By Michael O’Brien

Newt Gingrich will suspend his campaign next week, ending his pursuit of the presidency, but almost certainly not his life in the national spotlight.

NBC News learned that Gingrich will suspend his campaign on May 1, and may well endorse Mitt Romney, his nemesis throughout the primary season.

By Craig Shirley   7:49 PM 04/23/2012

On July 4, 1826, the National Intelligencer published a letter written several days earlier by Thomas Jefferson to his fellow citizens, just as the great revolutionary leader was expiring at the age of 83 on a “little mountain” outside the hamlet of Charlottesville, Virginia.

All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them, legitimately, by the grace of God. These are grounds of hope for others. For ourselves, let the annual return of this day, forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.*

Even at the end of his life, Jefferson held out hope for the American people, though he worried about those who would “ride them” for their own malevolent purposes.

The Daily Rundown’s Chuck Todd along with Craig Shirley, author of “Regan’s Revolution,” look at the similarities between the 1976 and 2012 Republican presidential primaries, as they discuss the lessons Mitt Romney can take away from past races.

Posted Apr 11, 2012 @ 08:10 PM

By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – He hasn’t held office since 1989. In fact, he’s been dead since 2004. But former President Ronald Reagan has been a regular presence on the campaign trail this year.

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has made pilgrimages to Reagan’s home town and the factory that makes his favorite candy as he tries to rally conservative voters to his fading campaign. Newt Gingrich regularly calls himself a “bold Reagan conservative.” Mitt Romney has proposed a “Reagan economic zone” to boost free trade.

By Quin Hillyer on 4.3.12 @ 1:16PM

Our friend, conservative titan Craig Shirley, has just been honored as a finalist for the Book of the Year Award for his superb December 1941, a history of the start of the U.S. involvement in World War II. Congratulations, Craig!

Craig Shirley’s bestselling book December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World made to “Book of the Year Awards” finalist list.

By Matt K. Lewis; 2:56 PM 03/28/2012

The mainstream media might have concluded that Mitt Romney’s nomination is a foregone conclusion, but a pair of experts on Ronald Reagan’s 1976 campaign (the last time a primary battle went all the way to the convention) think that’s premature.

Gilbert Garcia, author of “Reagan’s Comeback: Four Weeks in Texas That Changed American Politics Forever,” believes that Santorum still has a strong reason for staying in — the Texas primary.

“Rick Santorum’s best hope is for a brokered convention,” says Garcia. “A big win in Texas could help him make the case that Mitt Romney can’t appeal to grassroots conservatives in traditional GOP strongholds.”

Craig Shirley, author of “Reagan’s Revolution” believes North Carolina was more important for Reagan than Texas, but generally agrees that with Garcia’s 2012 analysis.

A Texas win for Santorum, Shirley says, “reshuffles the whole deck.”