The Big Questions: By Mark Halperin

Wes Duvall for TIME

Can Newt Gingrich actually beat Mitt Romney for the nomination?

Amazingly, he can. Gingrich has a chance to build a coalition of religious conservatives (his three marriages and history of infidelity notwithstanding), Tea Partyers (despite his support for the TARP bailout and the Medicare prescription-drug benefit) and others looking to shake up Washington (if he can gloss over his multimillion-dollar influence-peddling past).

How does Newt match up with Mitt?

Many GOP voters find Romney too bloodless, blah and insincere. Gingrich, with his volcanic seething over Barack Obama, is the kind of high-octane warrior they want to send into battle next year....

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