Reply #1: This is fascinating to watch

[karynnj]

It really looks like the Republican establishment from legislators who worked with Newt to some talking heads (Joe Scarborough, Rick Lowry of National Review) to Zell, who controls the Chicago Tribune and LA Times are all saying things about Newt that are worse than anything I ever heard from TPTB in a party of their front runner - and much of it is intensely personal, not political.

They are 4 weeks from the caucuses and they have three pretty flawed front runners. Newt is a pretty creepy person and it seems Republicans are coming out of the woodwork to say so publicly and on video. That will be a goldmine if he wins.

Romney, is so disliked by his party that we have seen the strongest "anybody but X" movement I ever saw. (The ABC movements in 1976 and 1992 never coalesced around a single candidate and Carter and Clinton won. In addition to that exceptionally low support, he can be hit on having no core political believes and the fact that he was a real life Gordon Gekko at a time where everyone hates Wall Street.

Next they have Ron Paul, who is prone to taking incredibly extreme positions - such as believing both edicare and SS are unconstitutional.

Next consider the personalities of both Newt and Romney - but especially Newt. What is his likely reaction to Romney now being supported by the Republican establishment. His standard method has been to demonize people in his way. I can't imagine he will go quietly. This will NOT be HRC and Obama arguing their relative strengths - often in tougher terms than they would if it were not a contest. I expect Newt will be vicious. Whoever wins will be irreparably damaged.