What's Newt?

 Mo Money, Mo Problems

Before the first poll showing Newt in the lead had grown cold, the attacks started.

The attacks started because Newt's favorables are ridiculously high and as NotRomney's go, he's as plausible as the next guy.  The idea that Karl Rove - or one of his Myrmidons - isn't behind Romney's campaign is laughable.

The attacks also started because, c'mon.  It's Newt Gingrich.  Opposition research on Newt is as easy as a five minute Google search. (Though perhaps not as easy in that regard as a Santorum search.)

His ridiculous answer to the Freddie Mac question.  His non-existent campaign staff.  The innumerable flip-flops over the years.

Newt is a grifter.  Just like Herman Cain.  Just like Sarah Palin.  Romney's problem is that he can't sell the grift.  Which seems to mean that the GOP loves to be grifted.  They eat up being told the ridiculous crap they love to hear.

Unlike Cain or Palin, Newt will never be at a loss for words about Libya or Putin coming over the horizon or "In what sense, Charlie?"  Newt is a creature of the age.  I think the period since 1994 could be called the Age of Gingrich.

Romney and the GOP establishment will unload a sewer of allegations against Gingrich.  Most of the fecal ooze will be true.  But Gingrich can swim in that shit all day.

As always, it is folly to predict what will bring down Gingrich's surge.  Let's face it, Cain should've imploded a month ago, yet he's still kicking.

Given the relative unimportance of facts to the GOP electorate, all the breathless stories at TPM won't matter a damn.

Romney is the default setting.  When the lights go out on Bachmann Crazy Overdrive or Governor Goodhair or The Force Five Hermancain, then we reset to the default.

It really is a matter of timing.  Newt will flame out.  But will he do it before Iowa?