Hillary Clinton thumped her Democratic rivals Florida. But looking at north Florida primary results the conclusion seems inescapable:  Clinton is ominously weak in the Panhandle, a region where Democrats need to hold their ground if they want to win the state. All of the 19 counties Clinton lost in Florida were in north Florida.

John Edwards won 11 rural north Florida counties, while Obama won eight counties - not just liberal University counties like Alachua and Leon, or overhwhelmingly African-American counties. Obama also handily won Escambia.

"In the general election," said Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee, "Floridians will have a choice between a candidate who wants to fix our economy, end the war in Iraq and provide universal health care versus a candidate who supports the Bush economic policy, the war, and opposes universal health care.  In that matchup, we like our chances — and that goes from the panhandle to the keys."