Super Tuesday results: panel verdict.

(From Guardian Unlimited)

Michael Wissot : 'the battle this fall lies in wooing the working class'

The anticipation of Super Tuesday often correlates to voters seeking closure during a primary. Even without clinching the nomination, it decisively serves as a harbinger of things to come.

Barack Obama surprisingly picked up more delegates than Hillary Clinton on Super Tuesday in 2008, leading to his eventual nomination. But in that instance, there were 23 states in contention, including New York, New Jersey, Illinois and California.

With only ten states up for grabs last night, Super Tuesday was far less eventful. The state with the highest delegate count actually went to Newt Gingrich, which could be his last major victory. But the final delegate tally did fortify a sense of where this primary is heading. At this point, it is purely a numbers game for Mitt Romney. With over 400 delegates, more than the other three candidates combined, he is amassing the necessary support to become the Republican nominee.

Romney's victory in Ohio may have been the headline. But the real story lies in Gingrich winning Georgia and Rick Santorum picking up Oklahoma, Tennessee and North Dakota. Now, every candidate can justify why they should stay in the race, which will lead to more Romney pluralities as Gingrich and Santorum split the conservative vote.

The influence of the South has been overstated. After Alabama and Mississippi next Tuesday, the remaining Southern states are spread evenly through May. So, the idea that Gingrich or Santorum can rely on a regional strategy is somewhat folly. Simply put, in a three-way race, Romney is the only candidate who can mathematically prevail.

Looking …