Just to be clear, I’m not saying Newt is going to win the GOP nomination, by any stretch. Just that he is emerging as the most compelling national spokesman the Republicans have. Arguably, McCain fills that spot, but Newt is right up there. My quick ‘08 handicapping is that McCain continues to be the front-runner. His candidacy squeezes out Giuliani, who probably wouldn’t have a chance anyway. Frist appears not to be going anywhere. That leaves Romney and Allen competing to be the non-McCain conservative, and Romney has had a good couple of months. But I’m hoping Newt runs, just because he’s always interesting and will surely develop at least a few ideas that the eventual nominee will want to filch. From Newt’s perspective, though, he should run on the theory that “you just never know….”