Santorum-Gingrich 2012?

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Well, it makes more sense than Gingrich-Perry 2012.

Santorum would obviously benefit from Gingrich getting out of the race and endorsing him, but does Gingrich, the egomaniacal blowhard who wants to maximize money-making opportunities for Newt Inc., really want to hitch his wagon to an anti-establishmentarian figure, and sure loser in November should he get the nomination, like Santorum? Seems unlikely, unless Newt really does think trying to unify the GOP's conservative majority, far-right conservative majority, is worth the effort (that is, wouldn't harm his brand).

Seems like the Gingrich campaign is doing a lot of floating these days.

The question is, does bullshit float?

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Here's a possible explanation for the Santorum-Gingrich floating: Maybe Gingrich is trying to scare Romney into making a deal.

As Jon Chait wrote yesterday, "[Newt's] continued presence in the race is highly valuable to Romney and the Party Establishment, and maybe he wants to leverage that asset."

Floating the possibility that he may get out and back Santorum (and get on the ticket) might just be enough to get Romney to give him what he wants. The question is, what? Money to pay off his debts? A Cabinet spot? He has an asset, to be sure, it's just not clear what he'd leverage it for.

Basically, he can go two ways with this, both of them self-aggrandizing. He can choose to help either Romney or Santorum. The question for him, no doubt, is which one would give him more in return.

It may be that simple.