Mitch Perry Report for 2.2.16 — Clinton 23 gets delegates, Sanders 21 in Iowa

We’re on to New Hampshire, but first …

Ted Cruz deserves plaudits for grinding out a great victory for himself in Iowa last night, but can he win enough delegates to earn the nomination? I maintain that he can’t and won’t, which makes Marco Rubio‘s strong third-place victory the big story going into the next week.

Let’s look at the incredibly close results in the Democratic Primary.

First off, Hillary Clinton is being called “the apparent victor” by every media organization.

NBC News has allocated 21 of the 50 available delegates to Clinton and 20 to Bernie Sanders as of 2:37 a.m. EST.

“Tonight’s result is a victory for our political revolution, ” Sanders emailed his followers early this morning in a fundraising pitch. “We have proved that when people come together, anything is possible.”

Nate Cohn from the NY Times sort of rains on the Bernie Revolution today, though, writing,” a virtual tie in Iowa is an acceptable, if not ideal, result for Mrs. Clinton and an ominous one for Mr. Sanders. He failed to win a state tailor-made to his strengths.”

That’s true, but look at where he came from to get to this point.

Hillary Clinton has to campaign — and campaign hard — in New Hampshire, even though the odds don’t look good for her there.

Nevada and South Carolina follow, with the latter state looking a whole lot better for her.

Can Sanders turn around nonwhite voters who flocked to Barack Obama in ’08 and ’12 yet seem to be supporting Clinton strongly in the polls.

That is the question as the Democratic race continues.

Meanwhile, Martin O’Malley is out. I have to admit I’m sorry to hear that, as I would have liked to have seen the former Maryland Governor in action for a little while longer. But hey, he worked hard in Iowa, and the good people there simply weren’t into his message.

Mike Huckabee is out on the GOP side, but Jim Gilmore and Rick Santorum remain in — as of now. And no, Ben Carson isn’t dropping out. However, he is in West Palm Beach this morning, apparently getting a new change of clothes before returning to the trail in New Hampshire.

In other news..-

What will Jack Latvala do? The powerful Pinellas Republican was the source of some discussion at yesterday’s HART meeting regarding a pet project for the transit agency.

A study conducted by a transportation consultant of HART riders reports that 80 percent of them are satisfied the agency’s work.

Hillsborough County Commission candidate Brian Willis is touting his fundraising totals in his race for the Hillsborough County District 6 seat.

A committee in the Florida House has approved legislation that would make it much harder for the PTC to regulate Uber and Lyft.

The political world moves today from Iowa to New Hampshire, where the first in the nation primary takes place a week from today. Among those in the Granite State are a contingent of USFSP students, working for various presidential candidates.

Bob Buckhorn and Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine are also going to NH — to stump for Hillary Clinton.