We won't know for some time whether Mitt Romney's triple defeat in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado was just a bump in the road or a darker turn for the GOP frontrunner, but the details of the losses are stunning in many ways.
Take Minnesota, where Romney easily dispatched John McCain in 2008. The margin was 19 points, as Romney cruised to a 41-22% win, taking 45 of Minnesota's 87 counties.
But last night, Romney didn't even win one county in Minnesota. He couldn't come close to his vote of four years, finishing with just under 17% of the vote, good only for third place.
Romney was also skunked in Missouri, where Rick Santorum won all 114 counties of the Show Me State and St. Louis City.
In 2008, Romney finished third in Missouri behind McCain and Mike Huckabee, but it was a close third, as he won a dozen counties.
Romney went from 29% - four points behind - in 2008 to 25% and 30 points behind Santorum in 2012.
In Colorado, the drop was even more head shaking for Romney, as he went from a winner in 2008 with 60% of the vote to a five point loss with 35%.
In 2008, Romney won 56 of Colorado's 64 counties as he cruised to victory.
Last night, Romney could only muster a majority in 16 counties, as Rick Santorum defeated him 40-35%.
The turn of events was topic "A" for many here on Capitol Hill today, as journalists and lawmakers tried to digest what it means for the race.
Michigan and Arizona vote next on February 28; that's followed by Super Tuesday on March 6.
Will Romney just shake off these defeats, like Bill Clinton was able to do in 1992 and still win the nomination?
Or is Romney destined to be the 2012 version of Ed Muskie in 1972? The guy with all of the endorsements and all of the institutional support, who just couldn't get the job done.
The crystal ball on this race isn't so clear any more.
