Just how super was Super Tuesday? For one, it finally nudged Ben Carson to think seriously about getting out of a race he’s been out of for months. Yes, Dr. Ben announced earlier today he sees no path going forward for himself. Everyone else, of course, realized that months ago.

What else? Let’s call Marco Rubio an “almost out.” He’s hanging in on life support and spinning his victory in the Minnesota caucus to be evidence of his dramatic resurgence. In fact, it is nothing of the sort. Rubio has accumulated an almost unbroken series of third place finishes in the primaries (he’s 1 for 15 overall), and it has become spectacularly obvious that not many voters are interested in him.

By the way, Rubio says his five days of attacks on Donald Trump have resulted in trimming Trump’s victory margins. Which makes you wonder: what was Marco doing in the six months that preceded the last five days? He ever-more shows up as a boy in a man’s world, unprepared for the Presidency in just about every way.

Ted Cruz? Well, he won in his own state, the absolutely minimum essential to keep him in the race. It would have seriously mattered only had he lost. He also won in Oklahoma and Alaska but his candidacy seems no less doomed that before Super Tuesday. There aren’t enough breathing humans out there who want to cast a ballot in favor of loathsome Ted.

Which leaves John Kasich. He’s pitched himself as a calm moderate, although his record as Ohio governor is disturbingly right wing. He attracts few voters but won’t quit, claiming a victory in his home state of Ohio’s primary will propel him forward. Well, let’s put it this way: if he doesn’t win there, he’s toast, too.

Oh yeah, then there’s Trump. He took a big step toward the nomination with wins on Super Tuesday, and the prospect of someone catching him grows more distant. The noise on Republican social media about a brokered convention appears a death wish; if Trump comes to the convention with not quite enough to clinch it and is denied the nomination, there will be bloodshed. Kind fun to think about, though.

And lastly and very briefly: Super Tuesday results saw Hillary pretty much putting Bernie out in the Democrat’s battle. He will stick around, and he should, but it’s just about impossible to imagine he’ll wind up as the party nominee.

And that and a buck ought to get you a cup of coffee in most diners around here….