Newt Barely Hangs On

After getting decisively whipped (again) last night in the Nevada caucus, Speaker Gingrich scheduled a press conference to stress that he is staying in the race.  Putting aside the need for such a statement in a healthy campaign, the Speaker attempted to convince us he was now going to run a positive campaign, which he reinforced by being thoroughly negative about the front-runner.  Face it folks, Newt is flailing, and we're watching him fall apart in real time.  Over the course of the next month, his money will begin to dry up, he will lose convincingly on Super Tuesday, and there will be little left of his candidacy but his own capacity to scare up publicity.

Newt, in happier days....

Newt's diatribe against Mitt last night was instructive; he complains about being outspent in Florida, yet fails to understand the true meaning of that fact--the other guy has a lot more money.  How does he have it?  He is more broadly popular, he has a far better organization, and he sorta, kinda knows how to do this running for President thing.  Newt's entire campaign springs from the mind of Newt, and that is its major fault.  He seems to think that his vaunted debating skills are all that are needed to put him over the top, and he has turned his broken record of debate challenges toward Mitt and away from President Obama.  Super, Newt.  If you were running for Prime Minister of Great Britain and had to do Prime Minister's Questions once a week, maybe that would matter.  But since you're running for the Chief Executive position in the US, perhaps your ability to lead/manage and organize the effort needed to actually pull off being elected for that office should weigh, oh, maybe a little bit with voters.  You're an amateur, Mr. Speaker, and your "People Power" candidacy isn't going anywhere.  Oh, you'll hang on and eventually "suspend" your candidacy (rather than just honorably throwing in the towel and supporting Romney fully), but your days are numbered and they are numbered because you simply aren't ready for prime time.