[Maneesh]

"Here are the requirements for the 2008 nominee:

Fiscally conservative
Socially conservative
Good communicator "

That is an excellent list. I would add to that
Minimum personal baggage and ability to connect with people.

On this issue Newt fails horribly and this is the factor that will get at least 10% of the votes required to win so he is a non starter. We have to stop thinking that the candidate has to satisfy us at FR only and expand our thinking to people who will never come to FR and are not ideologues but will vote for a non-offensive, non-polarizing & likeable person: Mitt Romney is very strong on this point.

[B Knotts]

I don't think Romney is perceived as socially conservative. Otherwise, he's probably OK. He's kind of an unknown outside of the Northeast, though.

But, I think you underestimate Newt's communicative abilities. He is not "Newt 1996" anymore.