Newt Gingrich was in the news this weekend...

...as he converted to Catholicism. He's on his third marriage, has tons of personal baggage, and yet I could still see him as the early front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2012. If the economy doesn't show any signs of life by then, I think that a free-market type who opposed all the bailouts and expansion of government during the Bush and Obama years would have some credibility. Although there are a number that fit this description in the Republican Party (Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor, and Jeb Hensarling are just three that come immediately to mind), none has the stature or name recognition of Gingrich. As for the rest, Palin and Huckabee lack gravitas, Romney had his best shot in '08, and Jindal would probably make a better number two. Again, Gingrich has a ton of baggage and a self-destructive personality, but I think he's testing the waters for a run. I don't think his conversion is a coincidence; I think he's working on repairing his image. Admittedly it's early and if the economy recovers Obama will sail to reelection just as Ronald Reagan did in 1984. In that case no one will want to run against him. If not, I think I'd give Newt the inside track.