This article is from the archive of our partner .
It wasn't that long ago that some of the top conservative publications were in full-on Newt panic, but they're now a bit more mellow, just sitting back and enjoying the candidate make a fool of himself. Three months ago, National Review's editors wrote an un-endorsement that amounted to dear God, vote anyone but Gingrich. Matt Drudge unleashed tons of anti-Newt oppo research. Top conservative pundits decried his attacks on Romney's business career as "socialist" -- some demanded an apology. But things have changed. Gingrich has fallen from the top of polls -- twice. His southern strategy failed when he came lost Alabama and Mississippi this week. Now Newt is just putting on a good show.
He's taken to sounding like a misunderstood actress in an Esquire interview, telling supporters that he'd taken a three-and-a-half-hour nap on Southern Super Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal's Ryan Tracy reports. He told a group of supporters, "In my mind, every day's cool... I'm still here." The Washington Examiner's Charlie Spiering tallied all of Gingrich's latest moments lacking self-awareness and wonders whether the candidate is "losing his grip on reality." (Sample: “Our political system is so methodically and deliberately stupid.” Also: "Other than Ronald Reagan, I know of no Republican in my lifetime who's been able to talk like this ... that's why I'm still running, because the gap is so huge.")