A Coming Newt?

This ABC News report suggests that Newt Gingrich is more and more likely to make a run for president in '08:

Newt Gingrich for president? It could happen.

In an interview with Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning America," the former Republican speaker of the House said there was a "great possibility" that he would run for president.

He will make that decision sometime in the fall. Sawyer noted that previously Gingrich had only said he was "thinking about" a run for president.

"You said you'll make a decision at the end of the September,{is it} more likely, less likely this morning? Sawyer asked Gingrich. "I think right now, it is a great possibility," Gingrich said.

"A great possibility you'll run? Sawyer asked. But Gingrich declined to elaborate. "I don't want to get into all this stuff," Gingrich said. "I want to focus on what we have to do to make America successsful."

Newt obviously senses a weakness of the conservative side of the GOP ticket based on the announced candidates so far. Perhaps he's trying to short-circuit a Fred Thompson bid by dangling this bit of news out there.

Newt's an amazing idea guy, and somebody who should be listened to, but I don't think he has a prayer in the general election. He's sort of the Hillary Clinton of the GOP in terms of his negatives with Democrats and Independents. Anyone who was paying attention in the 90's will remember that the deep-seated political acrimony that's now a daily part of politics in the U.S. really got ramped up during the battles between Newt and President Clinton.

Newt clearly knew how to create a GOP majority, as he did in the 1994 elections, but he didn't know how to maintain and keep it, and it cost him the speakership after the 1998 election. I don't think he's the guy conservatives are looking for.