The Deseret News politics desk (which has been having a bad week) reported that Utahns were giving significantly more money to Barack Obama than to John McCain.

But when the Provo Daily Herald took a closer look at the numbers, they found a more meaningful trend: Since Utah Olympic savior Mitt Romney dropped out of the race and endorsed McCain, McCain and Obama have been neck and neck in fleecing Utahns.

The first thing to look at in a McCain-Obama race then, is fundraising after Romney dropped out to see if the state's Republican base forgave the GOP pick. Beginning in March, Utahns gave about the same amount to each presumptive nominee through Aug. 20 — $433,470 to McCain, $431,659 to Obama.

That's about as close to a dead heat as it gets.

And it doesn't take Nostradamus to tell you that if McCain chooses Romney as a running mate, Utah cash will flow like the Jordan River* to the GOP team. Heck, I might even slip McCain a few bucks.

*Predictably, but of questionable cleanliness.