As usual, RCP’s Jay Cost has an insightful analysis of the results in South Carolina, looking at the racial factor, but more broadly looking at Sen. Barack Obama’s ability to get white votes through the campaign (esp. in Nevada) and concluding with thoughts about the relative strength of the black and Hispanic votes in the Super-Duper Tuesday states (more than making up for his prior omission of the Hispanic vote in analyzing the February 5th races).  Based on Cost’s analysis, I would expect the Clinton machine to heavily work GOTV efforts in Hispanic communities.

Cost’s comparison of Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada is also interesting, though (as regulars here would guess) I find it glosses over the organization-based theory.  Clinton’s narrow wins in New Hampshire and Nevada were due in no small part to the ability of the Clinton machine to turn out its vote.

Indeed, had Cost focused a bit more on the organization-based theory, he could have tooted his own horn a little.  At NRO’s Corner, Rich Lowry noted the South Carolina exit poll data showing that Sen. Hillary Clinton still retained much of the “Mondale coalition” that Cost has noted she usually relies on for victory.  In the case of South Carolina, Hillary’s usual coalition was swamped by black voters, and she had no Hispanic firewall.  Organization is ultimately limited by demographics.   Mitt Romney learned the same lesson in the same state last week.

Moreover, Bill’s ham-handed hatchet work on Obama in the past week apparently had a negative net effect on the Clinton campaign.  The Clintons may not care so much about that, however, as a less racial tone may already have been factored into their strategy for Super-Duper Tuesday.  It would probably be good spin for the Clintons to be a little contrite about their methods in South Carolina, if their egos could handle it.