As the Republican candidates and political reporters fan out across the country after their debate in New Hampshire on Monday night, what's next for the GOP is a larger field, with the addition of at least one - and maybe two - major candidates.

The next to get in the race offically will be former Utah Gov. John Huntsman, who will make his announcement next week; meanwhile, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas could well be getting into the GOP race, too.

Huntsman's name was mentioned once during the debate in Manchester, New Hampshire - it's sure to be mentioned a lot more in coming weeks and months as Republicans try to figure out who has the best chance of taking on Mitt Romney.

It may sound odd, but that's the way these races work - there is a frontrunner, and the others throw elbows trying to become the best positioned to stop the favorite.

When I arrived on Sunday, it seemed to me that Tim Pawlenty could easily fill that role.

But when Pawlenty sidestepped several opportunities to smack Romney over health care reform, it immediately raised red flags about his campaign style, which some critics have said is not tough enough.

It's still very early, and Pawlenty will have the chance to erase those doubts, but it did seem odd that he wasn't ready to back up his words from the Sunday talk show circuit, when he referred to Romney's health law in Massachusetts and the Obama health reforms as "Obamney Care."

The next big debate is in eight weeks in Iowa, right before the Iowa Straw Poll.

That could be interesting as a way to help select who is the Romney Alternative, because the GOP frontrunner has said he will not participate in the Iowa Straw Poll.

So it follows that if he's not in the Straw Poll, then why show up for the debate?

If Romney isn't there, then that debate will become a battle of the other GOP hopefuls, as they try to separate themselves from the pack - as one of them will try to lay claim to the best option to the former Massachusetts Governor.

It will make the next few months very interesting.