Newt Gingrich evidently fancies his chances as the next Republican candidate for President.

This may be partly because of who he sees when he looks at the obstacles in his way:

Gingrich has been mentioned as a possible 2012 presidential candidate along with other Republicans, including former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

You don’t have to have particularly strong mind-reading skills to know what Gingrich is thinking to himself as he looks at the competition: none of these clowns stands a snowball’s chance in hell, so I may as well step in and cruise to an easy victory.

Now, if Gingrich had any mind-reading skills at all, he’d realize that each of the other three presumptive candidates is thinking the exact same thing. Of if he had any kind of memory for relevant past events, he might remember that, the last time around, these exact same thoughts were what caused candidates like Rudee Giuliani and Fred Thompson to utterly embarrass themselves.

Unfortunately for Gingrich, he doesn’t (have any mind-reading skills at all, or any kind of memory for relevant past events). With the result that he seems to be starting to set himself up to have his ass handed to him (and pretty early in the presidential primary season, too, I warrant):

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Monday he’s seriously considering seeking the Republican presidential nomination and will announce his decision early next year.

Gingrich, 67, told The Associated Press that he would focus on helping Republican candidates through the midterm elections in November, then decide in February or March whether to seek the GOP nomination.

“I’ve never been this serious,” Gingrich said.

“It’s fair to say that by February the groundwork will have been laid to consider seriously whether or not to run,” he said.

Gingrich, in Des Moines for a fundraiser and workshop for local Republican candidates, predicted President Barack Obama would be a one-term president. Obama’s poll numbers have dropped below 50 percent, and Gingrich predicted they would continue to fall, making him vulnerable in 2012.

Gingrich is obviously hoping that The Party of No is not just The Party of “Yes, boss!” but, when it comes to choosing tomorrow’s leader, it’s also The Party of Yesterday.

And I know that he fancies himself as a pundit, but Swami Sarabeth brooks no competition, and certainly not from the likes of Chewt Gingrich (I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I was talked into using that term by Indian friends who assure me that it is a) obscene, and b) an entirely appropriate way to refer to this twit).

So I’ll match his prediction with one of mine: Gingrich will be a zero-term president.

And, last but not least: Chewt, ya, Newt! (Same caveat as before, except that “Chewt, ya” is apparently even funnier than just “Chewt”.)