JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Reuters) ? Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney opened a debate on Thursday night that had the makings of a raucous encounter between increasingly bitter rivals five days before Florida's pivotal Republican presidential primary vote.
Unlike Monday's subdued debate in Tampa, in which the crowd was urged to remain silent and not cheer candidates' answers, this debate will allow cheering.
Gingrich, the former House of Representatives speaker who in previous debates seemed to feed off the energy from vibrant crowds, said after Monday's debate he did not want to attend any more debates in which there was no cheering.
Gingrich and Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and private equity executive, are in a close race in a politically divided state whose primary may set the tone for the rest of the state-by-state campaign to pick a Republican challenger to Democratic President Barack Obama in the November 6 election.
Increasingly, establishment Republicans are trying to stop Gingrich, believing the party would have little chance of capturing the White House with him at the top of the ticket.
Striking a blow on Thursday was former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, who served in Congress when Gingrich was House speaker.
"Gingrich had a new idea every minute and most of them were off the wall," Dole told National Review Online.
If Gingrich pulls off a second straight victory after his decisive triumph in last Saturday's primary in South Carolina, he would be seen as the front-runner in the race despite Romney's advantages in fundraising and organization.
It would be another improbable turn for Gingrich, whose campaign collapsed last summer only to come back to life on the strength of strong performances in debates.
A Romney victory could resurrect his status as the man to beat in the Republican field, which also includes former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and Texas Representative Ron Paul.
UP FOR GRABS
Recent polls suggest Florida is up for grabs between Romney and Gingrich.
Gingrich surged into the lead in some polls in Florida after his South Carolina win, but Romney in recent days has climbed back on top, barely, on the strength of a string of negative attacks against Gingrich.
That makes the debate, a two-hour affair sponsored by CNN, particularly important. A solid performance by Gingrich could give him a burst of momentum heading into a busy final weekend of campaigning.
Gingrich's strong showing in a South Carolina debate was fueled by a conservative audience that cheered when Gingrich blasted CNN moderator John King over a question about Gingrich's personal life.
King had asked him about allegations made by Gingrich's second wife that he had asked her to have an "open marriage" so Gingrich could continue an affair with another woman. Gingrich turned the question into a strident attack on the news media, which he said was trying to shoot down Republican candidates.
In Thursday's debate, "it's important for Romney to have another good debate and for Newt not to score one of his 'drama queen' moments again," said Republican strategist Charlie Black, a Romney supporter.
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