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NOW Today: What did last night mean?

Yesterday we wrote that last night's primary contests could be the most important to date in the 2012 nominating convention.

Yesterday we wrote that last night's primary contests could be the most important to date in the 2012 nominating convention.  And that may be true.

This morning there is a little more clarity, but still no clear pick for the Republican nominee.  The easiest point to make is that Newt Gingrich's loss in both Alabama and Mississippi means he'll face increasing calls to drop out of the race.  Gingrich says he won't, insisting that he's got a shot on the convention floor in Tampa.  But that scenario appears increasingly unlikely - Gingrich benefiting from floor moves, that is.  In fact the math now suggests no one candidate will reach the magic 1,144 delegates, meaning some sort of brokered convention in August.

Question is - does that help or hurt President Obama? All of that and more on today's show.

PANEL

Karen Finney, Columnist, The Hill/msnbc Political Analyst (@finneyk)

Mark McKinnon, Fmr. Adviser to Pres. George W. Bush/Co-Founder, “No Labels” (@mmckinnon)

S.E. Cupp, NY Daily News Columnist (@secupp)

Hugo Lindgren, Editor, The New York Times Magazine (@hugolindgren)

GUESTS

Hogan Gidley, Santorum National Communications Director (@jhogangidley)

Ezra Klein, The New Yorker/msnbc Policy Analyst (@ezraklein)

BULLPEN

Martin Bashir (@bashirlive)