Seriously straining the limits of "serious"

Well, Newt Gingrich has more or less made it formal, he is running for the Republican nomination for President. Would this be an example of the smell hitting the fan five minutes ahead of the shit?

The throwback conservative is not only not going to have to slog through a crowded and growing GOP field, but Gingrich is going to have to battle growing discontent among Republicans voters with the selection of candidates this election cycle. Somehow, I doubt the arrival of the former House Speaker and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is going to do a lot to light any fires on the right side of the aisle.

Both Gingrich and Romney have checkered pasts as far as new-school conservatives are concerned when it comes to one of the real hot-button issues: healthcare. Romney and his healthcare bill need no further explanation, and Gingrich helped create a health care benefits package while wheeling and dealing a balanced budget with President Clinton.

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While popular opinion seems to hold that Gingrich and Romney entering the fray makes the GOP nomination race more "serious," I fail to see how Gingrich is a serious contender. He may not be Donald Trump-rich, but he is damn sure Donald Trump ridiculous, and that is not a crack about hair, either.

As for Romney, it's like he's been far enough back in the shadows for you to still realize he's there, but you just can't be sure what the hell he's been doing back there.

I guess at this stage in the proceedings, we should at least be thankful there are two more contenders people have actually heard of.

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