YOU CAN'T REALLY OVERSTATE HIS ACHIEVEMENT IN WINNING IA:

But Romney didn't just face a weak field -- he made it weak. His strength, money, and organization scared off some serious challengers.

He simply beat one former governor who many in the press -- this writer included -- thought would beat him, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, and drove him out of the race early. When another governor, Rick Perry of Texas, made a late entry as the Romney killer, he instead wound up illustrating how well prepared for this battle Romney really is.

His two early victories have also spawned myths of Romney's weakness. His narrow win in Iowa was in fact remarkable: If there's one place a conservative should have beaten him, it was the Hawkeye State. And even Tuesday night, Romney's doubters were circulating two myths about what he had achieved in New Hampshire -- that it was driven by people other than Republicans, and that there was a broad lack of enthusiasm for the field.

But as Townhall.com political editor Guy Benson noted, this year's primary in fact had a record turnout. And Romney won handily among the most conservative groups -- it was Texas Rep. Ron Paul who swept up the independents and Democrats crossing over. Romney beat his 2008 margin in the state by some 15,000 votes, and might have won a true majority had the primary been open only to Republicans.

The idea that Romney's personal qualities will sink him is equally misguided. Anyone who covered Barack Obama in 2008 knows that the gap between reporters' perceptions of a candidate as stiff and distant and voters' sense of his charisma can be, well, wide. Romney comes across in person as warm, a perception that often gets distorted through a press filter that is, understandably, amused by his quirks.

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