I was surprised, but not shocked, to see Cruz best Trump in Iowa. The relatively strong Rubio 3rd place finish was not a surprise to me–there were signs in the polling that he was moving up.  Key questions going forward.

1. How does Trump respond after becoming a dreaded “loser?”  Can he rebound or does his bubble pop?  Look for him to be aggressive in tonights Republican debate. I’m guessing he will rebound with a first or second place finish, but anything is possible.
2. Can Rubio continue to best the other establishment/moderate land candidates?  I think he will.
3. Can Cruz get any momentum from winning in Iowa?  So far the polling shows no momentum, but he over performed his polls in Iowa.  It is remarkable that a surprise winner out of Iowa generated zero momentum.
4. Will Bush, Kasich, or Christie break into the top 3?  If one of them does, I think it’s 4 man race for at least a few more weeks.  If not, then I think it is down to the top 3 from Iowa.
5. Given the expectations of a Sander’s win in this neighboring state, what level of support does Clinton need to avoid very downbeat coverage seriously questioning her front runner status?  I’m thinking if she is within 15 percent, she avoids total embarrassment.  If she can get within single digits, she may even manage “come back kid” momentum.   Even if she loses by more than 15, I still believe Clinton can rebound and win the nomination once the race moves to more diverse states.