I love Mr. Newt and would vote for him in a heartbeat (he has even come out on Rush against illegal immigration, unlike the current administration.)
BUT, don't you think his reputation in the MSM from a few years ago would be hard to overcome? Most people, sad to say, don't really think for themselves. This excludes Freepers, of course.
Every potential candidate (left and right) that I can think of has a negative connotation that he or she needs to overcome. Gingrich has certainly been demonized by the left, but he would have an easier time winning the nomination than you might think. In a debate in front of a Conservative audience, he would score a lot of points off of RINOs like McCain and Giuliani. In a national election, put him against somebody like John Kerry, Al Gore or Hillary Clinton (the three names I hear thrown around on the left), and he would destroy them. He has a much more engaging personality than any of the three. Clearly, he is a lot smarter than any Republican presidential candidate since Nixon. And he has a great sense of humor. Most of what mainstream America knows about Newt they got from John Stewart or SNL's weekend update. I welcome the opportunity for voters to compare him to the three Democrat frontrunners. Newt's a charming guy.
BTW, personally, I disagree that so-called "border security" deserves the attention it's getting.