"It is time for the Republican primary voters to rediscover Newt Gingrich."

(This was written a while ago, but I only now got a chance to post it because of all the news lately.

Steve McCann writes, in part, on AmericanThinker.com:

Of the remaining viable candidates, there is only one who is not a part of the establishment, has laid out a viable plan to rescue the country, is not intimidated by the mainstream media or the Democrat smear machine, is knowledgeable of how to get drastic changes through the congressional legislative meat grinder, is more than capable of overwhelming Barack Obama in a debate, is experienced in foreign affairs, has a record of conservative legislative accomplishments, and can articulate to the American people as to where he will take the country. It is time for the Republican primary voters to rediscover Newt Gingrich.

Having been on the national stage for over 20 years and subject to nonstop vilification by the media, as well as seeing exaggerations about his personal marital matters splashed across the front pages, many know Newt only by the caricature of him painted by the media and his adversaries. Further, in a career spanning such a long period, he has naturally angered some on the right by his previous stances on various issues or by appearances with various left-wing Democrats. But no one questions his intelligence, willingness to buck the establishment, or accomplishments as Speaker of the House, when under his leadership America enjoyed not only a balanced budget, but surpluses used to pay down the debt. Further, he has been accused of being abrasive in his dealing with politicians and the media -- but isn't that what the country now needs?

The next president of the United States must be audacious, experienced, and above all capable of achieving dramatic change. Ronald Reagan once reminded the Republican Party that its core tenets must be painted in bold colors and not pale pastels. Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain are the bold colors, while Mitt Romney and Rick Perry are cloaked in pale pastels. It is clear that in the final analysis, the nomination will come down to Mitt Romney and the anti-establishment candidate; within the present field, the person best suited for the latter role is Newt Gingrich.