Who Do You Think Will Win the Republican Nomination?

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s eight-point win in Tuesday night’s Iowa caucus over former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has been called a lot of things by editors around the country:

Patch coverage called the candidates

The headline on the Des Moines Register’s website called it a “razor-thin win.”

And The Washington Post said Romney “edged” out Santorum.  

Whatever it was, the Iowa caucus result has now catapulted at least three candidates to New Hampshire and beyond. (The old cliché is there are three tickets out of Iowa -- first, second and third place.)

Local observers in Maryland were buzzing over the results Tuesday.

Dennis Lane, a blogger and Independent voter in Ellicott City, said the lack of a definitive win highlighted the “rift” in the Republican party.

“They can’t figure out what they were going to be,” he said. “Is it the Tea Party or the more moderate [part of the party.] The more they fight against each other the better for Democrats.”

Catonsville resident Hillary Pennington, a Republican and political consultant said she was surprised by Santorum's finish in the top three.

Pennington also wonders if Maryland may have more of a role this year if the primary season and long and contested.

"We're not used to having a say in the Presidential primary, but I think this year, that might be different," she said.

New Hampshire experts are saying Iowa’s result will have little impact in their state, which has more moderate Republicans who historically have not supported socially conservative candidates who have done well in Iowa, according to the Los Angeles Times.