Q&A #2: Newt Vs. Mitt

From the Twitters, "AltoidLover" asks:

Newt clearly isn't going to win the nomination, but how much damage do you think he can do as he stumbles on fueled by superpac?

That depends a great deal on how long the Adelsons, and/or others, decide they want to prop Newt up. He's not likely to have any momentum-driving victories in the next couple of weeks, so we'll see if the Adelsons want to keep paying for Romney-bashing ads in Super-Tuesday states and beyond, or just pack it in.

I wouldn't be stunned if Newt himself soldiers on, Buchanan-like, to keep building anti-establishment conservative cred and, of course, his mailing list. But that wouldn't matter much to anyone outside those circles -- unless he decides to leave the party and launch a third-party run. I doubt that would matter a whole lot in the final election, in terms of actual voters, but it could seriously mess with Mitt's head, and throw him off his disciplined anti-Obama strategy.

I actually think Rick Santorum may yet make a little trouble for Romney. Not to win the actual nomination, but maybe to get a little attention with his criticisms.