Weekly Standard Likes Newt Gingrich's Chances

Look out, Mitt. The conservative Weekly Standard thinks Newt Gingrich has a legit shot at being the nominee. In the new cover story, Fred Barnes writes that GOP voters are so "obsessed" with defeating President Obama they'd be willing to overlook Gingrich's "past sins," including his three marriages and policy forays with Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. Romney remains "bland" in the eyes of many GOP voters, and Gingrich is most definitely not bland, adds Barnes.

If Gingrich can avoid his tendency to go off on reckless tangents, the race could be his. "He’s hardly a perfect candidate, but against a weak field, he can win the nomination and beat Obama in a tight race," writes Barnes. In his own column, editor William Kristol adds that it would be a mistake to consider Romney the "inevitable" nominee, just as it would be a mistake to assume that Gingrich will fade in the polls as Bachmann, Cain, and Perry have. He's a savvy politician, and "he could be formidable." (Click to read how Gingrich's website is taking the offensive against critics.)