INSIDE TONIGHT’S REPUBLICAN DEBATE

There are several debates-within-debates going on in the GOP debate tonight:

1. Rudy will try to pull down Romney. He needs to stop Mitt from winning Iowa and setting up a four state sweep of Iowa-NH-Mich-SC. Rudy knows he can’t win himself in Iowa but he’d rather see Huckabee win so Romney doesn’t do the four state sweep.

2. McCain, moving up in Iowa, will try to pass Rudy to revitalize his candidacy by finishing ahead of Rudy in Iowa.

3. Romney and Thompson will try to pull down Huckabee, Romney in hopes of winning Iowa and Fred in hopes of avoiding death by finishing second in Iowa.

4. Huckabee will try to fend off negatives and keep his momentum going.