New Dynamic to Emerge in GOP Primary

Matt Lewis | January 19, 2008 4:24 PM

I know, I know, we've still got SC to talk about. But it should also be noted that there are just 10 days left until Florida.

Rudy has been there for weeks.

... And Mitt Romney is headed there right now.

Depending on how things go in South Carolina, we could see a new dynamic emerge in the next week. Because Rudy has essentially conceded some of the early states, he's been sort of removed from the fighting. That will no longer be the case.

And just as we've recently seen the once highly-cordial relationship between Huckabee and McCain metastasize in South Carolina, it is now likely that Romney and Rudy will immediately start clashing, as well (this state's not big enough for the both of them).

And there is no doubt that whoever wins South Carolina will be in that mix, too ...

Update - It should be noted that because the number of Florida delegates was cut in half by the RNC (to punish them for moving up their Primary), the state responded by making Florda a winner-take-all state.

Update - If Romney wants to portray Nevada as an important win, I think he should have stayed in Nevada for a bit, and given a real victory-party speech. Instead, he hurried straight to Florida to give his speech -- which was a bit low-key by "victory speech" standards ...