Why would this go on for awhile? Because a combination of an elongated schedule, new Republican National Committee rules, and some quirks of fate have diminished the importance of individual contests and reduced the ability for knock-out punches.

Part of the reason for this schedule is then-RNC chair Michael Steele wanted an extended primary season so as to ensure a strong nominee; the elongated Barack Obama v. Hillary Clinton race indubitably made Obama a better candidate, and got out a lot of his “dirty laundry” – Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Tony Rezko, William Ayres, flag pins and such – long before the general election, so that his campaign could by the fall claim it was all old news.

But top Democrats are hoping that won’t happen with the GOP race, that it will just provide more moments of Romney calling Gingrich “erratic” and Gingrich calling into question Romney’s business practices.