Right now I want Romney to win. No, seriously. I still prefer McCain slightly, but I want Romney to win in order to make this stuff stop.

I'm really starting to get angry -- angrier than I have ever been at conservatives -- over the anti-McCain hysteria. I never imagined it would get this bad.

It all happened so fast, too. Just a couple of weeks ago, the idea was beating the Clintons. Now it's let's help the Clintons defeat our Satanic candidate.

Surreal. Absolutely surreal.

That's why I'm wanting Romney to just win right now and make this malignancy go away.

Via Ann Althouse, some good advice which I should probably be following:

"I'm giving up giving a rat's ass about the Presidential race, for Lent."

The McCain hysteria is a result of too many people giving too many rat's asses, and too late.

MORE (08:00 p.m.): I'm watching results start to trickle in and I see a very strong showing by Huckabee (so far) -- something that no one seemed to be counting on.

All that focus on bashing McCain and Huckabee appears out of nowhere.

(Just when I thought things couldn't get more surreal...)

MORE (08:10 p.m.): Huckabee is ahead in three states, with Romney coming in third.

Huckabee, of course, is the anti-Romney, and he makes me like Romney. To show you what a loyal stooge this RINO is, I'd vote for Huckabee. But I'd have to do more than hold my nose; I might have to be anesthetized.

8:18: If you don't like Hillary, there's plenty to be happy about tonight, as Obama is winning in several states.From Drudge:

Alabama: Obama 60, Clinton 37... Arizona: Obama 51, Clinton 45... Connecticut: Obama 53, Clinton 45... Delaware: Obama 56, Clinton 42... Massachusetts: Obama 50, Clinton 48... Missouri: Obama 50, Clinton 46... New Jersey: Obama 53, Clinton 47...

8:24: I'm amazed at Romney's poor performance in the South. His third place showing can't be blamed on McCain, either.

MORE: Stephen Green is blessedly drunkblogging again, and if his liver gives out I want to be the first to take up a donation for a new one.

Here's what he said earlier:

1:10 pm PST:

CNN reports that James Dobson, of Focus on the Family, says:

Should Senator John McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime."

Dobson also says in that case, he won't vote at all.

Suddenly, McCain is looking very, very good to me. Really, anything to keep Dobson out of a voting booth is a pretty good idea.

8:31: I just heard Fox News report that McCain is the second choice of the majority of Southern Huckabee voters.

Honestly, until tonight I did not realize the extent of Romney's unpopularity in the South.

8:35: McCain wins Delaware. And Karl Rove is saying that Huckabee could win five or six states tonight. He warns that a McCain-Huckabee ticket could "double the trouble." (He's got that right.)

8:40: Right now, Drudge is listing the results this way:

AR: CLINTON
GA: OBAMA
IL: OBAMA
OK: CLINTON
TN: CLINTON

AR: HUCKABEE
CT: MCCAIN
IL: MCCAIN
MA: ROMNEY
NJ: MCCAIN

8:52 -- In very late breaking news, Pajamas Media's Roger L. Simon (via Glenn Reynolds) reports that Ron Paul is winning in Georgia. (No wonder they broke away from the Soviet Union!)

9:00 -- Hillary won New York, but McCain is not doing well in his home state of Arizona. (Too close to call.)

9:06 -- But as Glenn Reynolds points out, "HILLARY WON HER HOME STATE OF ARKANSAS, and now also wins her home state of New York."

What about her home state of Illinois? (Sorry, but Obama stole it from her.)

How come Hillary gets to have three home states?

9:08 -- Fox is talking about "Latte Liberals" going for Obama. Hmm.. That sounds pretty white. I thought this was all about race.

9:20 -- As I watch the Huckabee numbers increase, I have to ask something.

We've all been assuming it's McCain versus Romney, but in light of all the third place showings for Romney, is it possible that this is becoming a two man race between McCain and Huckabee?

CNN just projected New York for McCain.

9:25 -- CNN is saying that Obama has a Latino problem.

I'm thinking that Californians who haven't yet voted might be watching election results.

9:34 -- Considering the massive battle that's been going on between Romney and McCain, I'm wondering whether the unexpected Huckabee vote might be the South's way of protesting the acrimony.

As CNN has been pointing out (albeit in a somewhat argumentative fashion), if the South is supposed to be where the conservatives are and if Romney is supposed to be the conservative candidate, then why are all those votes going to Huckabee?

9:42 -- Considering his animosity towards both Huckabee and McCain, I would not call tonight a big victory for Rush Limbaugh so far.

I think California will be the big one for Romney. If he loses that one, he's going to have to reevaluate his overall chances.

9:45 -- This is a nasty and divisive race, with no clear absolute front-runner. Right now it's a premature observation, but I think at some point, people are going to have to consider forgiving each other.

9:49 -- On Fox, Romney supporter Sean Hannity does not look like a happy camper. He says that Huckabee split the conservative vote, and argues that the Huckabee votes would have gone to Romney.

I have to disagree. Not only did exit polls show a majority of Huckabee voters favoring McCain as a second choice, Romney's third place showing speaks for itself.

10:00 -- McCain gets Oklahoma, and Romney gets Utah. Tennessee is too close to call (with Romney in third place). Missouri is too close for everyone.

Bill Kristol argues that Romney's "failure to penetrate the South" may be fatal to his campaign.

Barack Obama wins North Dakota (which is added to Delaware and Georgia). But Hillary is generally cleaning up.

10:05 -- How important is immigration in this? Kristol is saying that it's very important in talk radio.

10:08 -- Huckabee says what I said earlier about how they'd all been saying it's a "two man race" -- and it is! (Not that it matters, but I think I beat him to it.)

He now says he's for the free market system, and he wants to close the IRS. Wants families to have the right to raise their own kids.

(I better stop listening to him, lest I start agreeing with him.)

And now he's saying the Second Amendment has to be honored as much as the First Amendment. Hard to disagree with that too. "Before this is over I'll even be singing Rocky Top." More state references.

(If you ask me, I'd say tonight's the night they drove the old Southern strategy down.)

10:15 -- Huckabee is definitely talking the populist talk. Like him or not, he's the only Republican who's doing that. (Have to say, it's a good speech.) He's won at least three states, and that speaks for itself.

What remains to be seen is what the McCain haters will do. Will they go to Huckabee?

10:19 -- Mississippi governor (and former RNC Chairman) Haley Barbour is talking now and he says unless McCain wins California, it's not quite time to get behind a unity movement. "I don't think anybody would say tonight that it's over."

He seems to have been counting on Romney. When asked whether it was a two man race and "which two" he looked quite uncomfortable.

10:26 -- Minnesota for Obama.

10:30 -- CNN projects Alabama for Huckabee. Romney appears to be winning in North Dakota. (And in Minnesota.)

10:33 -- Romney is speaking, and saying he's going to win the nomination. He's talking about values, values. Asians are taking money from us. Stop illegal immigration. (Interrupted by loud cheers there.)

Unfortunately, the main reason I don't like Romney is that I don't like his speaking style. Now he's leading a cheerleading session and his crowd keeps chanting with him. The contrast in speaking style between him and Huckabee is remarkable.

Romney is trying to lead his followers, while Huckabee seems to be addressing his friends and peers.

McCain won Arizona.

10:43 -- Apparently, McCain did poorly with conservative voters in his own state. Arizona is tilting towards Hillary, although the Latino vote is suprisingly divided.

10:50 -- Rove predicted five states for Huckabee, and he was right.

10:51 -- Hillary is speaking and according to someone in the know, "she looks like she's had some major makeovers."

But she still has that same shrill, grating voice.

Why are the right wingers like Coulter and Buchanan (and others) lining up behind her?

10:54 -- Hillary is now telling Californians to go vote. And now she's talking about health insurance again. I'd vote for Huckabee over that woman, I swear to God. (And I pray that I won't have to.) Please make her stop. I need a drink.

10:54 -- She won't let anyone Swiftboat this country's future. (I'd vote for Jerome Corsi over her, and I can't stand him!)

She brays something about "Every single man woman and child!" No! Not that! I'm scared.

Drudge lists things this way right now:

CLINTON: AR, MA, MO, NY, NJ, OK, TN
OBAMA: AL, CT, DE, GA, ID, IL, KS, MN, ND, UT

HUCKABEE: AL, AR, GA, MO, TN
MCCAIN: AZ, CT, DE, IL, NJ, NY, OK
ROMNEY: MA, ND, UT

(I'm hoping that means the speech will be over soon.)

I'd like to have that drink now.

11:09 -- Romney won Montana.

11:13 -- Fox calls Colorado for Obama. (Hillary's people must be freaking out.)

11:16 -- California is starting to trickle in, and it looks like Romney is way ahead.

Idaho has been called for Obama.

11:18 -- It now looks like that last report was wrong about California. On CNN they're saying McCain is ahead with only 1% of the vote in. But Hillary is way ahead with 2% in.

According to Bill Schneider, Obama is winning white voters and black voters, but Hillary is winning 2 to 1 among Latinos.

11:27 -- Utah and Missouri are both too close to call for Hillary and Obama. Meanwhile, Huckabee is beating McCain by a hair in both Georgia and Tennessee.

11:30 -- CNN projects Huckabee as the winner in Georgia.

11:31 -- Missouri is way too close to call. Huckabee and McCain are tied.

11:37 -- McCain is speaking. While he's understandably proud of tonight's victories, he is reaching out to the other side and being gracious. Will work hard to ensure that the conservative principles of our party will win. Will reach out to independents and the enlightened members of the other party.

(Lieberman is standing behind him, which cannot be an accident.)

11:44 Now it's Obama's turn, and he's calling for aid for the storm victims.

"Our time has come. Our movement is real. And change is coming to America."

"A house divided cannot stand. we are more than a collection of red states and blue states."

Once again, he's an inspiring speaker -- far more so than Hillary and even though he's a bit poetic ("from the hillls of New Hampshire to the deserts of Nevada") and even sing-songy, he makes it work.

"People are saying maybe we don't need to be divided by race"

Chants of "yes we can!"

Obama is in victory mode, talking about beating the Republicans now, yet promising to work together.

Green energy, biodiesel [um, that's problematic], end the politics of fear. Terrorism and nuclear weapons, climate change and poverty, genodice and disease. Take politics to a higher level. Reach out to people who harbor doubts.

Talks about working with volunteers in the past. Will not be resolved in one night. Not in one super Tuesday.

"We are the hope"

of the father who...

"Yes we can"

of the woman who....

"Yes she can"

the future of the house divided...

We know that what began as a whisper will swell to a chorus, etc.

"Yes we can"

"Yes we can"

"Yes we can"

He's obviously in for a protracted campaign.

And at 12:05, McCain is now projected the winner in Missouri.

I'm realizing that nothing has been settled by tonight's election results.

12:09 -- Fred Barnes just made an important point about the huge disparity in voter turnout between the parties, with the Democrats voting in much larger numbers.

12:13 -- Fox predicts Hillary Clinton and John McCain as the winners in California .

For both parties, that's the biggie.

While Hillary's victory comes as no surprise, I frankly expected Romney to win California, and I expected him to do much better overall than he did.

(Of course, I make up my mind based on what I hear on talk radio and see in the blogosphere.)

12:52 -- William Kristol just said, "I think Mitt Romney will pull out."

With that, I think I'll go to bed.