could change their mind, Giuliani is an even stronger second choice preference."

Huckabee sets up shop in Florida

Mike Huckabee is getting some Florida digs.

The heretofore cash-starved Republican will open a statewide office in downtown Orlando and one in Miami, according to two of his top supporters, Sen. Dan Webster and Rep. David Rivera.

The Orlando office has not been selected but will house a state coordinator and marshal a swelling volunteer force. Rivera said the Miami shop, at 8th Street and 57th Avenue, is "picked out, cleaned out, ready to go."

They dismissed talk that Huckabee cannot harness his sudden popularity because of little organization in key states. "Think of where he's gotten without infrastructure," Webster said. "Some people do top down; he's done bottom up. And it's really the best way to do a campaign --  it's just nobody believed you could do it in a presidential  race. He's going to have the people, he's going to have the staff and he's going to get the money."

Huck and Mitt: The flip-flop brothers

... So says Fred Thompson, who is straining to keep his presidential hopes alive and sharpening his attacks by the day.

Thompson spent Monday in Miami bashing Mike Huckabee over his transformation on Cuba and couldn't resist another round this morning -- this time going after Huckabee and Mitt Romney.

"One thing has become abundantly clear after watching Gov. Mike Huckabee abandon his long-held opposition to the Cuba trade embargo after it became politically inconvenient: In all the close rhetorical combat of the campaign, a little bit of Mitt Romney must be rubbing off on Mike Huckabee."

Romney backers: Huckabee nice but not ready

U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, former House Speaker Allan Bense and Al Cardenas -- prominent backers of Mitt Romney -- took a few jabs at Mike Huckabee today, saying the former Arkansas governor has a terrible record on raising taxes and is inexperienced on foreign policy.

"We have some concerns as conservatives about Mike Huckabee," Feeney said, citing his record of raising taxes. Feeney said Huckabee is a "likable" guy but recalled another likable politician from Arkansas who "tricked some voters who wouldn't vote for him again."

The men, speaking in a conference call with reporters, acknowledged that Marco Rubio's endorsement of Huckabee means something. Rubio, for one, is certainly not soft on taxes. He's as anti-Castro as anyone, and he could help deliver key Hispanic voters.

Rubio endorses Huckabee in Miami

Dec. 10 - 10:08 am: As expected, House Speaker Marco Rubio endorsed Mike Huckabee this morning in Miami. So did state Rep. David Rivera.

"Mike Huckabee gives conservatives the best chance at the presidency," Rubio told the Buzz. "It's a combination of conservatism and common sense." Rubio and state Sen. Dan Webster will serve as state co-chairs for the campaign.

Dec. 9 - 5:09 pm: The rumor the Buzz heard earlier about Marco Rubio endorsing Mike Huckabee is true. The two met for an hour today at the Courtyard Marriott in Miami, before the Univision debate. Tomorrow morning, the House Speaker will express support for the once-longshot GOP presidential candidate.

The move underscores Huckabee's ascendancy and Fred Thompson's fall as the conservative choice in Florida. Rubio had been courted by Thompson but never pulled the trigger.

Marco and Huckabee?

At Presidency IV the rumors flew fast and furious that Marco Rubio was about to endorse Fred Thompson. Didn't happen. As the Univision debate in Miami looms, the rumors are flying that the House Speaker  is about to endorse Mike Huckabee, who has reached out to him recently. We haven't reached Rubio yet, but his pal David Rivera, also officially neutral for now, said he hasn't heard of any pending endorsement from Rubio.

Poll: Hillary beating Rudy in FL

For Hillary Clinton sweating it out in Iowa, Florida can't come soon enough. Here's the latest from Quinnipiac's Swing State Polling (11/26-12/3):

"Clinton tops Obama 53 – 17 percent among all Democrats and 56 – 13 percent among women. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards gets 7 percent.  Giuliani gets 30 percent of Republican votes, with 12 percent for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 11 percent for Huckabee, 10 percent for former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and 9 percent for Arizona Sen. John McCain."

"Clinton tops Giuliani 48 – 41 percent; Giuliani led 46 – 43 percent October 25....Clinton tops McCain 47 – 40 percent, Thompson 52 – 36 percent, Romney 50 – 36 percent and Huckabee 50 – 35 percent; Giuliani bests Obama 45 – 37 percent and Edwards 43 – 39 percent."

Lobbyist busted 'stealing' election for Romney?

We received a breathless e-mail exposing that the Tampa Bay $20-per vote straw poll this week was a fraud because people were seen voting over and over again ("This kind of stuff has to stop, or the polls mean NOTHING"). Checking the video link, we see Fred Leonhardt, the Gray Robinson lobbyist/power broker and Romney supporter, voting again and again. That's perfectly kosher - and the straw poll was never billed as a real election - albeit a bit sinister-looking on video.

Leonhardt told Buzz the fellow next to him was happily stuffing the ballots for Ron Paul. "Meanwhile everyone in America watching the substance of the debate knows Mike Huckabee won it (based on the media reviews), and nobody knows what happened with the straw poll,'' laughed Leonhardt, who didn't know himself the straw poll results until we told him.

David Rivera's close call

More on the bizarre spin room episode where a Mike Huckabee aide took a tumble: Check out the video link on the Southern Political Report (scroll down a little). It's like the Zapruder film, but in this case you can see Rep. David Rivera right in the middle of the action. Hmmm.

Where's Chuck Norris when you need him?

Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee brought some firepower to the post-debate spin room Wednesday night as Chuck Norris made the rounds touting his favorite candidate.

But Walker, Texas Ranger was no where when a credential journalist from the American Reporter shoved Huckabee's body man to the ground amid a gaggle of press.

The reporter, Joe Shea, was trying to ask Huckabee a question -- which one we'll never know -- when Huckabee's aide Drake Jarman stuck his body between the two and kept Shea away from the candidate, who needed to get to a live TV shot. Shea then pushed (some say threw to the ground) Jarman who fell to the ground. Here's a video that shows parts of the scuffle.

And here's is Shea's version of the events tucked in his debate story. Click below to read the relevant parts.

Huckabee wins

So says a poll by InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research/Florida Chamber of Commerce. Republican voters were asked: "Which candidate do you believe won the debate?"

Huckabee: 44% / Giuliani: 18% / Romney: 13% /McCain: 10% / Thompson: 5% / Paul: 4% / Tancredo: 1% / No winner: 5%

Romney wins straw poll

The results are in from the rained out "Have Your Say Tampa Bay" straw poll and debate watch rally:

Romney 893; Paul; 534 Giuliani 39; Huckabee 37; Thompson 21; McCain 12; Hunter 4; Keyes 2; Tancredo 1.

Poll: Hillary beats Rudy in FL

Yep, these polls are all over the map. The new 11/25-26 poll from CNN/Opinion research poll (moe +/- 5.5%) shows Giuliani  with 38%;  Romney  17%; McCain 11%; Thompson 11%; Huckabee 9%; Paul 5%; Hunter 1%. Giuliani was in a dead heat with Romney on the question of who's most honest, but overwhelmingly beat the field when people were asked who's the strongest leader, who has the best chance of beating the Democratic nominee and who's the most likeable.

In a general election matchup, Clinton beat Giuliani in Florida 51% to 42%.

Poll: Huckabee's number 2

InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research 11/25-26 poll of 675 likely Florida Republican voters: Rudy Giuliani (26%); Mike Huckabee (17%); John McCain (13%); Mitt Romney (12%); Fred Thompson (9%); Ron Paul (3%); Duncan Hunter (1%); Tom Tancredo (1%); Undecided (18%).

“Mike Huckabee’s sudden traction in the GOP race is similar to the jolt of publicity Fred Thompson enjoyed when he officially announced his candidacy,” Matt Towery, CEO of InsiderAdvantage and a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate, said in FloridaInsider. “Now Huckabee must take advantage of the opportunity if he is to separate himself from all the other candidates trying to overtake Giuliani. And Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson are now under even more pressure to come up with powerful performances of their own in St. Pete Wednesday,” Towery said.

An upredictable GOP race

Check out the Republican hopefuls Wednesday night in St. Petersburg for the CNN/YouTube debate and you'll see four or five candidates with plausible paths to the nomination.  A Republican primary so volatile and unpredictable is practically unheard of in modern political history. So let's step back and review the long, strange trip that has taken us to this point. "They say in politics that a week is an eternity. In this case, a year has been a century because of all the changes we've seen," marveled Republican consultant Adam Goodman, a former Rudy Giuliani adviser who's unaffiliated this cycle.

The most important day of the 2008 GOP primary? Consider Aug. 11, 2006. Virginia Sen. George Allen calls a Democratic staffer of Indian descent a "macaca," starting the demise of Allen's re-election campaign against Democrat James Webb and snuffing the presidential aspirations of a man widely seen as a conservative superstar. More here.

Handicap the debate field here.

Dan Webster digs Huckabee

There aren't many Florida endorsements left that matter a whole lot, but it seems to us this one carries real weight: State Sen. Dan Webster announced his allegiance to Huckabee, accompanying the former Arkansas governor to campaign stops in Tampa.

"I love Mike Huckabee...I haven't made anything public yet but it's pretty obvious why I'm here,'' said Webster. "...He's a breath of fresh air, and I think he's got the ability to build a coalition similar to what Ronald Reagan built."

Story is here.