So what about 2012?

Actually, the world is supposed to end in 2012. On 12/12/12. Or possibly 12/21/12, which is probably the winter solstice. That's what this guy told me when he came in to fix the thermostat on my furnace. All the planets will align or something. I thought it came from the Mayan calendar, but why the Mayans would know when the world would end is anyone's guess. More likely they just ran out of stone and figured 12/21/12 was so far into the future, they'd never live to see it anyway.

I don't believe the world will end in 2012, except for the Comrade, because we will get to elect another president.

So, last election I was hoping Newt Gingrich would run, and he hinted he might. However, with "Obamania" overwhelming any sort of rational decision-making in America, Newt never even threw his hat in the ring. He kinda-sorta-half threw his hat in the ring on Hannity the other night. That is, he and Callista have launched an "exploratory" Web site -- probably seeing what kind of reaction he'll get and also to see what kind of funds he can raise. I'm not being crass or cynical here. A presidential campaign takes lots of money.

I love Newt Gingrich. Partly because he stood up to Can't-Keep-It-Zipped Clinton like a pitbull, but also because he (Newt, that is) has an enduring interest in American history and a true and enlightened appreciation for this country. I mean, Newt taught US history before he got into politics. And with a guy named Forshtchen, Newt wrote a US Civil War trilogy -- kind of a what-if -- that was actually pretty good. It replayed the war, beginning with the question, "What if Meade had lost at Gettysburg?" That was the first book in the set.

At the time, I was writing a very different kind of Civil War novel -- mine focusing more on the civilian personal experience of the Civil War -- but I understand all the military stuff. So for days after reading the first book in Newt's trilogy I walked around with a heavy heart and knots in my stomach, depressed and wanting to scream in anguish due to the sacking of Harrisburg and Lee approaching Baltimore. (I was still having my main character's PTSD nightmares about Antietam at the time.)

One nice thing, I sent Newt Gingrich a copy of my novel -- uninvited -- and he sent me back a really nice personal thank you. I really appreciated that.

But I also truly believe that Newt Gingrich would make an excellent president. I think it's Hannity who keeps saying he'd love to see Newt and the Comrade in the debates. So would I, because I think the Comrade would be a little bit out of his depth in that situation. Newt Gingrich truly knows and understands America; the Comrade does not. The contrast would be unmistakable.The Comrade out there cheerleading like a community organizer, Newt with lots of insight and a broad frame of reference on policy. And respect for the Constitution.

The downside is Newt has a lot of baggage. Or, as the pollsters say, "a lot of negatives." Of course, anyone who actively engages in politics in the US on the conservative side is going to take some heavy fire -- especially from a blatantly liberal media establishment -- and Newt's had some pretty fierce experience. He's also been married three times.

So I kinda hope both the Tea Party and the independents will have given up on the concept of "can't we all just get along" by the time the big nominating conventions come along. I mean, Pazzo and Nero Reid, Howard Dean, Durbin -- the whole miserable crew of merry marxists -- they aren't going to give up. Why work together to fix the nation when they can work to make the "other guys" look bad? I mean, really, as the power-mad see it, there's not much at stake here. For them the only value the US has, really, is as a canvas for their grandiose ambitions.

Anyway, if the Tea Party and the independents are willing to trade harmony for effectiveness by this time next year, Newt will be the best available choice. We will need a fighter and someone with the tools to win -- and that means intelligence and a truckload of political experience.

Then on the same Hannity show where Newt made his semi-announcement, Rudy Giuliani came on, talking about the Middle East and everything else. Rudy reminded us all that the US is still just about the most powerful nation in the world. He noted that while all we hear about is recession and debt, the US economy is still three times the size of Red China's. And Rudy managed to hold it all together on 9/11 as Mayor of New York City -- and postponed the scheduled mayoral election to see the job through.

But Rudy's got the same kind of "negatives" as Newt Gingrich -- and also three wives, if I recall correctly.

But these two guys, either one I could very happily support. To tell the truth, I worry about Mitt Romney's association with socialized medicine in Massachusetts, realizing he couldn't have done that by himself; it was a statewide decision. I love Mike Huckabee, but I think the US right now needs someone with a harder edge. Though Huckabee has never failed to rise to the occasion. He's just such a nice guy....

And anyway, that's it for now. Been reading a lot about terrorist psychology. Stay tuned....

Save the Republic.