Until the voters vote, there are only two ways to keep score in politics: polls and money. So here’s what the second-quarter fundraising scorecard tells us:

John McCain: Put butter on him, because he’s toast. His hopes are dying for one reason: He supported the immigration bill. And Republican primary voters hate him for it. Now he’s laying off staff and focusing on just a few states. His favorable in New Hampshire (among GOP primary voters) has dropped from 70 percent in 2000 to 40 percent today.

Fred Thompson: It’s like a seesaw. As McCain falls, Thompson rises. The latest North Carolina numbers from Justin Guillory show Thompson leading Giuliani 34-15, with McCain last at 7.

Barack Obama: Democrats are ready for Anybody But Hillary. And Obama has taken that mantle in the Democratic race. He raised $32 million! More in one quarter than any candidate in history. About $5 million more than the Clintons. And more than three times as much as John Edwards. Plus hundreds of thousands of small-dollar contributors online, all of whom can give more.

John Edwards: Elizabeth’s “catfight” with Ann Coulter helped online, but Obama’s totals are astounding. The national media now might demote Edwards, sort of like downgrading Pluto to minor-planet status. The media may create three tiers: the top with Hillary and Obama, a second with Edwards and Bill Richardson and a third tier with all the rest.

But money isn’t everything. Four years ago, Howard Dean (remember him?) astounded everyone with his Internet fundraising.

Plus, if Obama stumbles, Edwards could become the Anybody But Hillary candidate. And, unlike Obama, Edwards has run the Iowa-New Hampshire-South Carolina gauntlet before. (But nobody has surfed the Tsunami Tuesday due in February, with California and other big states voting early.)

In the end, the voters still count. They determine the final score.

Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles.