Rich Lowry criticizes Gingrich. Much of the editorial is too soft on Newt but this is about right:
He can’t help himself. Gingrich prefers extravagant lambasting when a mere distancing would do, and the over-arching theoretical construct to a mundane pander. He is drawn irresistibly to operatic overstatement — sometimes brilliant, always interesting, and occasionally downright absurd.
Replace "occasionally" with "usually" and the paragraph reads true. Ask yourself: when as Gingrich ever said he was somewhat intrigued by something, or that he was moderately persuaded, or that something was a minor development? It's beyond him. But an ability to make such distinctions is precisely what makes someone a thinker. Gingrich is not a thinker; he's an enthusiast and narcissist who uses the rubric of ideas to advance his own ambition. He's a fraud.
The Dish 