Don't pop those champagne corks just yet, fellas.

After the first quarter (26% in), that Hillary woman leads 40% to 35%...

(I imagine they're really scouring the photo archives now, looking for unflattering Clinton faces to pepper the blog front pages with.)

It's more a distance run, not a sprint. And you really do have to compete hard if you want to win -- nothing wrong in traditional Democratic circles with breaking a sweat, you know.

Finally, I suspect New Hampshire voters are more representative of America than say South Carolina or Iowa, where no doubt it's still seen as something unique to cast a ballot for a black candidate.

Good game, Democrats. Good game. Nice and close, and maybe inspiring everybody to bring their best come February 5. Think distance, not short-term bursts of speed...

Oh, and don't give a second thought to how your look when competing hard. Leave the looks games for the more superficial sideline sitters, eh? Playing hard and winning has little to do physical looks, really. Plenty of time to fix yourself up for the dances after the big game. Right now, the substance of the game should matter most. No matter what the looks-obsessed segments of society think; maturity comes with age in most circles, even the testosterone enhanced.