The moon is not enough

If this election were largely about space exploration, I would vote for Newt Gingrich hands down. It would be wonderful to have a president who knows about space, cares about space, and is attuned to innovative ideas such as cash prizes for exploration milestones. But I also recall (from Robert Zubrin's Mars book) that Newt was talking about space prize legislation back in the '90s; and I don't recall any follow-through. More importantly, this is the same Newt who demagogued the "Ground Zero Mosque," and who flits among faddish ideas and management theories even while his own management style degenerates routinely into pure chaos. He's also the same Newt who flip-flopped on global warming out of political expediency. Plus, his personal life and character are not exactly confidence-inspiring. So, much as I'd love a moon base, still no thanks, Newt.