I think Newt is inching closer to the ring where he’ll throw his hat:

Check out his dim view of the competition — to say nothing of Chris Matthews and Hardball (Via The Daily Dish):

“You’re watching an utterly irrelevant, shallow television celebrity dominate everybody who claimed they want to lead the most powerful nation in the world.”

Them’s publicity seekin’ words. The kind that will soon have the former speaker on Hardball himself.

Steve Clemons at the Washington Note is predicting Newt Gingrich will throw his hat in the 2008 presidential ring.

When the Republican front runner is none of the above, there’s surely an opening.

Though I’m frankly terrified that the man who’s already declared WWIII could actually become president, I’m half rooting for Newt to get in this thing. He’s the only one on the GOP side (other than Ron Paul) who brings big transformative ideas to the table. He’s got a seriousness of vision and scope that Rudy “9/11!” Giuliani and Mitt “Double Guantanamo” Romney just can’t match.

And though it would play out like a nasty ’90s rerun, Newt would give Hillary fits too.

I don’t think he’s likeable.

I don’t think his personal story sits well with the religious right.

And ultimately I don’t think he’s electable — not this cycle anyhow.

But he’d introduce some game-changing ideas that could ultimately force even Hillary to throw caution to the wind.