Meanwhile, on the Fringes…

I'm genuinely surprised that Ron Paul scored his first fourth place finish in Michigan, a state where his organization has always been weak, certainly weaker than in Iowa or New Hampshire. But he's locked in at about 6.3 percent of the vote, scoring about as much as Giuliani and Thompson combined, and the beleagured Paul base is feeling a little cheerier. (I'm amused at Thompson's attempt to sound like a winner after coming behind Paul for the second consecutive primary.) After tonight Paul will have clocked around 85,000 primary votes, putting him right behind Huckabee for fourth place. (He's still only got two delegates.)

The Democratic race demonstrates—if anyone cares—what a sad Potemkin campaign Dennis Kucinich is running. Four years ago he was actually able to score 64 delegates by sticking in the race and competing for unsatisfied voters in states that John Kerry had locked up. It didn't pay off much, but when it did he got some bragging rights: 31 percent of the vote and eight delegates out of Hawaii. This year everyone but Hillary and Gravel pulls out of Michigan, voters have a choice between the reasonably well-known Kucinich (from next-door Ohio) and "Uncommitted" and… only four percent choose Kucinich. He got an iota of cred from the 2004 race and it's totally gone now. As to why he seems to have more Hollywood support now than ever before, I'm clueless.