Sunday Roundup

This week, the results from Iowa demonstrated that, even in the age of social media-powered protests ("convenience fee" this, Verizon!), unlimited money and going negative still pack a potent political punch. These early contests are supposed to be about small-scale retail politics but, post-Citizens United, Romney didn't win by winning over people in diners, he won with a blizzard of negative ads funded by "outside groups." While outside money killed Newt, all the dollars spent by Romney and his allies weren't enough to buy Mitt the caucus-goers' love, as he scraped by with an eight-vote win and a lower percentage of votes than he attracted in 2008. In the aftermath, Bachmann bailed, Perry said he was heading back to Texas -- then abruptly decided to stay in the race, and Santorum became the latest darling of the Not Mitt crowd. Now the unreal reality show, minus its female lead, rolls into New Hampshire.