Off the trail

The past week's cartoons were all about the "Live Free or Die" primary. First came the do-or-dire predictions -- Romney on the ropes! Obama to bury Hillary in a New England nor'easter! Then followed the stunned morning-afterthought cliches -- Comeback Clinton rising from the grave, and spinoffs of "Dewey Defeats Truman" -- and embarrassing questions about how the pollsters got it wrong. Among the exceptions, Signe Wilkinson eschewed the horse-racism to serve up a hot-button hot toddy. Chip Bok's naval-gazing was right on the button. And Jimmy Margulies tracked the president's footsteps to Israel. Let's see: racism, sexism, nuclear proliferation and Mideast peace. Those do rank a Dixville Notch above turnout analysis. I sense momentum here.

-- Joel Pett