How would Barack Obama fare against Newt Gingrich?

[boxman15]

I don't know how to feel about Newt's sudden rise. I used to think that anyone except Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman would be blown out by President Obama, but Newt is different. Sure, his ideas are batshit insane just like Herman Cain or Michele Bachmann, but Newt is a fantastic speaker. When you listen to Cain, Bachmann, or Perry, anyone with a brain should be able to tell that these guys are full of shit. But, to quote Paul Krugman, Newt Gingrich is a stupid man's idea of what a smart man sounds like.

He is a student of history and throws in historical references whenever he can in debates and speeches. While the left sees him as a pompous, arrogant asshole, the right and plenty in the center see Newt as an intelligent, passionate conservative. And this scares me. Sure, he has lots of baggage (like his disastrous Speaker term and being with his third wife), but America has a very short memory. No one will remember or care about what he did in the 1990s.

I really feel like Newt would give the President a run for his money, unfortunately. Even though his ideas are batshit insane, he would sound like he's hanging with Obama in a debate. I don't know, I could see this as being a very close race.

What do you all think? Am I right, or am I just over-thinking this?