Newt Gingrich: Jeb Bush Not Running Over GOP Field 'Biggest Surprise' of Republican 2016 Battle So Far

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., offered his take on the Republican presidential contest this week and expressed surprise that former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., was not crushing the competition. 

“The 2016 Republican presidential nomination is the most open contest in the history of the Republican Party,” Gingrich insisted. “There are more candidates with serious potential than in any race in 160 years. There is no clear front-runner. 

“The voters are like shoppers who know they have a long time before they actually need to buy something,” Gingrich added. “They can have lots of opinions and change them cheerfully between now and when voting begins seven months from now.

“While outsiders are exciting and often impressive, the nominee is usually an experienced professional who has held public office and learned politics the hard way -- by doing it,” Gingrich continued. “The biggest surprise so far has been that Gov. Bush has not yet become dominant despite his record as governor, his family ties to two presidents, and his access to an enormous nationwide fundraising system that has been growing since his dad's first race for president in 1980. The vacuum this has created is being filled by different people in different states.”

Gingrich thought Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wis., was “arguably” Bush’s main rival though he also noted U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s, R-Fla., “very successful launch"  made him competitive as well.