Jon Huntsman Lives Free (and Dies?) in New Hampshire

What a difference a week makes. Just look at the New Hampshire primary results from yesterday versus the Iowa caucus results last week.

Candidate	New Hampshire	Iowa	Difference
Mitt Romney	39.3%	24.6%	14.7%
Ron Paul	22.8%	21.4%	1.4%
Jon Huntsman	16.9%	0.6%	16.3%
Newt Gingrich	9.4%	13.3%	-3.9%
Rick Santorum	9.4%	24.5%	-15.1%
Rick Perry	0.7%	10.3%	-9.6%
Michele Bachmann	0.1%	5.0%	-4.9%

The two constants as this race shapes up and goes on to South Carolina are Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. At the other end, New Hampshire has nominated Rick Perry as the next candidate to drop out, giving him just 1,752 votes. We'll see if South Carolina seconds that nomination.

Rick Santorum put all his chips on Iowa where he battled Mitt Romney to a virtual tie but had to settle for fifth place in New Hampshire.

Jon Huntsman skipped Iowa to campaign in New Hampshire, and you can see he was alternatively punished with last place in Iowa and rewarded with third place in New Hampshire. But it's not clear where Huntsman goes from here. He may fade just as fast as Rick Santorum.

Romney stooges conspiracy department: was Jon Huntsman's sole purpose in this campaign was to be waiting in New Hampshire to kill the momentum of the evangelical-supported candidate coming out of Iowa with a granite state shower? Mission accomplished.