I think Newt will stay in 3rd place. He has as much baggage as Myth. Let's not forget that Newt was an actual Rockefeller Repub. He actually worked on his campaigns. His Conservatism was for convenience and can be seen in recent years as questionable.
Oh, what a telling pic! Look at the faces behind him. Is that a Kennedy on the left? The privileged few who care so much for your chilrun! How many $$$ millions do you suppose are in this photo?
I think you can forgive a politician a little bit for behaving like a politician. As Speaker even (and perhaps even afterwards, with ideas of a comeback) one has to get things done.
Forgive, a little bit, I said. Certainly Newt is not ideal, and he seems to me short on plans and ideas though I admit I have not studied his campaign material. Still I think he’d make a decent teammate to help overcome the deficiencies of Cain, or Perry, or anyone else on the stage the same way Biden was selected because he “knows Washington” and knows Foreign Affairs where Obama was said to be inexperienced. Except for Newt and maybe Santorum the whole GOP stage is short on Washington experience. I think it is a good thing in many ways but people will worry. Newt could help allay concerns.