GINGRICH WINS IN SOUTH CAROLINA

The pattern continues, with a twist. The big win by Newt Gingrich in South Carolina this evening continues the pattern we have seen for this entire cycle. Romney remains the front-running, establishment candidate. Clearly, a large chunk of the GOP electorate is dissatisfied with Romney. At every point in the cycle a candidate emerges as the anti-Romney, only to fall back again. The twist this time is that it is Gingrich making a comeback after an initial dramatic rise and fall. Will the pattern continue? Will Gingrich say or do something that will cause him to falter? Or is it Rommey who has blown himself up with the tax issue by puncturing the aura of inevitability about his nomination and the perception that he is best equipped to defeat Obama.

This is getting very interesting, indeed.