Newt Gingrich’s bubble burst weeks ago, but the after-shocks of his collapse are still being felt in the Republican race. By choosing to launch a bizarre attack on Mitt Romney from the left, Gingrich did little damage to the frontrunner but he managed to besmirch his already tattered image even further. After a disastrous showing in New Hampshire where he is battling Rick Santorum for the dubious distinction of finishing a distant fourth, Gingrich is now headed for an even more disappointing outcome in South Carolina.

Despite a massive infusion of funds from wealthy contributors, Gingrich has virtually no chance at this point of coming back and winning the nomination. Though he pledged to go on to South Carolina in a lackluster concession speech, all he can accomplish at this point is to further sabotage Rick Santorum’s meager hopes of becoming the sole conservative “non-Romney” in the race. Even more to the point, by continuing to echo leftist Occupy Wall Street smears of Romney’s business career, he will ensure that the legacy of his presidential campaign is that of a bitter loser who sought unsuccessfully to bring down the ultimate nominee.