Look, I have my disagreements with Paul Ryan's Medicare reform proposal, but calling it "right-wing social engineering" is a level of demagogy that not even President Obama has stooped to (yet).  The only Medicare policy proposal Gingrich offered (and I'm using the word "proposal" loosely) is to eliminate waste.  Behold the idea factory at work.  He also came out for new tax cuts.  But don't worry about the trillion dollar budget deficits as far as the eye can see.  He will bring those budgets under control by (wait for it...) cutting waste.  He also referred to himself as a "proposer of very serious, very fundamental policy change." 

Several political scientists I have great respect for have been discussing whether they would prefer Gingrich or Palin as Republican nominee and President if it came to a constrained choice between the two.  Palin.  By a mile.