Actually Mary Katherine Ham, over at "The Weekly Standard," has a much more positive, and accurate, take on Gingrich's comments:

The headline of Newt Gingrich's appearance on "Face the Nation" today has been that he declared that Sarah Palin will not be the future of the GOP. What he actually said was less inflammatory and more sensible.

What he did was praise her as a "wonderfully aggressive, intelligent, hard-working person" and say that, while an asset, she's not the guaranteed leader of the party. He took the star of this election and placed her in a constellation of up-and-coming Republican governors, such as Mitch Daniels of Indiana, Jon Huntsman of Utah, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, and Mark Sanford of South Carolina.

Jindal was on hand to argue that conservative governors can make concrete changes in their states and demonstrate that conservative ideas can be a solution to real problems-- a message that was entirely lost in the presidential campaign, but has not been lost on the people of Lousiana. He also refused the Palin-bashing bait Bob Schieffer so desperately wanted him to take: "Didn't it bother you when Sarah Palin stole the show at the Republican Governors' Association?" Thank you, Regina George, new moderator of "Face the Nation."

Of the media's treatment of Palin post-election, Gingrich said: "They know how to spell Sarah Palin's name. They've got it locked in their word processors. She's going to be a much bigger story in the short term."

He's right. The media wants desperately to talk about 2012 and Sarah Palin, when conservative leadership needs to be talking about now and 2010. Sarah Palin is a force, but she will not be the only force. She should neither be summarily dismissed (as some have been far too eager to do) nor prematurely anointed, and avoiding too much preoccupation with the debate would be wise.

In short, Palin is one, very good, "front" for pressing the Donks on 2010 and 2012. However, Gingrich, the Civil War historian, quite rightly recommends a Sherman- and Grant-style multi-front strategy for taking on the Donks. "Hit'em where they are...and also hit'em where they aren't. Candidate Obama infamously intoned "We can do more than one thing at a time," but I'm not so sure President Hope & Change, as well as his party, will be able to deal with a blizzard of GOP initiatives and, yes, attacks coming in from all points of the compass at the same time. If Obama actually complains about this, I would suggest the following measured GOP response: "You wanted to be President and you got your wish. Life's a bitch. Deal with it."

Sarah may be easy on the eyes for you guys, but I gotta tell you The First Dude has got everything going for him and nothing going against. I'll bet he even knows how to load the dishwasher. I think they used to say Hubba Hubba.

MarkJ,

Good stuff from Mary Katherine Ham, but I still think Morgan Freeberg's point holds, which is "Who died and made you Pope?" Gentle amusement from our betters (Newt, Brooks, Frum, et al) right now will guarantee the Elephant's future lack of relevance, I think.

Governor Palin just galvanized the electorate, for good or ill. Diffusing and squandering that kind of momentum is, as Gerard points out, suicidal. Simple inertia establishes that an object once in motion is easier to keep in motion.

I have great respect for Newt Gingrich, but it's worth pointing out that his Civil War scholarship is expressed in novels of "Alternative History", or "what the world would have been like if something different had happened." The Alternative History in which Sarah Palin never entered the race could very well have been one which included no Republican Party at all.

In my opinion.

The Democrats fear Palin, as do the Old Guard Republican kingmakers. She'll be their target from now until she either destroys the GOP, deposes Barack Obama, or quits public life in favor of privacy and sanity.

I don't think Mrs. Clinton has a shot in 2012. She'd have to run against the Democratic incumbent, and no matter how badly Obama might disgrace himself, the party would not permit that. After all, they nominated Jimmy Carter in 1980!

Well, for me the dream team in 2012 would be a Palin/Jindal ticket. I don't care which is the head. By that time, Palin will have 6 years as governor of Alaska, Jindal will have 4+ years as governor of Louisiana.
Of course, given that Palin is a pro-life evangelical Christian, and Jindal is a Catholic convert, the ticket would drive the abortionist crowd absolutely nuts. (Which I consider a feature, not a bug.)

You're kind of right, Francis although we can argue about 'destroying the GOP'; she came to power on reform agenda, first on the city council, than mayor, than petroleum commissioner, which she resigned on principle? who does that anymore. Than was the Sarkozy like reformer when she challenged the Murkowski/Stevens machine. She doesn't have a billet as Asst Secretary of Defense yet; but otherwise that's right of the Teddy Roosevelt playbook.

Yes, Palin/Jindal is my dream ticket in 2012 as things now stand.

She electrified the conservative base. I cannot think of another instance in American history where the Vice Presidential candidate was wildly more popular than the Presidential candidate. Many, many people who pulled the "R" lever did so for Palin, not McCain. I even saw one yard sign that had been cut and pasted to read "Palin/McCain".

She might very well have dragged McCain across the finish line if the financial meltdown hadn't occurred. That had long been my nightmare scenario for this election. Economic panic tends to benefit socialists, and that's exactly what happened this time.

I have never seen such a hellstorm of abuse, lies, and unhinged hatred leveled at a political candidate. A candidate, mind you, not an officeholder. (Yes, she's Governor of Alaska, but I don't get the impression that Alaskans hate her like that.) I remember Reagan hatred in the '80s, Clinton hatred in the '90s, and Bush hatred in the '00s, but Palin Derangement Syndrome took it to a whole new level. And this against someone who seems pretty wholesome and decent as politicians go. It really took my breath away.

No doubt about it, the media, the left-wing feminists, the Democrats, AND the Republican leadership are scared shitless of her.

I wrote her a brief letter a few days after the election. Just to thank her, express my disgust at the way she was treated, and to offer my best wishes to her and her family. I hope she gets a million letters and e-mails from all over the country.

All this aside, the GOP still needs a 'deep bench', a farm-team (the Democrats have had both for decades) and inspiring, visionary and competent leadership.

The GOP can't rely on just Palin. She may have momentum, but that alone isn't going to rebuild the party, bring in the volunteers, find candidates to retake Congress, the governorships, and the White House over the next few elections.

And to put it bluntly, reformers aren't good long-term leaders.

Although he's almost brilliant, Newt lost me for good when he did the global warming ad with that dolt Pelosi.

Pappy, Palin is the signpost and the streetlight for future conservatives. As a reformer, she may or may not be a good long term leader, but we Republicans need to reformat and recover our status as an actual functioning political party before we'll have to even start worrying about that.

Newt did miracles in the early nineties. That time is over and will not return. It's going to be fun watching Obama disappoint and alienate his base, one entitlement niche at a time, and see Palin and company start building tomorrow's GOP.

We lost one two weeks ago, at the trailing end of the Newt Era. If we don't want to lose another in two years, and another, and another, we'd better start listening to our next generation.

Retire with honor, Newt. We love you and we appreciate your service, but the curtain has fallen on the Contract With America. A new sheriff has riden into town - on a snowmobile. Get over it.

Ignore Newt and you will be fine. To borrow a phrase, he jumped the shark a while back.

Palin and Bobby both have a bright future in the GOP. Both need more experience - and they have 4 to 8 years to get it. It would be foolish to put either up against Barry if his reelection looks like a sure thing. If he does as badly as I think he will either of them - or the two of them together - would be a great option.

Nice to see a future GOP that isn't the exclusive playground of white guys.

This is going to come off as mean but take a look at Bobby Jindal. Good man though he is, I don't see women swooning over him and voting-- and American women tend to vote for the dad they wish they'd had or the for the guy who looks like the husband they wish they'd had.

Two weeks ago I removed the 'Canes for McCain' home-made banner from my walking-stick, but the smaller
'Palin/Jindal '12' sticker has been there since Sept., and will remain for now.