reporter: florida republicans are already voting in the state s january 31 primary. a record number of absentee ballots were counted, 400,000. that is more voters than iowa and new hampshire combined. while tens of thousands of ballots have been returned, christie smith has yet to mailed hers back. as to who i m going to vote for, i still don t know. i am undecided. what are the mediums? the small ones. we will put these in window of businesses. reporter: the campaigns are not waiting until after south carolina to blanket florida. governor rick perry in florida. they are stumping for votes over the phone and buying tv time. so far, romney is the only one on the air. adding this new spanish language spot featuring three long-time cuban-american lawmakers. romney. state and local republican activists say right now the romney campaign has the clear lead. not just in the polls but on
that time. and as for who i m going to vote for, i still don t know. i m very undecided. reporter: that was christine smith up in tampa. she is one of the persons that has requested an absentee ballot and she is still on the fence. according to these polls half of florida republicans do remain undecided at this point. it s the biggest swing state. the number of absentee ballot requests being filled out prior to a primary day is more than the total number of voters who already cast their ballots at the new hampshire primary and the iowa caucuses. bill: phil keating in miami. thank you. martha: hayley barbour pard opening morpar donning over 200
reporter: florida republicans are already voting in the state s january 31 primary. a record number of absentee ballots were counted, 400,000. that is more voters than iowa and new hampshire combined. while tens of thousands of ballots have been returned, christie smith has yet to mailed hers back. as to who i m going to vote for, i still don t know. i am undecided. what are the mediums? the small ones. we will put these in window of businesses. reporter: the campaigns are not waiting until after south carolina to blanket florida. governor rick perry in florida. they are stumping for votes over the phone and buying tv time. so far, romney is the only one on the air. adding this new spanish language spot featuring three long-time cuban-america romney. state and local republican activists say right now the romney campaign has the clear lead. not just in the polls but on
you choose one path you get sarah palin, extremism. bret: star power on the one hand and constant attacks from the left on the other endure. the combination makes the former alaska governor s decision whether to run for president in 2012, one of the most important milestones in a race that is just beginning. where are you on the 2012 run? gosh, i still don t know. there are others out there who are principled and hardworking and willing to make the sacrifices that you need to make as a candidate, i want to get them elected as president. if there is nobody else that i think wants to do the job and is willing to maybe the tough decisions, i would be willing to make the sacrifices and run for office. bret: the 2008 vice presidential nominee s base includes large swamps of the tea party movement to believe the government has been hijacked by the governing elite. palin hears them. americans are saying we can
you choose one path you get sarah palin, extremism. bret: star power on the one hand and constant attacks from the left on the other endure. the combination makes the former alaska governor s decision whether to run for president in 2012, one of the most important milestones in a race that is just beginning. where are you on the 2012 run? gosh, i still don t know. there are others out there who are principled and hardworking and willing to make the sacrifices that you need to make as a candidate, i want to get them elected as president. if there is nobody else that i think wants to do the job and is willing to maybe the tough decisions, i would be willing to make the sacrifices and run for office. bret: the 2008 vice presidential nominee s base includes large swamps of the tea party movement to believe the government has been hijacked by the governing elite. palin hears them.