Robert Novak has a column out this morning in which he says last night's loss in New Hampshire for Mitt Romney was devastating:
Romney's loss here was devastating. He planned to boost his modest national
ratings with wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, where he led in spending,
organization and polls.
At the beginning of December, Romney enjoyed
twice as much New Hampshire support as McCain. The senator's local supporters
attribute his comeback to the endorsement here of independent Democratic Sen.
Joseph Lieberman. But what propelled McCain's victory was Romney's loss in Iowa
to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. The onetime Baptist preacher relied on
Iowa evangelicals, an asset lacking in New Hampshire.
The next two weeks are filled with promise for McCain and peril for Romney. Michigan, where Romney grew up (the son of Gov. George Romney), is the next primary, on Jan. 15. But McCain is popular in Michigan, where he defeated Bush in 2000. Another loss for Romney probably ends his candidacy.
South Carolina comes after that on Jan. 19, with Huckabee running in his first Southern primary.
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