After criticism that videos of talking snowman dumbed down the first YOUTUBE debate for democrats, republicans now get their turn. Wednesday’s GOP youtube debate in Fla is likly to focus on MIKE HUCKABEE. The frmr Ark Gov is NOW 2ND IN THE SUNSHINE STATE!

In recent weeks the darkhorse Huckabee has also surged into a first place tie with Mitt Romney in the lead off caucus state of Ia. IN FLORIDA Huckabee is also gaining steam according to Insider Advantage/Majority Opinion Research poll taken 11/25&26 among 675 likely voters w/ MOE +/- 3.5%

Rudy Giuliani (26%)
Mike Huckabee (17%)
John McCain (13%)
Mitt Romney (12%)
Fred Thompson (9%)

The GOP nomination is up for grabs, no question.

Giuliani’s national frontrunner status is at risk if he loses too many early states.  His campaign considers Fla a must win. When it comes to being the conservative “anti-rudy” his rivals can each say they have a shot at winning one of the lead off early races.

-Huck is moving in Ia & Fl.
-Mitt still leads in Ia&NH & has $!

-Fred’s up in SC-1st test in south
-McCain’s strong in NH

All that makes Fla MORE important to Rudy. He is counting on the states diversity and large number of NY transplants to make the sunshine state his firewall. Florida votes January 29th. After Ia, NH, SC, NV and MI, but before the huge Feb 5th Super Tuesday primaries.

With 37 days to the first votes the GOP backbiting now resembles 3 dimensional chess, with 5 players… And it HAS turned personal. The candidates use immigration, crime, taxes and spending, and social issues to attack one anothers’ honesty, judgement, experience, truthfulness, principle and trustworthiness.

Each candidate is simultaneously involved in skirmishes with 3 or 4 rivals at a time. While Huckabee’s likely to take heat from several rivals Wednesday, Rudy remains a target as the national frontrunner and Romney is in everyone’s sites as the leader in Ia and NH.

David Borman says CNN received 5,000 You Tube entries. They are culling it to 70 or so you tube questions. All of the candidates supplied their own 30 sec video, each of which will be played during the debate as pacers. Asked if there will be questions from hotdog or a lego person a smiling Borman hedged: “We’re not ruling out questions that are from non-humans.”

He went on to say there will be a few “good songs”, some good production, and then strongly emphasized there are “some VERY HARD questions” on issues of importance to the GOP nomination. Another well placed CNN insider says Anderson Cooper wants to see lots of videos and does not plan to pretend he is an expert. They hope to “carve an editorial path thru the questions” without using a timer or warning lights. Anderson Cooper will handle it and the candidates will be on an “honor system.”

One other Florida point: It is IMPORTANT too that Florida is the only major winner-take-all state before Super Tuesday 2/5. Fla has 113 GOP nomination delegates…the first really big delegate prize toward the nomination. But only half of Fla’s delegates are currently expected to be awarded at the RNC convention. The national GOP plans to dock several states half their delegates for jumping ahead on the calendar. Other states currently at risk of being docked 50% of their delegates: Ia 40, NH 24, SC 46, NV 32, Mi 61. But all of those early states’ delegates are also awarded proportionately. Fla is the first winner-take-all state, so it holds more delegates for its’ winner than IA, NH and SC combined (after thier delegates are apportioned.)

In the end all the early states are expected to have all of their delegates seated. Technically the rules say they are out of compliance and should be penalized, but generally such spats are resolved before the roll call. Democrats are in a similar situation but (unlike republicans who refuse to let their party prevent them from talking to voters) several democratic candidates have signed pledges to NOT campaign in states that are frontloading in violation of DNC rules.

Florida (home of the 2000 recount in which democrats chanted “count every vote”) is essentially being boycotted by democratic candidates because the national party wants to be able to dictate to the state when it may hold its’ primary.