There are a number of people who are at least possibly shamelessly auditioning to be Trump’s VP – including Ben Carson, who saved several states for Trump on Super Tuesday, and John Kasich, who is busy saving states for him AFTER Super Tuesday. Also, Chris Christie has been completely irrelevant in every contest this year, but he is an allegedly serious person who is doing a reasonable job of imitating someone who doesn’t think Donald Trump is a clown, and a VP audition can really be the only possible reason for that.

None, however, has been more shameless than Newt Gingrich, who has been busy working on suppressing his gag reflex for months while he says things like “Donald Trump’s foreign policy speech was great,” and, “Boy, Washington insiders really don’t get Trump, but thankfully I, as a non-Washington insider, can really get behind what he is saying.”

I would wager that Newt has virtually no chance of being picked as Trump’s VP since he brings really nothing to the table, but then again, Trump is basically known for making horrible personnel choices. And so here is Newt, standing in line like the short fat kid in gym class, with his pudgy hand thrust in the air and screaming “PICK ME! PICK ME!” even though everyone there knows he will get picked last.

Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, as well as Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama and the retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, said in interviews that they would consider joining the ticket if Mr. Trump offered. Two governors, Chris Christie of New Jersey and Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, have also told allies that they were open to being Mr. Trump’s running mate.

“If a potential president says I need you, it would be very hard for a patriotic citizen to say no,” Mr. Gingrich said. “People can criticize a nominee, but ultimately there are very few examples of people turning down the vice presidency.”

Sad and desperate, that a man who built a career as an idea man has come to this. It’s probably a good thing for the country, though, that when the Trump Train finally sails off the tracks and into oblivion, it will be taking Newt Gingrich with it.