Romney Wins MI; Race in Disarray

Wrong again. That puts me at 3/5. Here's the final Michigan results.

Republicans:
1.) Romney 39%
2.) McCain 30%
3.) Huckabee 16%
4.) Paul 6%
5.) Thompson 4%
6.) Giuliani 3%

This was a huge win for Mitt Romney. He needed to win to stay in this race, and his vast amounts of money and attention got him that win.

Michigan voters were most concerned about the economy, and they liked Romney's business background and the fact that he was a native son.

McCain just plain had no money to spend and is much more focused on South Carolina at the moment. He may have used too much straight talk when saying that "Michigan jobs aren't coming back. Sometimes, people just don't want to hear the truth.

Last night, most of McCain's voting constituency was composed of Democrats, independents, and people who disapproved with President Bush.

Romney overwhelming won among self-described Republicans, with McCain finishing a distant second in that category.

Now, all eyes turn to South Carolina.

McCain's problem in South Carolina is the same as it was in 2000. His constituency is not conservative enough in that highly conservative state. In 2000, Bush won the vast majority of conservatives in the state and effectively knocked McCain out of the race.

To be fair, this is a different time and a different race than it was eight years ago. But McCain has to find a way to appeal to the conservative base and win the crucial South Carolina primary.

But I'll have more on that race later this week.

Now, the GOP race is in disarray. Huckabee won in Iowa, McCain won in New Hampshire, and Romney won in Michigan (and Wyoming).

Some say that Rudy Giuliani's strategy is finally paying off. He hoped that the field would be cluttered and in disarray come Florida and Super Tuesday. And it is.

He's pinning all of his hopes on Florida, which votes in about two weeks.

There are still five men who are still plausibly viable for the Republican nomination. This race is wide open.