I don’t see Newt as a small government guy, he is more of a reformer, innovator than he is a cutter. He did say he’d roll back to 2007 level spending where possible but clearly cutting government is not what Newt is about. Reform Yes, Cut, slash and Burn, not so much. Folks that want to really cut government would make getting rid of the income tax by eliminating the 16th Amendment a top priority since it is the income tax that enables big government.
I thought in the 80's that what Reagan did and believed was so natural and normal, that there must be a million "Reagans" who could follow up after he was gone.
Little did I know how tough it would be to get a sincere "America first" candidate prepared to run and take office in the White House. The Gingrich-Reagan comparison below illustrates I think why finding "another Reagan" is tough (but not impossible):
Reagan was the man for the time. Reagan handled power well because he didn't really care for it. Power was only a means to an end for Reagan. Reagan's end was, in a sense, an end of power, a reduction of government power including his own. Reagan didn't seek office - the office sought him. And as the plaque on his desk said, he was able to so much because it didn't matter to him who got the credit.
This may be the most substantive difference between Reagan and Gingrich. I think Gingrich wants the power and (maybe) the glory and (I think) the credit. Yes, I hope he wins the nomination and the election, but I worry about him if he's ever again in power. I think real success tends to flee from us when our success becomes the most important thing to us.