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A note on Colorado – the Feb 5 caucuses (both Dem and GOP) are informal and closed. Independents who want to participate had to declare party affiliation no later than January 5. (No exceptions.) Whoever “wins” the caucuses doesn’t necessarily win the most delegates. If this sounds like, “Huh? …,” that’s the way we do things here in backwards Colorado.

If there is anything I do not like at all the Republican primary season is the desire to eliminate their two best candidates – Fred and Rudy, and settle for second best.

In the city of Naples, Collier County, they have some early results:

Republican presidential primary

• Mitt Romney – 119
• John McCain – 80
• Rudy Giuliani – 42
• Mike Huckabee – 22
• Fred Thompson – 3
• Ron Paul – 5

Democratic presidential primary

• Hillary Clinton – 63
• John Edwards – 16
• Barack Obama – 22
• Joe Biden – 2

Even more:

The first wave of exit poll numbers, including absentees: McCain 34.3 percent, Romney 32.6 percent, Giuliani 15.3 percent, Huckabee 12 percent.

And:

I’m now hearing that absentees made up one third of the total vote (this is from the source who believed the numbers were the first wave) and the absentees preferred Romney, 34 percent to 28 percent. Giuliani is described as “far behind.”

More from Rich Lowry:

McCain 33, Romney 32?

That’s what’s going around as the early exits. If you haven’t voted, get out and do it—every vote might really count down there. I asked a friend (not supporting anyone) if Romney still has a chance if that exit poll is accurate: “Oh yes. That’s well within the margin of error. Plus, the final wave isn’t in, and often late voters will differ by several points from those who vote earlier in the day. Which way they will differ—I have no idea.”

Which way they will differ—I have no idea

A good bet is that retirees are proportionally a larger chunk of the earlier voters than the later ones. If the CW that McCain has an edge among older voters is true, then we would expect Romney to gain a little as later returns are added. But the most recent polls suggest that there isn’t much difference in preference between older and younger voters (at least as regards McCain vs Romney), so who knows?
Looks like a squeaker in any case…

Some more:

FOX NEWS EXIT POLL RESULTS

Senior Citizens– McCain 40, Romney 31, Giuliani 18, Huckabee 7

Veterans– McCain 37, Romney 36, Giuliani 14, Huckabee 8

Hispanics– McCain 50, Giuliani 26, Romney 16, Huckabee 5