Peltier column: All eyes on Florida, GOP this Tuesday

Florida becomes ground zero this week as Republican voters go to the polls to select their standard bearer in the party's quest to unseat President Barack Obama.

With political polls fluctuating more than the Dow Jones Industrial Average, GOP hopefuls traversed the state in recent days, trading barbs over character, upbringing, and a host of other non-policy issues at local whistle stops, major gatherings of Hispanic leaders and in a pair of nationally televised debates.

A surprise victory by Newt Gingrich in South Carolina has ensured that campaign money and the eyes of the nation would turn to Florida, which now looks to have the kind of clout in the selection of a Republican candidate that backers of moving the primary earlier had hoped.

With two televised debates and numerous other campaign stops, the GOP primary road show moved in last week as the fates of GOP hopefuls swung in the balance. Televised debates in Tampa on Monday and Jacksonville on Thursday underscored the state's importance in the presidential race.

The state's Tuesday primary was made much more interesting and pivotal following Gingrich's surprisingly strong victory in South Carolina over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

But as the week wore on, Gingrich's colors began to fade. A Quinnipiac poll taken Wednesday showed the former U.S. House speaker in a virtual dead heat with Romney among Florida primary voters. The same polling firm on Friday announced that Romney had a 38-29 percentage point lead over Gingrich.

Regardless of the outcome, the debates and upcoming primary has the state once again in the national electoral spotlight, a celebrity that vindicates state party leaders for holding off pressure from national political parties and moving up the state's presidential primary contest.

"Every once in a while it feels good to be right," said Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island. "It was a risk, don't get me wrong, but it was a good risk. They eyes of the nation and the eyes of the world are on us."

Voters can expect a flurry of activity in the next couple days as Republican hopeful hit the airwaves to get out their respective messages in a state too large to effectively campaign in person.

But the money will be well spent for the winner. Florida has indeed become the nation's bellwether. Lacking the homogeneity of Iowa and New Hampshire and less insulated that South Carolina, Florida is the first real test of national appeal.

Now the fourth largest state, Florida contains the ethnic, racial and economic mix that in so many ways mirrors the soul of the electorate. The issues in Florida, from education and taxes to immigration, aging and health care, are the issues of the nation.

The primary will also be a test of sorts for the tea party movement. With a South Carolina victory to their credit, GOP conservatives will test their mettle with more moderate wings of the party in Florida as the factions continue their fight for control over the party's agenda.

With their candidate already anointed, Democrats can sit this one out and watch from the side, keeping their powder dry until the temperature and the general election cycle heats up in the months ahead.