This strikes me as the big news tonight. Mike Huckabee's remarkable strength in the South is proof to me of the resilience of Christianist populism in the current GOP coalition. I can't see how either Romney or Huckabee can ultimately topple McCain, but I can see that Huckabee is proving a serious contender for the veep slot. The big imponderable is obviously California. If Romney beats McCain there, he doesn't seriously challenge him but he sure bloodies him - perhaps critically.

This has been only an average night for the Republican front-runner. At this point, one begins to wonder if the GOP isn't in serious disarray for a while.