Iowa aftermath...

Fred Thompson did better than I expected. I still think his campaign is DOA, though.

Mitt Romney surpised me by failing by as much as he did. His campaign must now be considered as in Real Trouble. If he fails to win in New Hampshire, after dumping so much money both there and in Iowa, color him done.

Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, and Mike Gravel have dropped out of the race.

Clinton, as I predicted, finished third. Now they absolutely have to win New Hampshire, where Clinton has invested a great deal of time and money, if Hillary's going to regain frontrunner status. She's not reacting well, but she is reacting according to type, if this quote from an NBC newswoman is accurate:

"This room was, until about five or six minutes ago, completely empty. This is a manufactured 'celebration.' It really felt more like a funeral as people started strolling in from upstairs where they had obviously been gathered. This is unlike anything that I've ever seen, a completely empty, dirge-like event. ".

Edwards is done; he just doesn't know it yet.

Ron Paul still doesn't have a chance; he only beat a man even more looney than he is and a man who hadn't spent a dime in Iowa for six weeks. He might- MIGHT, but I doubt it- place third in New Hampshire, but that is as good as he'll do until and unless the Republican field thins out a LOT.

But for now, the Democratic field is down to Obama, Edwards, Clinton, Richardson and Kucinich. That makes my decision on which one to support for President quite a bit simpler, I think...