Newt, the One They've Been Waiting For

Naples, Fla.

Newt Gingrich is running late, again. The rally at the Cambier Park bandstand was supposed to begin at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, but the headlining act is noticeably absent. The various co-hosts, local party leaders, and activists take turns on the microphone to tell “Newt stories” and to rally the crowd, while a brass band intermittently plays patriotic tunes.

There are a few thousand Gingrich fans here, milling on the lawn and in front of the stage and even in the trees. “We want Newt!” they cry.