Yeah, I didn't mean to go all Kent (RIP) on y'all. I'm not saying that its completely fixed or that there's a puppetmaster pulling Gingrich's strings. But I do think that the parties, by use of strategic polling, media emphasis, and other means can create the perception of one candidate rising above the other. I don't think Herman Cain was ever as popular as some in the media were suggesting. And I don't think Gingrich is now either. I still believe they want to put multiple faces up there so that one presumptive nominee doesn't get too much flak too early. The Democrats have done this in the past as well.

Where Gingrich may get traction is that he's one guy who has clearly had some success and experience in limiting the growth of government. He had a helluva lot more to do with the fiscal surpluses that came during the Clinton years (for better or worse) than Bill did. But I think he's got too much other baggage: personal conduct, aggressive toward foreign interests, etc.

I still think the nominee will be Romney unless the Republicans decide en masse that they simply can't nominate a Mormon.

For Democrats here, you should want a Gingrich nomination. I think he'd get crushed by Obama, and a loss by him would be a real blow to the populists on the Right. I think it would effectively hand some power back to the business/moderate side of the Republican party.