But, I would like to point out a couple of things:

As Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich most certainly does have executive experience, and of a world-class sort: He set agendas, moved legislation, assigned committee memberships, oversaw policy, etc. While I may not agree with much of his rants and rhetoric over the years, I don’t think this can be denied.

Also, I would not use the “executive experience” module for more than it’s worth. Jimmy Carter had “executive experience”. Abraham Lincoln didn’t. LBJ won state wide elections. Eisenhower didn’t. So what?

I, too, am very hep to Santorum. He’s a first-rate man.

It’s amazing how substance and facts barely matter to most, for none of the substantive candidates are front-runners.

This deserves to be front-paged IMO.

Then why is he leading in virtually every poll out there??

For sake of completeness you should also add in statewide losses. Bonus for figuring out how much the candidate exceeded the Republican baseline in that state… a win in PA is more impressive than a win in TX or UT. But then again there is that big loss…

A very interesting read/frame for understanding why candidates win/lose, and secondarily, how to assess Presidential leadership is this book that was the text for a grad school course I took in 2004 on the “History of the Presidency”.

Stephen Skowronek: “The Politics Presidents Make: Leadership from John Adams to Bill Clinton.” Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1993

Skowrenek’s typology forces each president into a political identity that is either opposed or affiliated with his predecessor, whose ‘previously established commitments’ are either vulnerable or resilient.

The dilemma for the GOP is to find the candidate who is NOT-Obama, but also NOTBush43.

Probably why Gingrich is doing so well in the polls, besides his debate skills.
and why so many dems wish Bill Clinton could run again.

Of course, using Skowrenek’s typology, Nixon should have easily beat JFK in 1960, and Bush41 should have easily won re-election in 1992.

Trying to find a candidate who can overcome the very real Bush43+Obama Derangement Syndromes, is why nothing makes sense today except for voter anxiety.

It does explain why Jon Huntsman’s name keeps popping up, and why Rick Perry has to prove he is NOT “another governor from Texas/dumber than W” – still the most difficult stereotype he has to overcome.

BTW, Rick Santorum needs to ditch that jacket he wore today on Face the Nation. Never wear plaids or houndstooth-checks on television.

As much as it pains me to agree with her on anything, the candidates really are interchangeable Legos from my perspective.