newt steps up

From a New York slideshow entitled "Newt Gingrich Looking At People Condescendingly."

The Republican nomination race is a very odd kind of wrestling match. Mitt Romney stands in the middle of the ring, while a series of opponents take turns to challenge him. One by one, they square up to Romney - then they punch themselves in the face and get carried off.

First it was Trump, who fired himself. Then it was Perry, whose brain froze. Then it was Cain, who has been destroyed by harassment accusations, his own brain freeze, and now an ex-girlfriend's testimony (Cain may actually drop out of the race before a vote is cast).

Next up? Newt Gingrich. Come again? Yes, The Newt is back! He has gone from nowhere in the prediction markets to a 30% chance of winning the nomination. Having, along with everyone else, written him off, I must confess that his sheer bloody-minded resilience is quite impressive. But the Republicans would have to be batshit crazy to nominate this thrice-married, absurdly pompous, flamboyantly eccentric blowhard. Luckily for Obama, they are batshit crazy at the moment.

What does the Newt surge mean for the race? Well, first it means a lot of entertainment. Newt is nothing if not good value. He has already compared himself, favourably and unironically, to Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, and his wife to Nancy Reagan. There's plenty more where that came from.

Second, it shows just how desperate many Republicans are to avoid having to make do with Mitt (could that be Romney's campaign slogan if things get desperate? 'Make Do With Mitt'?). If I were Romney I'd have left the race in a huff by now. It must be a little depressing.

Third, it's good news for Hunstman, who is creeping up in some polls. Gingrich can hurt Romney, but is probably not strong enough to win the nomination. If the Trump-Perry-Cain pattern is repeated Huntsman might just end up looking like the only viable alternative to a severely weakened Romney. This is what his campaign have been hoping for.

Will he be able to seize his opportunity? We'll see. I'm sceptical. Huntsman, though highly qualified, seems to lack a political X-Factor. His performances in debates and interviews have been competent, but bland, overly cautious and unexciting. There's been very little evidence of the killer instinct Obama exhibited vs Clinton, at this stage of the race in 2007. He'll need to step up a gear if he's to pull this off. I'm sure Newt will be only too happy to advise.

Comments

[Ejoch]

Every time 'Newt the front runner' comes up,I think of those guys in his campaign staff who left him for Perry back in summer. How stupid would a person feel now? Whatever you say about Gingrich, he can at least remember the voting age.

[elemjay]

You know you're in trouble when the new favourite makes Palin look polished in comparison....

[Brian]

I still think of a salamander-like creature whenever I hear about Newt - and he seems to have been in politics for an eternity.