BY DAVID KRONKE >TV CRITIC

Early in the evening, CNN's Wolf Blitzer was hacked off that they just can't make stuff up: "Interesting that we can't make projections on those states, we're going to have to wait to get some hard numbers from those ballots coming in." Gee, must be tough to be, uh, responsible journalists?

MNBC's Chris Matthews has already asked a Mitt Romney spokesman whether Romney will ever run for president again if he doesn't win this year, which is putting the cart before the horse by anywhere from nine months to four years. To top himself, Matthews is asking the Democratic chairman, Howard Dean, about the fact that a lot of college-educated people are voting Democratic today. "Is that good news for the Democratic Party, that it's gotten so gentrified? ... I just wonder where the regular people are." Gee, Tweety, maybe you're right – if educated people who actually follow the issues vote Democratic, the union is in graver peril than anyone could've imagined. Nice lip gloss, though.

MSNBC called Utah for Obama with 24 votes in – all, according to their graphic, for John Edwards.

Huckabee made his speech at 7:07 p.m. PST, so he can reach his base before they go to bed: "A lot of people have been saying this is a two-man race, and you know what? They're right – and we're in it!" He takes another swipe at Romney and plays to his religious base by referencing Mark 12:41-44 in one fell swoop by declaring, "The widow's mite has more power than all the gold in the world."

Afterward, CNN's Campbell Brown asked Huckabee, "It is highly unlikely that you'll get the nomination … so why stay in the race?" What is it with these reporters wanting to get rid of candidates so quickly? Huckabee reasonably responded, "The only way I know I'll lose is if I walk off the field."

Fox News' Brit Hume is despairing over Romney's showing tonight, but some of his panelists are still not willing to write him off. Bill Kristol came prepared: "There are 15 (Republican) primaries tonight." He's corrected – there are 16. But, hey! Romney is given North Dakota. But Kristol concedes the point that Romney is pretty close to toast.

Romney had a smile on his face as he gave his "How much of my own money have I spent?" speech. He noted that the three states he has lived in (Michigan, Utah, Massachusetts) have all voted for him. Then he goes all gloomy-Gus and annoyingly call-and-response at the same time, with the chorus being, "And they haven't!" Hey, guess what, Mitt: Obama's "Yes we can" is a heck of a lot more inspirational.

Hillary Clinton declared, "I won't let anyone swift-boat this country's future!" And then my TV shut itself off. Too much hot air from all the candidates and pundits, I guess.