Money, conveying message play big parts in Fla.

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Republican presidential race arrived Sunday in the vast and growing state of Florida, where money and message are going to be among the challenges facing four of the leading candidates.

The home of the 2000 presidential recount is being besieged by GOP candidates with very different agendas in light of Arizona Sen. John McCain's win Saturday in South Carolina.

Already, McCain is being attacked in Florida by rivals Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani for his lengthy tenure in Washington. (McCain was first elected to Congress in 1982.)

"We're obviously doing very well," McCain said in South Carolina, before heading to Florida.

Florida, which holds primaries for both parties on Jan. 29, could help position the GOP winner for success in the 22-state primary on Feb.5.

"If McCain wins Florida, it will make him very much the odds-on favorite" for the nomination, said Lance deHaven-Smith, a political scientist at Florida State University.

One candidate is contemplating his next move. Fred Thompson, who finished third in South Carolina, returned home to the Washington suburbs. The former Tennessee senator had said South Carolina would be his last stand.

The top candidates each face their own challenge in Florida:

•McCain:The Arizona senator needs to find a way to capitalize on his momentum, even though he has less money than Mitt Romney, a multimillionaire who has loaned his campaign more than $17 million through the end of September, according to campaign-finance records. McCain also needs to find a way to gain more support from conservatives, since his victories in New Hampshire and South Carolina came partly through strong appeal to independents.

McCain, who lost most of his staff when his campaign went broke in the summer, said "the money is coming in very well" and should be enough for a "sufficient media buy" in Florida.

Pat Caddell, a former Democratic pollster and a Fox News analyst, said McCain needs to win over conservative Republicans. Radio host Rush Limbaugh and others have criticized him for writing the campaign-finance reform law and for his stance on illegal immigration.