I hope Newt runs in 2008. He will enliven the race, raise important issues and will not allow other candidates to spend their time dealing in fluff. But — and this is not a criticism of him, honestly — barring a colossal change in the way Americans choose their leaders, it’s nearly impossible to see how he wins. He was a major figure on the national stage and he became in very short order the most disliked person in America. Yes, he was the subject of a vicious media barrage, but the simple fact of the matter is that he has been tested in the arena and did not have mass appeal.