Newt in by end of October

Newt Gingrich said he would run for president only if the Fred Thompson campaign did not take off. Well, it hasn't taken off.

So Newt is going to have a press conference October 1st, where his campaign manager will ask for donations, and if he gets $30 million by the end of the month, he's in, according to the video below from Fox News.

Will Newt shake things up on the Republican side? Of course he will. But here's Jay Cost's analysis: "Newt Gingrich is so obviously unelectable that you'd think he wouldn't be considering a run." Cost points to polling results that shows Newt is not popular. He admits this might change if he jumps in the race.

Newt is a flawed candidate in a flawed Republican field. He has a real chance to be the nominee if he raises the money, though. He will light up the debates, and his unpopularity in the general election will not mean he won't win primary votes.