MSM Downplays Romney Nevada Win; Boosts McCain

Yesterday Mitt Romney convincingly won the Nevada Republican caucuses, with over 50% of the vote. He earned 17 of Nevada's 34 delegates. His nearest competitors were McCain and Paul with 4 each; Huckabee only garnered 4 each. He now leads the GOP race in total delegates, 59 to 40 for Huckabee and 36 for McCain.

However, if you missed that report on the television news last night, you are not to blame. Unlike Hillary Clinton's win over Obama in Nevada, the Romney win received almost no attention from the network news. They fawned all of their attention over their obvious GOP favorite, John McCain. And that becaue McCain eeked out a narrow victory over Mike Huckabee in the South Carolina GOP primary, 33% to 30%. Mind you, there were more delegates at stake in Nevada, but no matter.

Admittedly, it was a compelling story. McCain won a primary that had finished his presidential hopes 8 years ago. Also, the South Carolina system gave him 19 of that State's 24 delegates for getting only one-third of the vote. Therefore, when combined with his 4 Nevada delegates, he earned 23 total delegates yesterday to Romney's 17. Still, the studied disregard and attitude of dismissal on the part of MSM toward Romney is obvious and frustrating.

Clearly, the biggest loser yesterday was Fred Thompson. He had staked a great deal on a strong showing in the first Southern primary. He finished a weak third, with 16% of the vote, just one point ahead of Romney, who pulled his ads from the State. The question has to be asked, even by his wife Jeri, if Fred cannot compete in South Carolina, where can he? I suspect that he will stay in until after Feb. 5, but he cannot be terribly hopeful.

Rudy's Florida firewall strategy is looking increasingly dicey. According to the polls, it is a close 4-candidate race, with McCain slightly ahead of Giuliani. Romney is in striking distance, and ought to try to make a good showing there, as a lead-up to the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday. I would think he has a real shot, because Giuliani and McCain are likely to split the centrist vote. Romney has to fight Huckabee for the conservative GOP vote, on the sound grounds that he, and not Huckabee, is the genuine conservative candidate.

Back in Nevada, a Republican can note with some schadenfreude that the Clinton-Obama fight became increasingly ugly in Nevada. The gloves are off and some feelings are definitely going to be hurt, which can only help the GOP in November 2008.