NEWT CRASHES AND BURNS – AT 9:59 A.M. ET:  There's the old saying that there are no second acts in American life.  That's not true, of course.  Many who fail go on to succeed.   But in politics, with the great exception of Richard Nixon, successful second acts are very hard to come by.  And Nixon's second-act final curtain did not come down gracefully.

Now it seems to be Newt's turn.  The former speaker entered the presidential race just days ago, and has already crashed and burned.  Toby Harnden, the sharp-eyed observer of American politics for London's Telegraph, reports on the obituaries already being written:

Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign, barely a week old, is already in trouble after he was forced to apologise for launching an attack on a rising star from his own Republican party.

Mr Gingrich also suffered embarrassment when it was revealed that he had at one point owed up to $500,000 (£309,000) to the jewellery store Tiffany, apparently for items bought for his third wife Callista.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives has flatly refused to talk about the credit card bill.

Both incidents appeared to confirm what even his supporters fear – that he is too undisciplined and has too much personal and political baggage to be a credible contender for the Republican nomination.

They also underline Republican concerns about the strength of its primary field a year ahead of the presidential election. No single candidate has broken out of the pack and several senior figures have opted not to run.

COMMENT:  All correct.  Newt's role is that of an idea man within the party, but, as I saw in a small meeting he addressed last year, he's all over the place, has little control of his message, and throws out proposals without thinking them through.  He is not going to be nominated, and I would doubt that he'll be in the race very long.

May 19, 2011