Updated at 11:15 a.m. on May 13.

Want to catch a glimpse of Republicans as they scramble to manage the divisions within their ranks? If so, look no further than their lightning-fast response to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's announcement Tuesday that he'll run for Senate. Their choreography was coordinated, impressive and revealing. It said as much about Florida as it did about the national landscape.

Indeed, as they endure a protracted internal debate to redefine themselves, Republicans around the country are bracing for a series of potentially brutal Senate primary battles that say more about their national standing than about any individual campaign.

On Monday, Marco Rubio released a Web ad reminding Republicans that Crist backed the stimulus package.

Within six minutes of Crist's early-morning announcement via Twitter, the National Republican Senatorial Committee had endorsed him over former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, an outspoken conservative who has questioned Crist's ideological purity. Less than an hour later, Rep. Vern Buchanan fell in line, declaring he wouldn't run for Senate and would support the governor. By noon, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had also backed Crist, calling him a "tireless advocate for the citizens of Florida." Message: Unity.

In case Rubio wasn't getting the hint, retiring Sen. Mel Martinez spelled it out when he endorsed Crist: "[Rubio] will not be successful at this time, so he might want to focus on a race he wants to win."

It's unusual for Senate leaders to wade into a costly, open-seat race and line up so quickly behind a non-incumbent. But Crist is no usual candidate. Florida is no usual state. And these, of course, are not usual times for the GOP.

Crist is, of course, a telegenic Republican who remains popular with Democrats and minorities -- a commodity the party is sorely lacking these days on the national stage. The race in Florida, a swing state that Barack Obama carried in 2008, poses a potentially explosive mix of racial politics; the likely Democratic standard-bearer, Rep. Kendrick Meek, is an African-American. And the GOP battle lines are already forming: On Monday, Rubio released a Web ad attacking Crist and reminding Republicans that the governor backed Obama's economic stimulus package. Advisers say Rubio plans to run an anti-establishment, low-dollar primary campaign that challenges Crist's conservative credentials and ties him to his Washington allies.

And the Florida race is proving to be the rule, not the exception. In another swing state, Missouri, former Sen. John Danforth, a darling of moderate Republicans, is aggressively promoting his former chief of staff and former U.S. ambassador, Thomas Schweich, as a viable alternative to Rep. Roy Blunt in the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Christopher (Kit) Bond. Notably, Danforth's moves came just days after Bond endorsed Blunt.

"I think Tom offers a positive alternative to losing," Danforth told CongressDailyAM on Monday.

"We have a better chance at keeping Senator Bond's seat with Tom Schweich than anyone else I can think of," Danforth said in another interview. "He could make the basic argument for an alternative to the current course of action in Washington. It would be better to have someone who has not been part of Washington."

Meanwhile, following former Gov. Tom Ridge's decision to forgo a Senate bid, Republicans in Pennsylvania are actively courting moderate Rep. Jim Gerlach to challenge conservative Pat Toomey in the primary. And, in Utah, Sen. Robert Bennett looks like he'll draw as many as two conservative challengers. State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said he'll announce his plans on May 20, and Tim Bridgewater, a party activist who had been running for state GOP chairman, says he'll get into the race. "I would much rather play on the court than coach from the bench or referee," Bridgewater told the Deseret News on Monday.

The family feud isn't limited to Senate races, of course. A blockbuster battle is brewing over the Texas governor's office between Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Gov. Rick Perry, who was so eager to cement his ties to anti-tax conservatives recently that he raised the specter of secession. In New Jersey this year, moderate Chris Christie, a former U.S. attorney running to challenge Gov. Jon Corzine (D), faces a stronger-than-expected race against conservative Steve Lonegan.

Primary fights are, of course, nothing new. And the GOP doesn't hold a monopoly on them in 2010. But for a party at a crossroads, they could go a long way toward defining how the party looks in 2011 -- and, more importantly, 2012.