Des Moines, Iowa

As I checked in to my hotel here tonight, the first person I ran into in the lobby was Rick Santorum. Accompanied by his family, he (and they) seemed in a good mood—which was made even better when I told him I wasn’t going to write a post predicting his victory, because it would just jinx him. He heaved a sigh of relief, and laughingly urged me to confidently proclaim Mitt Romney the winner.

Which I won’t do, as I think Santorum is in fact slightly more likely to prevail. Or maybe I shouldn’t say so, so as not to jinx him? But isn’t running into Santorum a good omen? Or does my very noting of the omen-like encounter here make it an ominous one for Rick? (I assume the word “ominous” derives from “omen.”)