On to New Hampshire

1. Ron Paul was deprived of his night to shine. Given his organization, enthusiasm, his huge number of crossovers and first-timers, his showing was disappointing. And it’s going to have been his best night. So let me repeat that this guy is no danger to America, because he has no chance of becoming president. I liked the goofy enthusiasm of his attempt at a victory speech.

2. Romney, truth to tell, did as well as expected. The demographic of New Hampshire just about guarantees he will do a lot better there, and he really, really has to . . .

3. My advice to Santorum: Stay with your strength, which is your authenticity and almost cloying sincerity. You’re different from the other guys who’ve bit the dust because you actually know stuff and are a man a character. You’re also likeable in comparison to Romney, at least. The faith-and-family, pro-growth, pro-industrial, freedom-agenda, working-class, C.S. Lewis, contra liberal fascism message may not be what America wants right now. But stick with it. Your highly improbable route to the nomination depends on it. Don’t make the dishonorable mistake Huckabee did by abandoning his “what-the-Huck” I’m-just-going-to-call-them-as-I-see-them strategy.

4. It appears to me that lots of responsible Republicans today are almost as afraid of the Rick surge as they were of Newt’s. They smell disaster in November again. So expect a blistering counterattack. Fortunately, Newt is Rick’s ally for the moment, and so Romney is no longer going to escape relatively unscathed. Perhaps the Republicans will end up with no candidates at all.

5. It’s arguable that the man in America kicking himself the most is Pawlenty, who is a much more plausible nominee.