Michigan Primary Results: So You're Saying There's a Chance

So you're saying there's a chance!?

Finally an actual gold medal in a real live, real big state! Mitt Romney wins the Michigan primary. CNN.com predicts that Romney has won 39 percent of the vote in Michigan, giving him a much bigger win over John McCain than originally predicted. This only shows that the polls going into the day of the election aren't always a great predictor of the actual result.

How does Mitt's big win change the race? Does it change it at all? Mitt's win keeps him in the race. Many pundits proclaimed that Michigan was a "must win" for Romney. Well, he won the "must win," which keeps him in the national race and the national limelight (for at least a day). Not unexpectedly, Romney portrayed himself as a national candidate, attacking both Clinton and Obama in his speech (though he didn't hesitate to take jabs at McCain, either).

The result of Mitt's Michigan win likely won't change the South Carolina race. Romney hasn't put too many resources into South Carolina, realizing that Huckabee will connect more with the evangelical Christians in that state. However, it looks as though the race in South Carolina is not going to be a landslide for Huckabee - the race will come down to Huckabee and McCain battling it out. Romney, though he may get a bump from Michigan, will likely get at best a bronze in Carolina, and probably won't medal at all.

But what about the Nevada race? It is still wide open. Polls haven't shown who the "frontrunner" in Nevada is. It is possible that Romney's Michigan bump will carry into Nevada. However, by the time Nevada comes around, Guliani may actually be in the race, and the dynamics may drastically change. Huckabee will be at a loss with fewer evangelicals to rely on. McCain may get help because of the proximity of his state, Arizona, to Nevada. Thus, Romney's bump may be short lived.