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Reporter William March has covered state and national politics since 1994. Email

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Two Florida presidential primary debates in one week?

Posted Sep 30, 2011 by William March

Updated Sep 30, 2011 at 09:45 PM

Haven’t had enough presidential primary debates? Need a few more hours of those seven to nine candidates lined up at podiums, each waiting for a question he or she can ignore and use to pivot to a campaign message point?

Get ready for it.

Florida, which has already hosted two presidential primary debates, appears poised to hold two more in the first week of January, preceding the Jan. 31 date picked today for the state’s presidential primary vote.

The Jan. 31 Florida primary date, decided on today by a commission set up by Republican state leaders, is drawing flak from other states and even some Florida Republicans because it busts the calendar set by both national parties in an attempt to prevent lengthening of the primary season and campaigning during the holidays.

But shortly after the commission announced its date, the Florida Republican Party announced it will co-host a debate in Jacksonville with CNN on a date between Jan. 22 and Jan. 31—a choice clearly intended to add some oomph to the primary date.

Gov. Rick Scott said in an Republican Party press release that the debate “demonstrates the crucial role Florida will play, not only in the Republican Presidential Primary, but in the general election next November,” noting that Florida has already had two presidential primary debates—one at the state fairgrounds in Tampa Sept. 12, and one at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando last Thursday.

But an hour after the announcement from the state party, the St. Petersburg Times, together with MSNBC, the National Journal and the Florida Council of 100 announced they’ll also co-host a debate, to be held in Tampa on the eve of the primary, Jan. 30.

That event originally was announced in April, but without a specific date. “Early next year” was the only time spelled out in the April announcements from the Times, MSNBC, National Journal and the Council of 100, each of which praised itself for its role in politics.