Today's Boston Globe has an analysis of George Allen's loss in Virginia:

Allen, the son of a famed former National Football League coach, may have all but ended his hopes for the presidency in 2008 by running an error- plagued campaign and losing to Democrat James Webb. Allen's political misfortune may be a boost for the presidential prospects of Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, whose advisers once had viewed Allen as a leading opponent in a Republican primary race.

Political analyst Stuart Rothenberg said Allen's loss has created an opening for a conservative-leaning candidate, whether that is Romney or someone else. "The fact that Allen has crashed and burned has got to be a plus for Romney," Rothenberg said.