Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich thinks the road to the White House is longer and stranger than ever — and he ought to be concerned, considering he’s rumored to be joining the other candidates on that road soon. “These aren’t debates,” the Georgia Republican groused to CNN, comparing the recent debates to a cross between “The Bachelor,” “American Idol” and “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader.”

CNN.com:

“What’s the job of the candidate in this world?” asked Gingrich. “The job of the candidate is to raise the money to hire the consultants to do the focus groups to figure out the 30-second answers to be memorized by the candidate. This is stunningly dangerous.”

Gingrich said the need to raise tens of millions of dollars has driven campaigns to begin cranking up much earlier than ever. Meanwhile, he said, advisers are telling candidates to begin campaigning “as soon as possible — I need a check.”

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