(Image Source: CNN)

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

You're watching multisource politics news analysis from Newsy.

All eyes are on Tampa, Florida, tonight as eight GOP presidential hopefuls will square off in the first ever CNN Tea Party debate

Adam Smith of the St. Petersberg Times says this is a critical battle in what could be a must-win swing state.

“The rule of thumb is, Tampa Bay, whoever wins Tampa Bay wins the state... This is the main battleground in the state.”

And as the divide between front runners gets wider, the heat between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry is only expected to get hotter. A Republican strategist tells Politico what he expects.

“I don’t think Romney is going to take his foot off the gas, especially in Florida, on Social Security... In fact, we may see him trot out something else…[and] Perry’s trying to prove that he’s not like the rest of these guys. He’ll upset the apple cart...”

A reporter for The Hill adds his two cents-- saying Perry’s sharp criticism of social security won’t do him any favors in the Sunshine State.

“Romney and others who will argue that Social Security needs to be saved – not abolished – will have the advantage of the debate’s location: Florida, a key battleground state and home to a massive and vocal swath of senior voters who depend on those benefits.”

But as Romney and Perry duke it out-- what about everybody else? One political scientist at the University of Florida tells the New York Times not to rule out Michele Bachmann just yet.

“Tea Party members (will) have questions about jobs, the size of government, and whether responsibilities that the federal government has taken on...are permitted by the Constitution — issues that fit into Mrs. Bachmann’s comfort zone.”

CNN host Tim Farley says forget the Perry/Romney duel-- expect Perry and Bachmann to go head-to-head tonight.

"Michele Bachmann wants the tea party people at her house, and Rick Perry wants the tea party people at his house. And tonight, we’re going to see who gets them. And she is expected to take him on a little more because of the fact she’s been waining in the polls lately.”

Wolf Blitzer will moderate tonight’s debate, but CNN and the Tea Party Express have worked social networking into the mix -- allowing viewers to interact with candidates.   

“We’re going to have about 1,000 people in our audience on Monday night and about one hundred or so will be down here in the red zone asking questions. We’re also going to take questions from some of our tea party watch party remotes in Virginia, Arizona, and Ohio. And don’t forget, you guys at home can participate with our social media component. You can ask questions via Twitter, Facebook, and CNN.com.”

Transcript by Newsy