One day after Newt Gingrich appeared on Fox News Sunday sounding very much like a candidate conceding electoral defeat, he appeared on the Hannity show and blamed the “elite media” for suggesting he was leaving the race. He insisted he'd be in it "all the way to Tampa" before giving himself some important wiggle room, saying he'd stay in the race "as long as it is possible to do it, period.”

Gingrich told Sean Hannity:

"I find it remarkable because yesterday afternoon, I joined millions of Americans in watching The Masters and the two guys who ended up in the sudden death were neither one in first place when the last round began. Now, neither of them dropped out. And yet, I’ve been, since June of last year, the elite media has said over and over and over, I’m dead, I should get out of it, when am I going to quit, when will I recognize reality. I am in here - I’m thinking of getting it tattoed up here (he pointed to his forehead) all the way to Tampa. OK? I just want to get it across.

We are fighting – and you’ve known me for years. We are fighting for very big issues that matter to the future of our country and the future of our children and grandchildren. And I’m going to continue doing that as long as it is possible to do it, period.”

With all due respect to Gingrich, he’s the one who made statements such as, “I think you have to be realistic, given the size of (Mitt Romney's) organization, given the number of primaries he's won, he is far and away the most likely Republican nominee,” and “I’m glad I did this... It was the right thing for me to do at that point both in my life and for where I thought the country was. So I have no regrets.” 

Gingrich has been in politics long enough to know how comments like that will be taken. If he’s going to blame the media for interpreting them the way they did, he’s either very, very inept at dealing with them or very, very dishonest. Neither bodes well for a Commander-in-Chief.

Oh, and Newt? A presidential primary has very little in common with a golf tournament.