Other stories out of New Hampshire.

So many interesting story lines came out of New Hampshire beyond the obvious stunner of a Clinton victory. Here are 2 that have not gotten enough press if you ask me.

1. Edwards blew it. Not that he was ever going to win NH - but by, in essence, supporting Obama in the debate - he gave his national supporters little reason to stick around. 2 days later a couple of big unions endorsed Obama. Unions he should have contested. Even if he never had a shot at their endorsements his tacit siding with Obama neutered one of his major themes that Clinton was under girding for him: I am the guy, in the end, who can take on the big corporations because of my experience. He was hoping to end Clinton's run in NH and set himself up as the Obama alternative by super duper Tuesday. Apparently, no one on his team understood the power of a Clinton in New Hampshire. The saner idea would have been to unload on Obama in the debate and push himself over 20%. Then he would have remained a viable alternative to Obama. Not a strong one - but stronger than he is now.

2. Obama changed a GOP equation that night. This is entirely counter intuitive but follow it: Obama lost to Clinton. But his speech, which barely conceded, and was quite good, came right after McCain's victory "speech" on the GOP side. McCain took his moment of Resurrection and gave us a view of an exhausted old man. I have thought for a few months that the GOP had gone silent on Obama because they viewed him as a loser in the Fall. Popularity polls aside this is an astute game plan. Have Obama take out Hillary - then destroy Obama. Obama is one kick ass Democratic candidate. He is the kind of guy we love to love. Rove, who has being calling him Adali Stevenson for some time - telegraphing the intended Autumn assault on him - understands that Democrats falling in love usually equals a GOP win in November.

The comparison of Stevenson vs. Eisenhower in 1952 and Obama vs. McCain in 2008 is pretty damn smart.

Setting aside the lefty blogs echo chambers - the fact has always been that a tough Hillary Clinton was going to be a difficult general election candidate for the GOP. A full blown recession by the 3rd quarter almost assures a Clinton win.

The "she is too divisive" meme is just dumb. First of all, this issue is overrated and wildly overstated. Secondly, divisive candidates often win elections. Bush in 2000 and Nixon in 1968 come to mind. Divisive is what elections ARE.

The plans of the GOP may have been rethought on Tuesday.

McCain and Obama appearing in such close proximity on TV - must have given a few stale wart GOPs some pause. The idea that Obama's flowering rhetoric could not withstand a frontal assault from the "swift boat" machine over the summer fell off substantially. McCain was supposed to be the guy who presented to us a vision of experience and security - he gave us a doddering old man act. And McCain is the best man they've got for the general election. Until Tuesday night I think the GOP figured the Democrats would be willing to take a flying leap toward Obama but the country as a whole would not after they were through with him.

A McCain vs Obama general is now an even bet as far as I can tell. I would not have said that a week ago.

Here's another seemingly out there thought: If I were Obama I would try like hell to get Colin Powell's endorsement now. Remove him from any chatter on the GOP side this summer. I doubt he does - but what if he wants to rewrite his story after choking on Bush's lies? What if he sees a McCain/ Powell ticket as a way to do that? Fodder for thought. General elections are about winning the middle after all.