Hold off on the crownings

THIS was a stunning comeback victory for Hillary Clinton. Just a day or so ago, several polls showed she was down by double digits.

Why, I hereby pronounce her . . . the Comeback Kiddo.

Er, no, wait a second. I forgot. Wasn't Clinton supposed to win really big here just a few weeks ago?

That is, before the Iowa caucuses?

So has she demonstrated her resilience by not just beating the expectations of Sunday and Monday but actually winning the New Hampshire primary outright? Or has she fallen short of the expectations of a few weeks back?

Here's a novel thought. Let's take a deep breath - and let other states have their turn.

The New Hampshire results should winnow the field, not decide either the Democratic or the Republican nomination.

Barack Obama has won a remarkable early victory in Iowa, showing an impressive appeal. Hillary Clinton has bounced back to win in New Hampshire, defying widespread assumptions that she was headed for a loss.

So what can we now say? Well, we have a real contest on our hands. The talk of Clinton's supposed collapse has proved every bit as wide of the mark as previous chatter about her inevitability.

Here's further heresy: I don't even think his third-place showing should spell the end of John Edwards's campaign.

Iowa and New Hampshire provide valuable opportunities for retail politics, but it's silly to let two small, demographically unrepresentative states drive a know-it-all media frenzy. After all, we still have several contests left before we even get to de facto national primary day, Feb. 5.

Now, on the Republican side, the story is a little different because this is Mitt Romney's backyard. It's a bad sign for him that those who know him best returned to their old favorite, John McCain.

There's a lesson here: Perhaps there's something to be said for sticking by your principles, rather than tailoring both positions and rhetoric to the latest fashion.

But there's still no real Republican front-runner. And who knows, once he's absorbed the New Hampshire results, maybe Mitt, quick learner that he is, can reinvent himself as . . . a man of character.

Scot Lehigh's e-mail address is lehigh@globe.com