[LS]

He's welcome to run. Perhaps he will "raise the level" of debate, perhaps not. More likely, his gaffes and misquoted comments will BECOME the subject of the debate, not "conservatism." And in that respect, he'll do far more harm than good.

[Gideon Reader]

OK.
If you believe that.
His money, his run, and I do not see the harm to the right.
Except some Republican candidates may look like a
load of not too bright wish-I-weres, or shoulda studieds.
He has not made many public gaffes, and I would say his greatest threat is to the Republicans on the primary stage with him in positional or philosophical debate.
Implode/Explode? I do not think so.
Dead Tree media hate for him? Of course they hate Newt.
They hate all but the most pallid, beige, RINOs or the "Dont I appear to be almost a Democrat" candidates, who will try to make grey any Republican platform. Newt is the un-Christy Whitman. The un-Lamar Alexander, the un-John McCain, and certainly the debate between a dullard and dull speaker like Hillary Clinton or an empty suit script reader as is B.Hussein Obama, would be delicious for those with a taste for watching the word by word destruction and philosophical bloodletting of political lightweights, who have gained their stature from the unearned adulation of their suporters and the inflation of reputation that comes from constant political undermatching and industrial strength ass kissing./p>