Are Republicans seriously considering nominating Newt Gingrich as their presidential candidate? The latest polls seem to indicate just that. The conservative GOP base, in such a froth over Romney’s Mormonism and moderate tendencies, seems oddly eager to throw away the election by throwing its support behind an egomaniac with a history of ethics investigations and who has spent the last decade lobbying on behalf of various corporate interests. Obama is certainly vulnerable next year, but Gingrich is not the candidate to exploit those vulnerabilities. The man’s towering narcissism and raging dickishness will undo his candidacy by next summer, but by then it could be too late for Republicans. If nothing else, a Gingrich candidacy could be the bitter medicine that will force Republicans to rediscover reality and start acting like grownups once again.
