Sadly Victor Davis Hansen is probably a Mitt shill.
VDH is nobody's "shill." He might be for Romney, I can't tell from his writing. But when he offers a critique, it's worth thinking about. I believe he's correct in his advice to Newt to get back on message and stop the mud-wrestling.
It may not be fair, but Newt is particularly bad at it. He should focus on what he's good at which is inspiring people.