Coulter is right (this time)...

I couldn't, for the life of me, understand Gingrich's meteoric rise.

It's true that of all the "real" choices (excluding Ron-let Iran have a nuke-Paul), each of the three remaining candidates have won one state: Santorum in Iowa, Romney in New Hampshire, & Gingrich in South Carolina. However, Gingrich is now 9 points ahead of Romney in Florida & clearly it is his campaign that has the momentum.

Why?

If you're a Tea Partier, clearly Santorum is the solid choice given Romney has Romney-Care in Mass, and Gingrich has a 20 year record of supporting the insurance mandate (not to mention the FDR/Wilsonian Realpolitik mess I've discussed here before).

If you're voting on "who can win", then the most camera-friendly, the one most capable of rasing money, not to mention the only guy that in national polls consistently beats Obama, is Romney. Plain and simple.

So what hole, what "need" is Gingrich filling? The guy has the highest national negatives of any in the field at 27%. What is the deal here?

And then Coulter's recent comments made it make sense, for me.

No one is better at read meat for Conservatives than Gingrich. Let me put it another way - Gingrich is MEAN. I mean to say he's tough, he gets in your face. Have you seen him in these debates? He goes for the throat, every time. He leaves bodies in his verbal wake. He crushed CNN's John King for opening the debate with a question about his "open marriage" request (so says the ex misses Newt). He has the ability to give short, concise, glib, tough-talk answers, and turn the answer into a cutting attack. And I'm not saying that's good or bad, I'm just saying he's good at it (the best on stage to be sure).

So why is that attitude, that characteristic playing well with the GOP base right now? I mean, ol' Dubya couldn't do that.

Simple - the GOP base doesn't just want to beat Obama. They want him rhetorically b*tch-slapped. On stage, in from of the nation, at debates, in commercials, at town halls, during speeches, they don't just want him to lose, they want him to squirm. To sweat. For someone to finally rhetorically grab him by the lapels and say "what the hell's a matter with you?!" In short, they want to put the hurt on him.

Ok, I get that sentiment ... but it's a bad strategy (& Coulter agrees, she supports Romney).

You may end up getting the one guy that will routinely thrill you by going for the jugular, but still lose the race. Neither Romney nor Santorum will be as vicious, but I think they can win. Gingrich's preloaded baggage, his negative name I.D., his inability to be a consistent conservative, these will hurt more than servicing GOP blood lust will help ... at least I think so.

My advice to the GOP base is exactly what I told my undefeated 5th grade football team this year: "When they talk smack, answer them in the end zone."

I hope we don't send out the one guy up there with questionable hands just because he knows the best cheers ... ugh.