Romney in Florida

From Bob Novak's latest:

Florida's top two Republicans, Gov. Charles Crist and Sen. Mel Martinez, have not endorsed anybody in the state's key Republican presidential primary Jan. 29 but are clearly negative about Mitt Romney.

Martinez, who co-sponsored President Bush's ill-fated immigration reform bill, resents Romney's hard line on illegal immigration. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's support for Romney does not help him with Crist, Bush's unfriendly successor.

The latest Rasmussen poll shows a virtual four-way tie in Florida between Romney, Sen. John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee, with Fred Thompson not far behind. Florida could give the winner a leg up in the Super Tuesday primaries on Feb. 5 a week later.

Mel Martinez is a contemptible fool with the reputation of being the dimmest bulb among the the Republicans in the legislature. To any genuine conservative his disapproval is a major endorsement.

Based on Fred Thompson's comments last week my thinking is that if he doesn't do well in South Carolina he will withdraw from the race. However if he shows progress with voters in Florida, with its 57 winner-take-all delegates he may decide to stay in at least through that race and maybe even through Super Tuesday.