This is Gingrich's Checkers moment.
For a long time, the conventional wisdom about Nixon's Checkers speech was that it was a kitschy joke. Vice presidential candidate Nixon deflected charges that he was living off a secret slush fund by talking about Pat Nixon's "Republican cloth coat." As a calculated afterthought he admitted that the family had received one gift from a supporter: Checkers, the cocker spaniel that his two little girls loved. He vowed that he wouldn't give the puppy back.
The speech has been derided as sentimental, calculating, insincere and inane. What's sometimes overlooked is that it worked. Nixon saved his career by appealing to voters at the end to inundate the Republican National Committee with letters and telegrams asking Ike to keep Nixon on the ticket. Sentimental, calculating, insincere and inane. We're talking about American politics. Of course it worked.
Tonight Newt Gingrich faces a similar moment. A cresting wave of support may have been stopped by release of his second wife's interview bringing attention back Gingrich's adultery. She uses the devastating expression "open marriage" to describe the arrangement he sought to keep his marriage intact while still keeping the relationship Calista going. "Open marriage" is worse than "slush fund."
Nixon saved his place on the ballot by appealing to the voters' hearts. He went for wife, children and puppies. Gingrich has the chance to reach the same organ but through a different route. As he has done before, he needs to (and probably will) humbly admit his shortcomings and affirm his faith in redemption.
But to go full-Nixon he can't stop there. This is his chance to tell the voters that this election is about whether or not they believe in salvation itself. Just as Nixon told voters that their response to the speech would decide his place on the ticket, Gingrich needs to say that when they vote on Saturday they will be voting on their belief in the Christian idea of redemption of sin. I am a conservative visionary who wants to do so much for our nation, he should say, but with your vote you will decide if I, or any person, is entitled to God's promise of new life.
Romney has tried to make any attack on him an attack on free enterprise. Now Newt has a chance to double down on that and make any attack on him an attack on Christianity. A vote for Romney is a vote against redemption.