It’s fight night in Tampa! Gallup reports that in one week, Newt Gingrich has closed the gap on Mitt Romney’s 23-percentage-point lead in the Sunshine State. Now the two are neck in neck, with Romney at 29 percent and Newt at 28 percent. Tonight’s NBC Debate, moderated by Brian Williams, will be a nail-biter. Who will win the Florida Primary? The race is on. NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd and Huffington Post Editorial Director Howard Fineman join Chris on set at the debate site in Tampa tonight.
Next up: The base is revolting. Newt is wielding fiery attacks on President Obama, Mitt Romney, the media, debate moderators... the list goes on. Is it helping him? We’re asking Bill McCollum, Former Florida Attorney General and Gingrich Campaign Florida Chairman, and Romney supporter Rep. John Mica (R-FL). Plus, NBC’s David Gregory moderated the debate preceding the New Hampshire Primary, and tonight he joins us to talk about Newt’s debating style.
Then: On the eve of the State of the Union address, we’ll focus on President Obama—and we’ll debunk five myths surrounding him. msnbc’s David Corn and Politico’s Joe Williams are here to discuss.
And don’t miss The Hardball Interview with Scott Helman and Michael Kranish of The Boston Globe, who authored the hot new book “The Real Romney.” It’s a tell-all and they’re here to do just that.