By Peggy Noonan
One way Newt is unlike Reagan is that Reagan was a constructive figure, not destructive. If Newt is the donkey who knocked down the barn, Reagan’s the guy who’d build it. He wasn’t driven by need, and anger wasn’t his fuel. He was equable, even-tempered, personally content. Martin Anderson always said Ronald Reagan didn’t need high office to feel good, Ronald Reagan dated Lana Turner. He already thought he was quite a fella.
If this is a wild ride, is Newt Gingrich Mr. Toad? It just might work in Florida, home to Disney World–though I’ve heard the Magic Kingdom dropped that ride some years ago.