New Front Runner Confirmed: Indeed, it is Newt Gingrich.

First class political commentary by J Smithson

In all the most recent polls including Quinnipiac, Gallup and CNN International, Newt Gingrich is the front runner.

Probably more important than the "approval" ratings are the "favorability" ratings, and Newt, surprisingly, leads in this category as well. In CNN, his favorability rating is 43 compared to Romney's 41 and in Quinnipiac, his favorability rating is a very substantial 54 compared to Romney's solid 43 rating.

I think Gingrich did well in the CNN debate, last night. In fact, across the board, last night's debate was a great opportunity to hear the views of the candidates on the national security issue.

Cain is not quite there, yet. Ron Paul sounds like a whiny liberal on the issue; Huntsman is more the moderate pragmatist; Michele Bachmann is the solid TEA Party conservative as is Rick Santorum. Perry did much better last night, but really did not get past the "sound bite" stage of the game. Romney avoided saying anything that was controversial and Newt laid it on the line. That's probably why he is the front runner.

Understand that Newt likes the notion of being the long "intellectual" on the stage. He needs to be careful not to over play this label. He, also, tends to want to lecture others on proper debate conduct. Not good either. I remember Newt from the Clinton days and that gives me cause for caution. But, so far, so very good.

I do not think he is a pro-amnesty fellow. I liked his comments on the immigration issue. It really is complicated by some of what Newt pointed out, like it or not. I live in a community full of the very people he used to illustrate "the problem;" folks who have been here for years and years; people who now have American born families; illegals who are now married to legals. Its a mess, but these people are not evil or criminal ---- not the ones I know. Besides, I just don't understand how anyone thinks we are going to "export" 12 million people from this country. We - established Americans - have let this problem get way out of hand and as a result, the solution is a complicated one. Shutting down the border is the easy part. Telling the parents of American born kids, that they have to go, their family be damned, is another matter. Amnesty is not the answer - the path to citizenship and a consistent immigration policy are. . . . . . right after we close the border.