It's Santorum Time!
The come-from-behind kid, Sen. Rick Santorum, though still third or last in most national polls and severly underfinanced, wins non-binding contests in Minnesota, Colorado, and Missouri.
Minnesota's and Colorado's were nonbinding caucus straw polls; Missouri's a completely confusing and meaningless vestigial result of their state's inability to act fast (that nonetheless drew well over 200,000 voters with nothing better to do), with the state's real caucus to happen next month.
Ron Paul came in second in Minnesota, with 27 percent, as his campaign figured he would. From his speech tonight Paul seems to think that he'll end up with more delegates when the whole selection process ends. They will not be bound by the results of today's straw poll. Paul continued to do much better in percentage terms than 2008 everywhere.
Romney's appeal everywhere versus either 2008 or a month ago seems to be slipping; he won Minnesota in 2008 but was third today, and won Colorado in 2008 but was a close second to Santorum today.
It's still a race, for better or worse. If Santorum keeps doing well, certainly for worse.
