Iowa to Romney: It’s Not Mutual

It was a rough night for Mitt Romney. The man who only yesterday sweet-talked caucus-goers by declaring that “God must love Iowa” has left the Hawkeye State like the one-night-stand he never had, and is doing the walk of shame around New Hampshire today after getting screwed (figuratively) by Gomer Pyle Mike Huckabee.

While yesterday’s polls had it too close to call, once the voters completed their elaborate caucus ritual there were nearly 10 percent more Iowans in Huckabee’s corner than Romney’s. To put it in terms Romney would be comfortable with, this huge investment didn’t pay off.

The pundits are trying to figure out where it all went wrong for Romney. The Globe thinks it may have been the influx of first-time caucus-goers that liked Huckabee’s anti-establishment message. CNN reports that Romney pulled only 19 percent of Evangelical voters to Huckabee’s 46 percent.

Women also helped the former Arkansas governor to victory. The coveted submissive wives voter bloc must have turned out after they asked their husbands if it was okay to leave the house.

Romney may be down, but he’s not completely out. If he wants to continue as a top-tier candidate, he has to win New Hampshire. To this end, he has adjusted his strategy. Much like his crying jag last month, he’s seen what the people like and has decided to run with it. Instead of being so weepy, he’s decided to lighten up.

“The chairman of Gov. Huckabee’s campaign said he’d like to knock my teeth out. My only comment on that is, ‘Don’t touch the hair,’ ” Romney told the crowd at Principal Financial Group.

Oh, Mitt. Don’t be so modest. Your teeth are just as nice as your hair.

A new Suffolk University/7 News poll also has Romney regaining the lead from Arizona senator John McCain in New Hampshire. Still, it will be interesting to see if Romney loses support after some kind of anti-bounce from his disappointing finish yesterday.

To borrow the candidate’s joke: His teeth may be out, but his hair still looks fantastic. But if he loses New Hampshire, he’s going to find his coif is pretty mussed as he heads into the later contests in which Rudy Giuliani is actively campaigning. Be cool, Mitt. Be cool.