Romney May Skip One or Both Florida Debates

He hasn't accepted the invitations for two Florida dates yet, and one of his strategists is grousing.

[A] key Romney adviser is expressing fatigue and frustration over what he sees as a never-ending series of GOP debates.

"There are too many of these," Romney strategist Stuart Stevens said after Monday night's Fox News debate at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. "We have to bring some order to it. We haven't accepted Florida…It's kind of like a cruise that's gone on too long."

I don't suppose that anyone can disagree too much that there have been too many debates. I wish he had skipped earlier ones, though, because most debates are about him, and you rarely get to hear other people except vis a vis Romney.

Maybe his thinking is that, given an apparently wide lead in Florida (Romney 46, Gingrich 20, Santorum 12), he's got Florida wrapped up and can afford to coast.

The problem with that rationale is that the field may not be five-strong when he gets to Florida. Perry or Gingrich or Santorum may drop out by then, and the remaining candidates will get a bump from that.

Prediction: He goes to both debates or at least one. Maybe he'll skip one to make the point that he's not required to attend every single one of them.

posted by Ace at 12:25 PM

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