COMMENTARY | Newt Gingrich's surge in the polls has been noted in Iowa and in early primary states such as New Hampshire and South Carolina. Now a new Rasmussen Poll shows Gingrich beating President Barack Obama, 45 percent to 43 percent.
The significance of the poll results cannot be overstated. The main argument against Gingrich is that he is too extreme, too conservative and too damaged by personal baggage to win in the general election. Many pundits have argued it is best to go with the more moderate, more sound candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
The argument that Gingrich cannot be elected president has been blown out of the water. What has caused the former Speaker of the House to surge in the polls, despite his personal history, despite his record of straying from conservative orthodoxy on issues like global warming and illegal immigration?
A great part of Gingrich's appeal has stemmed from his masterful command of the issues, which has been in evidence in a number of debate performances. The National Review's Jonah Goldberg has written Republican voters look forward to Gingrich going toe to toe with President Obama in a general election debate, comparing it to a matchup between Gandalf the Grey and Darth Vader in its appeal.
This would be a double pleasure if Obama were to succumb to Gingrich's demands for Lincoln-Douglas-style debates in which candidates would speak at length about the issues in contention. That is not likely. Goldberg refers to such an event as a presidential baloney marching into a Gingrich meat grinder.
The desire by Republicans -- and the poll suggests many others -- seems to have overridden doubts about Gingrich's various flaws. They see in Gingrich the strength to defeat the president in detail and then use his presidency to create an American free from encroaching government, one that encourages rather than discourages individual initiative.
During this campaign cycle, Gingrich has moderated his tendency to lash out at people who irritate him. He has, with only a few exceptions, usually involving members of the media, been calm, adult in his statements. This was noted by the Washington Examiner's Byron York about Gingrich's performance at an Iowa fundraiser in which he praised rather that attacked his fellow candidates.
Indeed, one might even call the new Newt presidential in his demeanor.
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